Make a desktop or Spotlight shortcut for a Chrome profile on Mac
Short answer: Chrome on Windows can create a desktop shortcut for a profile;
Chrome on Mac cannot. You can build one with Automator, running the
--profile-directory command — or let Okie Dockie create a real app for each profile,
which appears in Spotlight, can sit on the desktop or in the Dock, and brings back the profile's
existing window instead of opening a new one.
On this page
Why the Mac version has no shortcut option
In Chrome for Windows, a profile's settings include Create desktop shortcut, which drops an icon for that profile on the desktop. The Mac version leaves the option out, so there is no built-in way to put one profile on your desktop, in Spotlight or in the Dock.
Build one with Automator
- Find the profile's folder name at
chrome://version(the end of Profile Path). - Open Automator, choose Application, and add a Run Shell Script action with:
open -na "Google Chrome" --args --profile-directory="Profile 1" - Save it to your Applications folder with the profile's name.
You now have an app you can double-click, search for in Spotlight, or drag to the Dock. Two drawbacks: it has Automator's generic icon until you replace it by hand, and every click opens a new Chrome window, even if the profile already had one.
Real apps for each profile
Okie Dockie builds a small launcher app for every profile you tick, in a Chrome Profiles folder inside your Applications folder:
- Each carries the profile's own picture, so you can tell them apart at a glance.
- They are ordinary apps, so Spotlight finds them by profile name — press Command-Space, type "Work", and press Return.
- You can keep them in the Dock, on the desktop, or both.
- Opening one brings back the window that profile already has open; a new window only opens when there is none.
Get every Chrome profile into your Dock
Okie Dockie builds a real Dock icon for each Chrome profile you use, badged with that profile's own picture. Click one and you land back in the window it already had open.
Everything except Chrome profile icons is free forever, and the profile icons come with a 7-day free trial that starts on its own — no sign-up, no card. macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create a desktop shortcut for a Chrome profile on Mac?
Not from Chrome itself; the option exists only on Windows. You can build one with Automator, or use Okie Dockie, which creates an app for each profile.
Can Spotlight open a specific Chrome profile?
Yes, if the profile has its own app. Okie Dockie's profile apps appear in Spotlight under the profile's name.
Why does my Automator shortcut open a new Chrome window each time?
It runs Chrome's launch command, which always opens a new window. Okie Dockie's profile apps bring back the existing window instead.
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