For various reasons, many of us have multiple Google accounts, so this blog post will cover 4 methods you can use to keep track of your multiple accounts.
Three of the methods are clumsy and frustrating. The fourth one works like a charm.
Let’s have a look:
Clumsy Method 1: Logging In and Out of Accounts
The most common method for managing multiple Google accounts is logging out and then logging back in.
You would think this method would be clean and straightforward.
But it’s not.
For example, what if you’re working on a Google Doc, but you need to access a Gmail message in another account.
You open a new tab, go to Gmail, sign out of your account, then sign in with the new account.
You find the message you need, switch back to your Google doc and…
Oops. You’ve been booted from your work.
Same thing with your Google Drive.
Now you have to repeat the process of signing out and signing back in—again.
Not exactly a smooth process.
Clumsy Method 2: Use 2 Browsers
Multiple browsers = multiple accounts. Problem solved, right?
Except, this is still clumsy.
Which account am I logged into in Safari? Which account am I using in Chrome? It’s difficult to keep track of which is which.
If you use Chrome-specific plugins to add functionality to any of your Google services, you’ll lose those features by going to another browser.
And what if you have more than two accounts and need to keep track of all your data across all the accounts?
Combined, these problems mean the “multiple browser” option doesn’t provide a clean user experience.
Clumsy Method 3: Google’s “Add an Account” Feature
Google tried to address the multiple accounts problem by adding the “add an account” feature.
By using this feature, you can simply “add” an account—without logging out of the first one.
Simple in concept—but in reality, this just makes life that much more confusing.
In this scenario, you can be logged into multiple accounts in different tabs, making it even more difficult to keep track of what’s happening.
Again, this method does not provide for a clean user experience.
The Easiest Method: Sync Your Google Accounts.
Two-way syncing is the easiest way we know to manage an unlimited number of Google Drive accounts. Here’s how it’s done:
Choose two of your Google Drive accounts, and sync them (or you can also just sync a folder). You can do the same with your Gmail accounts, too.
By using our Chrome Extension, you can also do a bunch of neat stuff for free like: share a Gmail label folder, comment on emails, and have a chat thread with your team. Get the Chrome extension and check it out for yourself.
The Payoff
Stop logging in and out or “adding” all your accounts and trying to keep track of them.
By syncing files and sharing labels, it’s possible to manage an unlimited number of Google accounts from a single login.
It’s the easiest way we know to manage multiple Google accounts.