Firefox Multiple Profiles: How to Setup and Manage

Using Firefox multiple profiles can be beneficial if you have multiple people using one computer or if you want to section your browser based on your activities. You can create different profiles for work, entertainment, school, and simple browsing.

Another great thing about having different profiles in Firefox is that the bookmarks, user settings, and passwords for each profile are stored separately, so you don’t get confused or use incorrect passwords on the websites you visit. Let’s take a deep dive into how to set up these profiles as well as how to manage them.

How to Create Different Profiles on Firefox? Simple and Easy Ways

You can create different profiles on your firefox web browser using the Firefox profile manager. It also makes it easy for you to manage profiles by switching, removing, and renaming them. The profile manager also stores your personal information in different program files so there’s no confusion between profiles.

You can create multiple profiles with the profile manager by opening the profile manager first using the “Run” dialog box or by adding the full path of the program. After opening the profile manager successfully, you have to go to the ‘create profile’ option and create the profile.

– Starting the Profile Manager

To create a profile in your Firefox program, you first need to start the profile manager by following the steps below:

1. Make sure your Firefox browser is closed.
2. Press the Windows key and the “R” key to open the “Run” dialog box.
3. Now, type in the following command in the dialog box: firefox.exe -p.
4. You can also replace “-p” with “-P” or “-ProfileManager” just in case the one above doesn’t work.
5. Next, tap the “OK” button
6. Doing so should launch the “Firefox Choose User Profile” window.

This is only suitable when the firefox programs are installed in one place.

– Starting the Profile Manager for Multiple Program Installations

If you try the steps above and they don’t work, then you probably have multiple Firefox program installations in different locations. In that case, you’ll need to add the full path of the program in the run dialog box instead of firefox.exe. Doing so will start the Profile Manager for the program, and you’ll be able to manage your profiles right after. 

These are the necessary steps to follow:

1. Press the “R” button and the Windows button to open the Run dialog box.
2. Enter the file path for where your browser is installed.
3. For a 32-bit Firefox program on a 64-bit Windows, you’ll have something like: “C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\ firefox.exe” -P.
4. For a 32-bit Firefox program on a 32-bit Windows or a 64-bit Firefox program on a 64-bit Windows, you’ll have something like: “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\ firefox.exe” -P.
5. Make sure to include the quotes when entering the file path and omit the period.
6. The Profile Manager should show up immediately after you press the “enter” key or the “OK” button.
7. If you still don’t see the Profile Manager, you may have Firefox running in the background.
8. Simply open your task manager, close the program if it’s open, and restart your PC.

– Creating The Profile

Once you’ve got the Profile Manager open, the next step is to create a profile. You can do so by following the options below:

1. Once you press enter after entering the command above, you’ll be greeted with the Profile Manager.
2. Select the “Create Profile” button and tap “Next.”
3. Now, enter the name of your profile and make sure it’s a name you can remember in case you want to edit it later.
4. Note that the name of your profile is not related to anything you do on the internet, so it’s not used online in any way.
5. You’ll be prompted to choose a folder to store your profile.
6. Disregard the prompt unless you intend to use a different folder to store your profile.
7. If you do change the folder location, make sure to use an empty or new folder.
8. If you use a folder with items in it and you later delete the profile, when you want to delete files related to the profile, the entire folder will be deleted instead of just the files.
9. Once you’re done choosing a new location or skipping the process, select the “Create new profile” button and tap on “Finish.”
10. You’ll then be taken back to the “Choose User Profile” window, and your new profile will be on the list of created profiles.
11. When you launch Firefox with the new profile for the first time, you’ll be asked to sign into your Firefox Account to be able to sync your data with the new profile.

How to Create Multiple Profiles with the About Profiles Page

To create multiple profiles with the about profiles page, you have to enter the ‘about;profiles’ command in the address bar.

This will directly lead you to the about profiles window, where you will get all of the options you need to create multiple profiles.

1. Launch your Firefox browser, enter “about:profiles” in the address bar, and then tap the “Enter” key.
2. You’ll be taken to the “About Profiles” window, where you’ll see the options to manage your profiles.
3. Tap the “Create a New Profile” button to start the Wizard.
4. Follow the prompts by giving your profile a name, choosing or skipping where to save the profile, and saving your settings.
5. Once you’ve created a profile, it’ll be automatically saved in the Profile Manager, and it’ll change to your default.
6. The next time you start Firefox, the new profile will be used, and you’ll be asked to sign into your Firefox account.

How To Rename Multiple Profiles in Firefox?

You can rename multiple profiles in firefox by using the about profiles page or via the profile manager. In case of the about profiles page, you simply have to access the window using the ‘about:profiles” command and then scroll to the desired profile. Rename it from there.

– Changing Your Profile Name via the About Profiles Page

Note that this renaming option renames only the selected profile name and not the folder in which the profiles are stored.

1. Launch your Firefox browser, enter “about:profiles” in the address bar then tap the enter key.
2. Go to the profile with the name you intend to change and tap the “Rename” button under the profile.
3. Next, enter the new name in the appropriate section and save your changes.

– Renaming Your Profile via the Manager

1. Launch the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key and the “R” button at the same time.
2. Next, enter the following command: firefox.exe -p.
3. The next window will be the Profile Manager window.
4. Select the profile name you want to change on the right panel.
5. Tap the “Rename Profile” button and enter the new name you want in the resulting window.
6. Tap “OK”, and the name will be changed.

How to Delete One Out Of Multiple Profiles?

You can delete one out of multiple profiles by either going through the about us page or using the profile manager. To delete any profile via the about us page, you enter “about:profiles” into the address bar. Navigate to the desired profile and delete it using the option below.

– Deleting Profiles via the About Page

1. Launch your Firefox browser and enter “about:profiles” into the address bar, and press the enter key.
2. Navigate to the profile you want to delete and select the “Remove” button.
3. Note that you cannot delete an active profile.
4. You’ll be prompted whether or not you want to delete files related to the profile or not.
5. Choosing “Delete Files” will delete the profile as well as the files related to it, including your passwords, settings, bookmarks, etc.
6. Note that the deletion cannot be undone, so choosing the “Don’t Delete Files” option is the way to go if you still need any file related to the profile.
7. You can also stop the deletion process by selecting the “Cancel” option.

– Deleting Profiles via the Profile Manager

1. Press the Windows and “R” keys simultaneously to launch the “Run” dialog box.
2. Enter the “firefox.exe -p” command to open the Profile Manager.
3. Next, select the profile you want to delete on the right panel and tap the “Delete Profile” button.
4. You’ll be prompted whether or not you want to delete related files.
5. Make your preference, and the profile will be deleted.

How To Set One as Default Out of Multiple Profiles?

To set one as default out of multiple profiles, launch your Firefox browser, enter “about:profiles” in the address bar, and tap the enter key. Next, navigate to the profile you want as your default. Tap the “Set as default profile” underneath the profile options, and settings will be saved.

How to Back up Multiple Firefox Profiles?

Back up multiple firefox profiles by navigating to the file path your Firefox profiles are stored in. Your profiles should be in a folder with their assigned names and eight different characters, signalling that they are profile folders. Connect your backup drive and paste the copied folders into the drive.

One thing to note here is that choose only those profiles that you intend to back up and copy them.

– Restoring Your Profiles Backup

Restoring your profile backup is a task that allows you to enjoy your settings and profile-related data without having to start everything from scratch when you get a new device or restore your device after a corruption. You can restore your profile data by following the steps below:

1. Make sure your existing profile and backed-up profile have the same name.
2. Connect your drive to your computer and copy the backed-up profile data.
3. Next, navigate to the existing profile and replace it with the backed-up data.
4. Start your Firefox browser, and the pasted profile should be immediately loaded by Firefox.
5. If it doesn’t, close your browser and press the Windows and “R” keys to get the run dialog box.
6. Enter the “firefox.exe -p” command into the box and tap enter.
7. Select the profile on the right panel and tap the “Start Firefox” button.

Conclusion

That’s all on how to create, rename, and delete different profiles in Firefox. Make sure to keep these points in mind when using profiles in Firefox.

• If you have multiple programs, you’ll need to enter the file path of the program in quotes when using the Run dialog box.
• Make sure to always back up your profile data before trying a new or unknown extension so you can restore it easily if there’s an issue.
• You’ll need to completely close your browser before utilizing the profile manager.
• New profiles are automatically set as your default profile.
• The profile manager also works as Firefox profile switcher, so you can use it to switch between multiple Firefox profiles.

Setting up profiles in Firefox is easy as long as you follow the steps we’ve outlined above. Not only will you be able to customize your browser to meet your different needs, but you’ll also be able to share your computer with others without having to worry about them snooping through your browsing history.