Does claude-profiles modify Claude Desktop?

No. Claude.app is never changed, copied or re-signed. Launchers start it with --user-data-dir and CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR, so auto-updates keep working.

Does it work with Claude Code?

Yes. Every profile also gets a claude- command that runs Claude Code with its own CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR, and Claude Desktop's Code tab uses the same folder.

claude-profiles: run multiple Claude accounts on one Mac (Claude Desktop + Claude Code)

Stop juggling one Claude login

Claude Desktop is signed in to one account at a time. If you have a work account and a personal one, everything ends up in the same place.

Without it

Sign out, sign in, repeat
Work and personal chats in one history
One set of MCP servers and connectors for everything
Claude Code hooks, plugins and tracing shared across accounts

With claude-profiles

Claude Work and Claude Personal open at the same time
claude-work and claude-personal in the terminal
Each profile keeps its own sign-in, chats, MCP config and settings
Your current setup stays exactly as it is

Set up in a minute

Two commands, then sign in once in each place.

Turn your current Claude into a profile and add a second one

claude-profiles add work --default   # your current Claude becomes "Claude Work"
claude-profiles add personal         # a second, fully separate profile

Open "Claude Personal" and sign in

It's in Spotlight, Launchpad and ~/Applications. Drag both launchers to your Dock.

Sign in the CLI once

Run claude-personal and type /login. Check everything with claude-profiles doctor.

Terminal demo: adding work and personal profiles with claude-profiles

Built to be boring in the best way

Small, safe and easy to remove. Nothing about Claude itself changes.

🖥️

Desktop + CLI

One profile gives you a Desktop launcher and a Claude Code command. Desktop's Code tab follows the profile too.

🔄

Updates keep working

Claude.app is never modified, copied or re-signed. One update covers every profile.

🏷️

Badged icons

A colored letter badge on each launcher, drawn on your Mac from your own Claude icon.

🎯

One window per profile

Clicking a launcher again brings that profile forward instead of opening a duplicate.

🛡️

Safe by design

No sudo, no network at run time, never deletes files it didn't create.

🍎

Nothing to install

Uses only what ships with macOS. Tested on macOS 14, 15 and 26, Apple Silicon and Intel.

How it works

Claude Desktop keeps its state in one data folder and Claude Code keeps its own in CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR. Each profile simply points both at its own folders.

Launchers and CLI commands start the same unmodified Claude with separate data and config folders

FAQ

The questions people usually ask first.

Can I use two Claude accounts at the same time on a Mac?

Yes. Each profile runs its own Claude Desktop instance with its own data folder, so a work and a personal account can be signed in side by side.

Does it modify Claude Desktop?

No. The launchers start the Claude.app you already have with --user-data-dir and CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR. That's also why auto-updates keep working.

Will I lose my current chats or sign-in?

No. claude-profiles add work --default uses the folders Claude already uses, so nothing moves.

Why does the Dock say "Claude" for every running window?

All windows come from the same Claude.app. Renaming it would break its signature and updates, so you click the badged launchers instead.

Is it safe?

It runs as you without sudo, makes no network calls and never reads your tokens. Each profile signs in by itself inside Claude.

Windows or Linux?

macOS only for now. Windows support is a great first contribution.