Thursday, October 15, 2015

Fixing Google Account Conflicts in the Chrome Browser #phsedtech

As the Google Chrome browser continues to evolve I have noticed that the old method of switching between Google Accounts can be glitchy. The old method (described here) involves clicking on your profile picture in upper right corner of most Google Apps products and adding an account(s). But I have found that switching between accounts this way doesn't always work and that Google Drive in particular will have issues. 



I recommend instead, that you use Chrome browser profiles to switch between multiple Google Accounts. To do this I recommend the following steps. 

  1. Go to the Chrome browser settings and delete all existing profiles. This will clear out any conflicting accounts you may have installed using the old method. (Don't worry you're bookmarks and extensions will be recovered when you login using the new Chrome browser profile option).
  2. You will be prompted to sign in to the Chrome Browser. Use your primary Google Account email and password. If your account is a School District issued email be sure to click the "Link Data" option when prompted.
  3. Use the Profile switch icon to add new accounts or switch between accounts.

Switching between accounts using the Chrome Profile switch icon is a much tidier method of using multiple Google Accounts on the same computer. In fact, it's the absolute best method for a shared family computer where mom, dad, and all the kiddos have Google Accounts for work and school. You'll see separate desktop icons and task bar icons to help you access each separate account and distinguish between which account you are using (tip: be sure use unique profile pictures for each account). To view a video demonstration of the steps click here.