Run multiple Claude accounts on one Mac.

Why Claude Desktop only signs in one account

Claude Desktop keeps everything for the signed-in account (your login, settings, connectors and the list of Claude Code sessions) in one folder: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude. One folder means one login. Signing in to another account replaces it, so switching between a work and a personal account means signing out and back in each time.

Your chats aren't lost when you switch, because they live in your account. What you lose is time, your place in the conversation, and the ability to see both accounts at once.

Every way to run two Claude accounts, compared

* From each product's own website on 10 October 2026. Parall's site says to close the app's other copies while signing in through the browser; Multi-Claude's site doesn't say how Google sign-in works, and neither mentions Claude Code. We make Claude Sessions Pro.

Option 1: Sign out and back in

Free and built in: click your name in Claude Desktop, sign out, sign in with the other account. It's fine if you switch once a week. If you switch several times a day, it gets old fast, and you can never see both accounts at once.

Option 2: A second browser profile

Open claude.ai in another browser, or another profile of your browser, and sign in with the second account. Good for chatting. You lose what only the desktop app has for that account: the Code tab, local MCP servers and desktop connectors, its own Dock icon and ⌘-Tab.

Option 3: A second macOS user

Create another user in System Settings → Users & Groups and sign in to the other Claude account there. Everything is fully separate, including Claude Code. But you see one user's desktop at a time, and your files, apps and settings don't come with you.

Option 4: A second copy from Terminal (free)

Claude Desktop accepts a --user-data-dir option, which points a copy of the app at its own data folder. This starts a second Claude next to the first:

open -n -a Claude --args --user-data-dir="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Claude-Work"

Sign in to the second account in that window. The catches:

• Both copies share the same Dock icon and name, so ⌘-Tab can't tell them apart.
• You have to start it from Terminal (or a script) every time.
• Google sign-in can return to the wrong window, because both copies are the same app to macOS.
• Claude Code sessions you already have stay with whichever copy they were made in.

For the Claude Code CLI on its own, give the second account its own config folder:

CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/.claude-work claude

Option 5: An app that makes each account its own Mac app

Apps like Parall, Multi-Claude and Claude Sessions Pro automate option 4 and fix its catches by giving each copy its own name and icon, so macOS treats each account as a separate app. Parall is a general launcher that works with many apps. Multi-Claude and Claude Sessions Pro are built just for Claude.

Setting it up with Claude Sessions Pro

1. Download and open the app. It finds your Claude Desktop install.
2. Create a profile for each account. Name it (Work, Personal, a client) and pick a color. It becomes its own Claude app, for example "Claude Work".
3. Sign in once. Google or email. Google sign-in opens Apple's secure sign-in window and returns to the profile that asked for it.
4. Keep them all open. Switch with ⌘-Tab or the menu bar. Claude Code sessions and pins from your main Claude app move to the matching profile automatically.

Is it allowed to use multiple Claude accounts?

Plenty of people keep separate accounts for good reasons, such as a company Team account and a personal Pro account, or one account per client. Every method on this page runs the official Claude app and doesn't change how Claude works. Anthropic's terms still apply to each account, though, and making extra accounts to get around usage limits can get them suspended. Check Anthropic's Consumer Terms and Usage Policy, and only use accounts you're allowed to use.

FAQ

Can I be signed in to two Claude accounts at once on a Mac?

Not in one copy of Claude Desktop, because it keeps a single login in its data folder. You need a second copy of the app with its own data folder: start one from Terminal with --user-data-dir, use a launcher such as Parall, or use an app like Claude Sessions Pro or Multi-Claude that sets the copies up for you.

Does Claude Desktop have a built-in account switcher?

No. As of October 2026, Claude Desktop signs in one account at a time, and switching means signing out and back in. Users have asked Anthropic for multi-account support on GitHub.

Can I just use claude.ai in a browser for my second account?

Yes. Signing in to a second account in another browser or browser profile works for chats. You don't get the desktop app's features for that account, such as the Code tab, local MCP servers and desktop connectors, its own Dock icon or ⌘-Tab.

How do I use two Claude Code accounts on one Mac?

The Claude Code CLI reads its login from a config folder, so give each account its own folder: run CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR=~/.claude-work claude for the second account. In Claude Desktop's Code tab, sessions are listed per account, which is why a second desktop profile keeps them apart. Claude Sessions Pro does both: each profile keeps its own Code-tab sessions and pins and opens the CLI with its own config folder.

Will I lose my chats when I switch accounts?

No. Chats belong to the account and come back when you sign in again. Running each account in its own copy of the app just means you don't have to sign out to see them.

Is it allowed to have more than one Claude account?

Many people have separate accounts, for example a company Team account and a personal Pro account. Anthropic's terms apply to each account, and creating extra accounts to get around usage limits can get them suspended. Read Anthropic's Consumer Terms and Usage Policy, and only use accounts you're allowed to use.

Claude Sessions Pro is made by LEX GLOBAL IT S.R.L. and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC. Parall and Multi-Claude are products of their respective owners.