You can easily separate your work and personal life using Microsoft Edge browser profiles or use them to manage multiple things. Usually, when you launch the browser, it opens the default profile, making it painful to switch whenever you want to use something else. In this guide, we will share how you can create Profile Shortcuts for different Edge profiles to launch any of them at your will.
How to create Profile Shortcuts for different Edge Profiles
Whenever a new profile is created, Edge creates a profile with a number, i.e., Profile 1, Profile 2, and so on. So, if you already have a profile, you must manually check by changing the name using this method to create a desktop shortcut.
- First, go to the following path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application
- Right-click on the msedge.exe file and select Create shortcut. It will create a shortcut on your desktop.
- Next, right-click on the newly created shortcut and select Properties.
- Next, add the following code after the end of the target path
--profile-directory="Profile 1" - Click on Apply > Ok.
- Finally, you can rename the browser profile or double-click on the desktop shortcut to open your Edge browser profile.
Important Note:
The first profile directory setup is usually set as --profile-directory="Default. Any additional profiles will start with a profile and then a number, i.e., Profile 1, Profile 2, etc. Also, if you change the name of your Profile, the directory name will not change.
How to Add a new Edge profile to the taskbar or desktop.
Adding your second Edge browser profile to your taskbar is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is open your alternate browser profile and pin it to the taskbar.
- Open Edge browser.
- Click on your profile picture at the top right corner and select your browser profile to open it.
- Now right-click on the browser profile on your taskbar and select Pin to taskbar.
You can quickly identify your Profile if you have a different profile image.
Conclusion
You’ve now set up shortcuts for your different Edge profiles. Pinging them to your taskbar can be an easy way to switch between them, or you can use desktop shortcuts.
How do I copy an Edge profile to another profile?
The easiest way to do this is by copying everything in the profile folder available at %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\ to another profile folder. However, it will not copy specific files, such as those related to cookies.
You get complete access to Browsing History, passwords, etc, but when you try to access it, it will prompt you for a password. The new profile will also be associated with the Microsoft account where you copied the data.
How do I create multiple browser profiles?
You can use the Profile picture menu in Edge and select Set up a new personal profile. When setting up, you can sync data, connect with a Microsoft account, etc.
