Change your default Google account by signing out and signing back in with a different account
Your default Google account is the one that automatically opens when you click your profile picture in the top right corner of Gmail, Google Drive, or other Google services. To switch which account is your default, you sign out of your current account and sign back in with the account you want to use instead. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
The account you set as default also determines which Google services load when you visit google.com, which calendar appears in Google Calendar, and which Drive folder opens in Google Drive. If you use multiple Google accounts for work and personal use, changing your default account means you won't have to switch between them as often.
Key Takeaways
- Your default Google account is the one that loads first when you open Gmail or Google Drive, and you can change it by signing out and signing back in with a different account.
- Signing out of your default account does not delete your data or sign you out of other Google accounts you have open in the same browser.
- You can keep multiple Google accounts signed in at the same time in most browsers, and switch between them without signing out.
- If you use Chrome, you can also create separate browser profiles for each Google account so they stay signed in separately.
Sign out of your current default account
Open Gmail, Google Drive, or any Google service in your browser. Look for your profile picture or initial in the top right corner of the page and click it. A menu will appear with your account name and email address at the top.
Click "Sign out" at the bottom of that menu. You will be taken to the Google sign-in page. At this point, your default account is no longer signed in, though any other Google accounts you had open in separate tabs will remain signed in.
Sign in with your new default account
On the Google sign-in page, enter the email address or phone number for the Google account you want to make your default. Then enter your password when prompted. If you have two-factor authentication turned on for this account, you will need to complete that step as well.
Once you are signed in, that account becomes your new default. When you click your profile picture now, you will see the name and email of this new account. Any Google services you open in a new tab will load with this account unless you specifically switch to a different one.
Keep multiple accounts signed in without changing your default
If you want to use two Google accounts but keep one as your default, you can sign in to both at the same time. After you sign in to your default account, open a new tab and go to google.com. Click "Sign in" and enter the email and password for your second account. You can now switch between accounts by clicking your profile picture and selecting the account you want to use.
The account you signed in to first remains your default — it is the one that loads automatically when you open Gmail or Google Drive. When you click your profile picture, you will see both accounts listed, and you can click the other one to switch to it temporarily without changing which is your default.
Use Chrome profiles to keep accounts completely separate
If you use Google Chrome, you can create a separate browser profile for each Google account. This keeps your browsing history, bookmarks, and extensions separate for each account, and each profile automatically signs in to its own default Google account.
To create a new Chrome profile, click your profile picture in the top right corner of Chrome (not a website — the browser itself). Click "Add" and choose a name and picture for the new profile. Chrome will open a new window with that profile. Sign in to the Google account you want to use in this profile, and it will be set as the default for that profile only. You can switch between profiles by clicking your profile picture again and selecting a different one.
What happens to your data when you change your default account
Changing your default Google account does not delete any of your data. Your emails, files, photos, and calendar events stay in the accounts they belong to. When you sign out of one account and sign in to another, you are simply changing which account loads first — the data in your old account is still there if you sign back in.
If you sign out of all your Google accounts in a browser, you will need to sign back in to see your data. Signing out does not remove your data from Google's servers or from other devices where you are still signed in.
Switch your default account on mobile devices
On an iPhone or Android phone, your default Google account is the one you added first in your device settings. To change it, go to Settings, then Accounts (or Users & Accounts on some Android phones), and select Google. Tap the account you want to make your default, then look for an option to set it as primary or default. The exact steps vary by phone model and Android version.
On an iPhone, you can add multiple Google accounts in Settings > Mail > Accounts, but the first one you added is your default. To change it, you may need to remove and re-add accounts in a different order, or use the Gmail app instead, which lets you switch between accounts without changing your device default.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my default account sign me out of other accounts?
No. If you have multiple Google accounts open in different tabs or windows, signing out of your default account will not affect the others. They will remain signed in until you sign them out separately.
Can I have two default accounts?
No, only one account can be your default in a browser at a time. However, you can keep multiple accounts signed in and switch between them, or use separate Chrome profiles so each profile has its own default account.
What if I forget the password to my new default account?
Go to the Google sign-in page and click "Forgot password?" Enter the email address for the account, then follow the steps to verify your identity and reset your password. You can use a recovery email address or phone number associated with the account.
Does changing my default account on Chrome change it on Gmail too?
Yes. Your default account is the same across all Google services in the same browser. If you change it in Chrome, it changes in Gmail, Google Drive, and all other Google services you use in that browser.
Can I set a default account on Firefox or Safari?
Yes. The process is the same on any browser — sign out of your current default account and sign in to the one you want to make default. The account you sign in to becomes your default for that browser.