GitHub
Can You Stay Signed In to Two GitHub Accounts on One Computer?
Can you be signed in to two GitHub accounts on one computer?
Yes, in the cases GitHub documents. According to GitHub Docs (read 3 October 2026), you can stay signed in to several accounts on github.com and move between them without entering your credentials every time. The page names two situations the account switcher is meant for: a personal account used alongside service accounts, which it also calls machine users, and a personal account used alongside a managed user account in an enterprise that uses Enterprise Managed Users.
That wording matters. GitHub's Terms of Service allow one free account per person, so the switcher is not a way to run several personal accounts. The rules guide has the details, and the GitHub platform page lists the other guides in this series.
What can the account switcher do, and where does it stop?
These steps are for github.com in a desktop browser. Every menu opens from your profile picture in the upper-right corner of any page.
| Action | What you click | What GitHub's page says |
|---|---|---|
| Add an account | Add account (open Switch account first if you added one before) | You sign in to the new account and are signed in to it immediately; both then appear in the switcher |
| Switch | Switch account, then the account name | You move between accounts without always reauthenticating |
| Sign out of one | Sign out, then Sign out beside your username, or Remove beside another name | The account leaves the switcher |
| Sign out of all | Sign out, then Sign out from all accounts | Every account leaves the switcher |
| Sessions expired | See all accounts | Switch account is not offered when all sessions have expired |
The page adds that single sign-on (SSO) sessions are kept while you switch to another account and back. The changelog post that announced the feature (GitHub Blog, 3 November 2023) adds three points: GitHub.com remembers the accounts in your browser, user permissions are never mixed between saved accounts, and a saved session expires after two weeks without activity. It also says SAML or OIDC single sign-on authorization often expires every 1 or 24 hours.
How do you add a second account?
- Sign in to your first account on github.com.
- Click your profile picture, then Add account. If you added an account before, click Switch account to open the menu first.
- Sign in to the account you want to add.
- To change accounts later, click your profile picture, then Switch account, and choose one.
- To remove an account, click your profile picture, then Sign out, and use Remove beside the name.
The changelog says the list is remembered in your browser, so plan for another browser, or another browser profile, to need its own sign-ins.
How do Git, the GitHub CLI and GitHub Desktop handle several accounts?
The switcher covers the website. Tools on your computer sign in on their own, so each one needs its own setup.
| Tool | What GitHub's pages describe | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Git over HTTPS | Cache credentials per repository URL with git config --global credential.https://github.com.useHttpPath true and create a dedicated personal access token for each account | Clear any stored credential first; the page has steps for macOS, Windows and Linux |
| Git over SSH | Choose a key per command with GIT_SSH_COMMAND, or keep one key per account and describe each host in ~/.ssh/config with IdentitiesOnly yes | One key cannot serve both an enterprise with managed users and accounts outside it |
| GitHub CLI | Run gh auth login for each account, then gh auth switch to change the active one | gh auth status shows the active account for each host |
| GitHub Desktop | Sign in through your default browser; separate steps exist for GitHub.com and GitHub Enterprise | The page does not describe two GitHub.com accounts at once |
GitHub's own advice is cautious. Its personal-account page warns that handling two or more accounts makes it likelier you will expose internal code by mistake, notes that a managed user account cannot be used for contributions to public projects on GitHub.com, and recommends one personal account for all your work there.
What goes wrong with the wrong account, and how do you fix it?
Permission to user/repo denied to other-user. GitHub's page explains that the SSH key you pushed with is registered to an account that lacks access to that repository. The repository owner has to add that account as a collaborator, or to a team that can write to it.- Unsure which account a key belongs to. Run
ssh -T git@github.com. GitHub's test page says the success message names your username. - The email is already in use. GitHub says each email address can belong to only one GitHub account at a time. Sign in to the account that holds it and remove it there, or recover that account with a password reset.
- Commits show the wrong author. GitHub works out whose commit it is by comparing the commit's email address with the addresses on GitHub accounts. Running
git config user.email "YOUR_EMAIL"inside a repository, without--global, sets the address for that repository only and overrides your global setting there. - Switch account has vanished. All saved sessions have expired. Click See all accounts and sign in again.
What if you need two accounts open side by side?
The switcher moves you between accounts inside one browser. If you want two windows open at once, one per account, give each account its own browser profile: see how to keep two GitHub accounts apart with profiles and what a browser profile is. If an account has no two-factor authentication, GitHub may ask you to verify a new browser profile on first sign-in; the sign-in checks guide explains why. For a team, do not share one login at all: see team access without shared logins.
Where ADSSPEED fits
ADSSPEED does not change what GitHub allows. It is a desktop app for Windows and macOS that manages many browser profiles. Each profile keeps its own cookies, local data and browser settings, so accounts you own or are authorised to manage can stay signed in side by side without signing each other out. Profiles can be opened, stopped and organised in bulk, and profile data stays on your own computer. Use it only within GitHub's rules. ADSSPEED is not affiliated with GitHub.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have two GitHub accounts on one computer?
Yes, in the cases GitHub documents. According to GitHub Docs (read 3 October 2026), the account switcher is meant for a personal account plus service accounts, or a personal account plus a managed user account in an enterprise that uses Enterprise Managed Users. The Terms of Service still allow one free account per person, so a second personal account is not what the switcher is for.
Can I have two GitHub accounts with the same email?
No. GitHub's troubleshooting page says each email address can be linked to only one GitHub account at a time. If you see that the email is already in use, sign in to the account that holds the address and remove it there, or recover that account with a password reset.
How do I switch GitHub accounts in the terminal?
With the GitHub CLI, run gh auth login once for each account, then gh auth switch to change the active one. The CLI manual describes gh auth switch as switching the active account for a GitHub host, with --hostname and --user flags, and gh auth status shows which account is active.
Can I use two GitHub accounts in GitHub Desktop?
GitHub's Desktop page describes signing in through your default browser, with separate steps for GitHub.com and for GitHub Enterprise. It does not describe signing in to two GitHub.com accounts at once, so check that page for current behaviour before you rely on it.
How do I use multiple GitHub accounts with SSH keys?
GitHub's page on managing multiple accounts shows two ways: set GIT_SSH_COMMAND to choose a key for one command, or keep one key per account and describe each host in the ~/.ssh/config file with IdentitiesOnly yes. It also warns that one SSH key cannot serve both an enterprise with managed users and accounts outside it.
How do I change accounts in GitHub?
On github.com, click your profile picture, choose Add account to sign in to a second account, then use Switch account to move between them. GitHub's changelog post on multi-account support (3 November 2023) says saved sessions expire after two weeks without activity, and that single sign-on often expires after 1 or 24 hours. If Switch account disappears, use See all accounts.
Sources
- GitHub Docs: Switching between accounts
- GitHub Changelog: Multi-account support on GitHub.com (3 November 2023)
- GitHub Docs: Managing multiple accounts
- GitHub Docs: Personal account management
- GitHub Docs: Types of GitHub accounts
- GitHub Terms of Service (effective date shown: 27 April 2026)
- GitHub Docs: Using the GitHub CLI across GitHub platforms
- GitHub CLI manual: gh auth switch
- GitHub CLI manual: gh auth status
- GitHub Docs: Authenticating to GitHub in GitHub Desktop
- GitHub Docs: Troubleshooting adding an email
- GitHub Docs: Error: Permission to user/repo denied to other-user
- GitHub Docs: Troubleshooting commits
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