Safari on Mac profiles: separate logins, shared passwords and bookmarks

Separate profile cookies can help when using work and personal accounts on the same website. A new profile lacks the cookies that remember you, so the website may ask you to sign in again.

Passwords, AutoFill, Security, Websites and Privacy settings are shared between profiles. A profile distinction alone does not meet a need to keep another person away from passwords or bookmarks.

All profiles can access bookmarks through the Bookmarks menu and sidebar. The Favorites bar is shared by profiles using the same favorites folder; changing that bar does not block access to bookmarks.

Create a profile in Safari → Settings → Profiles. When the first profile is created, existing history and cookies remain in the default Personal profile, with the new profile added alongside it. Safari 17 or later is required.

After checking the website login in the new profile, enable the extensions you need. Extensions are available to all profiles but enabled separately, and are off by default in each new profile.

If your usual account is missing, first check the current window's profile. When its cookies belong to another profile, open the appropriate profile window before clearing all history or resetting a password.