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While a handful of features assume people use only one Google account, the reality for many of us is quite different. I have a work account, a school account, and a handful of personal Google accounts — there’s only so much consolidation to be done. If you’re like me, you’re probably juggling Google accounts as you move through apps like Gmail, Drive, or Photos.
Google might be listening to users weighed down by multiple accounts, as we spotted signs of a new app switcher being in the works. Until then, there’s a simple gesture supported by many Google apps that makes account switching a breeze. I was changing accounts the long way for years before I learned it, and now I can’t imagine multitasking any other way.
Using multiple Google accounts on a single Android phone feels inevitable. If you haven’t already signed in to more than one account on your smartphone, chances are, you will in future. I’m envious of those who survive using only a single account, but my multi-account journey started more than a decade ago. I was handed more than one Google account for education before I even graduated high school.
School accounts were eventually replaced in my workflow by work accounts, but the need to constantly switch remained the same. Even if you don’t have a work or school account, you might have more than one personal account. I have one personal account for Google Authenticator codes, another for my personal email, and a third for my Google Home and Health data.
Up until very recently, I switched Google accounts the old-fashioned way. You know the drill — tap the Google account profile picture, press the Switch account button, and select the account you want to use. It’s surely a first-world problem, but this method of account switching wastes a few seconds every time you use it.
If you switch Google accounts as often as I do, that lost time adds up. There’s a better way to swap Google accounts on your Android phone, and it’s so simple that it completely went over my head for too long.
The tiny profile picture you tap to change Google accounts actually supports swipe gestures. Swipe up or down on the profile picture to cycle through the Google accounts active on your Android phone. It’s a seamless way to change accounts in a flurry of Google apps without opening a new page.
If you have an Android Work Profile, you can swipe left or right to switch between your enterprise account and any other Google accounts on your device. Keep in mind that not every work account is set up as an Android Work Profile. Regular business accounts support the same upward or downward swiping motion as other personal or school accounts.
I get the most use out of Google’s account-switching gesture in Gmail, where I’m constantly checking incoming messages. Before, I’d go the long way to change Google accounts. Or worse, use the All inboxes view to avoid switching back and forth between accounts. Using the swipe gestures, I can cycle through my inboxes without missing a beat.
Gmail is probably where Android users will find this gesture most useful, but it works throughout the Google ecosystem. If there’s a Google account profile icon you can tap to change accounts, it probably supports this gesture. I’ve used it in Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Home, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Health, and the Google app — and I’m sure there are a few more.
Google still has work to do to make using multiple accounts on Android phones, tablets, and smart home hardware more manageable. The reality is that many of us depend on multiple Google accounts, and they need to work together to deliver a consistent, streamlined experience.
This little-known gesture doesn’t solve all the headaches that come with handling a bunch of accounts, but it’ll save you time.
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