How can I have multiple browsing sessions in Google Chrome?

Question

I often need multiple browsing sessions for logging into multiple services with different accounts at one time. I don't want to have to use multiple browsers, nor do I want to use a different release of Google Chrome. I would be open to running multiple instances of Google Chrome. However, I've tried using open -na Google\ Chrome and it won't open a second instance. Is there a way to do this on a Mac with Google Chrome?

Answer 1

Chrome supports multiple user profiles, you can make use of this to have multiple browsing sessions.

Click on the Chrome Menu (Mac users: Chrome-Preferences) → Click on Add New User. Now, there's a new instance of Chrome with a entirely different profile from the current user, so the cookies and the like are not shared.

Now, when you launch a new window, you can select a user profile to switch between & hence have multiple sessions.

Answer 2

I don't know about the MAC, but

mkdir newProfile
chrome --user-data-dir=newProfile

Works great here on Linux!

Answer 3

Found this marvellous solution: https://sites.google.com/a/yarina.org/dougs-notes/home/mac-os-x/multiple-instances-of-chrome

I would probably alter the solution a bit by having the chrome function point to a time stamped directory in /tmp/. That way a new instance could be created each time by typing in only chrome rather than chrome /tmp/junk/.

I've also been using http://watir.com/ which launches new Chrome instances. Would be nice to look into watir's source to see how they do it.

Answer 4

Try using an Incognito window.

Answer 5

This one: http://techparade.blogspot.com/2011/03/multiple-user-profiles-in-google-chrome.html allows you to set up a full-fledged Application for multiple instances of chrome.

Answer 6

If you do not want to use google account for loggin in, then use this plugin https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/freshstart-cross-browser/nmidkjogcjnnlfimjcedenagjfacpobb?hl=en