How to Keep Several Mastodon Accounts Apart on One PC With Browser Profiles

How do you keep several Mastodon accounts apart on one PC? #

Give each account its own browser profile and sign in there. Chrome's help page says profiles keep your bookmarks, history, passwords and other settings separate, and Chromium's documentation lists cookies among the data stored per profile, so a Mastodon sign-in in one profile does not touch another. This matters most for two accounts on the same server, because the documentation and release notes read for this guide (3 October 2026) describe no account switcher in Mastodon's web interface.

What a profile separates, and what it does not #

A profile separates what the browser stores. It does not change the computer or the connection, and the administrators' API documentation describes an account's last login IP address and all known IP addresses associated with it. Profiles keep your own accounts tidy; they do not hide them.

Set up one Chrome profile per account #

Accounts on different servers can share one profile, because each server is a separate website with its own login. Two accounts on the same server should not, since the pages read describe no switcher, so give each its own profile. If you are unsure, use one profile per account.

1. In Chrome, select Profile at the top right, then Add Chrome profile.
2. Choose a name, photo and colour scheme. Signing in to Chrome with a Google Account is optional; if you do, the profile name becomes the Account name automatically, so rename it afterwards. The naming advice below helps here.
3. In that profile, open the login page of the server that hosts the account and sign in with the account's e-mail address and password.
4. Open the account settings and turn on two-factor authentication. Note which e-mail address the account uses, because password resets go there.
5. Optional: enable the advanced web interface in your preferences if you like columns. The documentation says it lets you view and pin multiple columns at the same time.
6. Repeat for every account. To switch, select Profile and choose the profile you want.

Firefox users get a similar result with one container per account, which keeps the site data apart inside a single window.

Naming, hand-over and backups #

Naming #

Name each profile after what it holds: server, role and handle, for example Mastodon - support - @shop@example.social. To rename one, select Profile, then Manage Chrome profiles, then More and Edit. Keep a list outside the browser with the handle, server, owner, sign-in e-mail and the place where the two-factor codes live. Never write passwords into a profile name or that list.

Hand-over #

Do not pass a signed-in profile to someone else. When an account changes hands, the new owner opens the account settings, changes the e-mail address and password, revokes active sessions and authorised apps, and signs in from their own profile. Chrome's help adds that anyone with your device can switch to any other profile on it, so share the device only with people you trust.

Backups #

The documentation (read 3 October 2026) says the Import and export area lets you download CSV files of followed accounts, lists, blocked accounts, muted accounts and blocked domains, and request an archive of posts and media once every 7 days. Mastodon cannot import posts or media. Servers linked from joinmastodon.org commit to daily backups, but an export is still yours to keep. Deleting a Chrome profile erases its bookmarks, history, passwords and other settings, so export before you delete.

When ordinary profiles stop being enough #

• Many accounts mean many windows. Each profile is opened, named and kept up to date by hand.
• The session limit. The server software defaults to 10 browser sessions per user, on a page written for administrators, and your server may differ. One account opened in many profiles uses those sessions up.
• A move changes the picture. After you move an account to another server, the documentation says your old account is no longer accessible to you. Rename the browser profile and update the list.
• Shared PCs. A profile does not stop someone with the device from opening it.

If something goes wrong #

1. A profile signs you out. Read why Mastodon logs you out or disables a login.
2. A login page rejects your credentials. You may be on the wrong server: mastodon.social's page says an account hosted elsewhere cannot log in there.
3. You cannot tell the windows apart. Rename the profiles as described above.
4. A profile was deleted by mistake. Its saved logins are gone. Sign in again from the server's login page, and use Forgot your password? if needed.
5. You are unsure what a private window does. It is a temporary session, as the comparison with VPNs and private browsing explains.

For rules on running more than one account, see the rules guide.

Where ADSSPEED fits #

When ordinary browser profiles become a chore, ADSSPEED, a desktop app for Windows and macOS, manages many of them in one place. Each profile keeps its own cookies, local data and browser settings, so accounts you manage can stay signed in side by side without signing each other out. You can open, stop and organise profiles in bulk, set a proxy per profile and assign it to many profiles in bulk, and keep profile data on your own computer. ADSSPEED is not affiliated with Mastodon and does not change any server's rules. To try it, see how to install ADSSPEED on Windows.