How to Change Your Default Google Account

If you’re signed into multiple Google accounts in your browser, Google often picks one as the “default” for new tabs, Gmail, Drive, and other services. This guide shows you how to switch that default account so the right one opens first every time. You’ll need to be signed in to the Google account you want to make primary, and you’ll need to be able to sign out of the others temporarily.

What You’ll Need

Access to your Google Account settings (via myaccount.google.com)
The password for the account you want to set as default (if you’re not already signed in)
Your browser’s profile or sign-in settings (if you use multiple profiles)

Step-by-Step

Open your browser and go to myaccount.google.com. If you’re not signed in, sign in with the account you want to be your default. If you are signed in but it’s the wrong account, click your profile picture in the top right and choose “Add another account” to sign in to the correct one.
Check the account currently shown in the top right. That’s your current default for this browser session. If it’s already the one you want, you can stop here—but you may still want to remove other accounts to prevent accidental switching.
Sign out of all other Google accounts. Go to accounts.google.com, click your profile picture, and select “Sign out of all accounts.” This logs you out everywhere. Then sign back in with only the account you want as default. This forces Google to treat that account as primary.
After signing back in, verify the default. Open a new tab and go to Gmail or Drive. The account shown in the top right should be the one you want. If not, repeat the sign-out process and make sure you sign in to the desired account first.
Remove extra accounts (optional but recommended). If you want to keep multiple accounts but stop the wrong one from being default, you can remove the others from your browser’s saved accounts. In Chrome, go to Settings > You and Google > Manage your Google Account > Security > Your devices, or simply click your profile icon and choose “Sign out” for the accounts you don’t need. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Saved Logins, and remove the ones you don’t want.
Use a dedicated browser profile for each account (advanced). If you frequently switch between work and personal accounts, create separate browser profiles (e.g., Chrome profiles) and assign each to a different Google account. Then each profile opens with its own default account. This is the most reliable method.

Common Mistakes

Not signing out of all accounts. If you only sign out of the current account and then sign in to another, Google may still remember the old default and switch back.
Using the “Switch account” link instead of signing out. That just changes the active account temporarily; the default remains the same.
Forgetting to clear browser cookies. If you don’t, Google may restore the previous session and the default account.
Expecting a single global default. The default account can vary by device and browser. You may need to repeat the process on each device.

Tips

Set a primary account in Gmail. If you use Gmail, go to Gmail settings > Accounts and Import > “Send mail as” and set the default “From” address. This doesn’t change the overall Google default but helps for email.
Use a password manager. It makes signing in and out faster, so you’re more likely to maintain the correct default.
Check your browser’s sync settings. If you have sync enabled, the default account may be tied to your browser profile. Adjust the profile settings to match.
Clear site data for google.com if you’re still having issues. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data > See all cookies and site data, search for “google.com,” and remove the data. This forces a fresh login.

Troubleshooting

The wrong account still appears after signing out and back in. Try clearing your browser’s cookies and cache for google.com, then restart the browser and sign in again. If that fails, use a private/incognito window to test—if it works there, the issue is your browser’s saved state.
You can’t sign out of all accounts because you forgot a password. You can still sign out of all accounts from the Google Account page, but you’ll need the password to sign back in. If you’ve forgotten it, use Google’s account recovery process.
The default account changes randomly. This can happen if you have multiple browser profiles or if you use a shared computer. Ensure each profile has its own Google account, and avoid using the “guest” mode for regular work.
You want to keep two accounts but always open Gmail with the secondary one. Instead of changing the global default, bookmark a URL that includes the account parameter. For Gmail, you can use https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/ (where 0 is the first account, 1 is the second, etc.). This doesn’t change the default but opens the right inbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which account is my default?

Open a new tab and go to myaccount.google.com. The account shown in the top right corner is your current default for that browser.

Can I set a different default for each Google service (Gmail, Drive, etc.)?

No, Google uses a single default account per browser profile. However, you can manually switch accounts within each service by clicking your profile icon and selecting the other account.

Will changing my default account affect my saved passwords or bookmarks?

No, that data is stored in your browser profile, not tied to your Google account. However, if you use Chrome sync, your bookmarks and passwords are associated with the account you’re syncing to, so changing the default may affect which synced data appears.

What if I only want to switch the default for a short time?

Just click your profile icon and select the other account. This switches the active account for that session, but the default remains the same. To permanently change it, follow the steps above.

Does this work on mobile apps?

On Android, the default Google account is set in the device’s Settings > Accounts. On iOS, you can set the default in each app’s settings (e.g., Gmail app > Settings > Default account). The browser method above works for mobile browsers as well.

Why does Google keep switching back to my old account?

This usually happens because you have multiple accounts signed in and you’re using a feature that automatically switches (like “Sign in with Google” on a website). To prevent it, sign out of all accounts and sign back in with only the one you want as default.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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