Facebook (and actually the overarching company, Meta) are pretty particular about how people interact with their tools online. As one of the original and largest social media platforms, they’ve certainly earned the right to dictate how users view, post, and share information on the channel.

One of the hallmarks of their service is that there can only be one account generated per person. However, they do allow users to create multiple profiles that are linked to a single account. That leaves many people confused and asking the question: “Can you have more than one Facebook account?” Technically no, but…it’s complicated. Rather than scratch your head about how to best manage a multifaceted presence online, we suggest you keep reading. We’re going to cover the best ways to manage multiple profiles on Facebook (and share some other important Facebook info as well).

A Few Facebook Reminders

As you’re probably well aware, Facebook is a social media platform that was created by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates at Harvard University in 2004. It started as a platform exclusively for Harvard students but quickly expanded to other universities and eventually became available to the general public in 2006.

As of 2023, Facebook is the largest social media platform globally with 3.03 billion monthly active users worldwide. YouTube follows with 2.49 billion, with WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WeChat, all having over a billion users. These days, Facebook is used for a variety of purposes. It serves as a platform for socializing and staying connected with friends and family and users can share their thoughts, experiences, and life updates through posts, photos, and videos. They can also join groups based on their interests, participate in events, and follow public figures and organizations.

Can You Have Multiple Facebook Accounts?

On a single browser, you can manage multiple Facebook accounts simultaneously. However, Facebook allows you to be logged into only one account at a time on each browser. This means that you can switch between different Facebook accounts, but you can only actively use one account at a time on a single browser. If you need to manage more than one account simultaneously, you can use multiple browsers or separate browser profiles to log in to each account.

That being said, there is a much better workaround which we’ll cover further in the article.

Related Post: How to use Facebook Messenger in Your Browser

Why Have Multiple Facebook Accounts?

If you’re not a person that needs multiple Facebook accounts already, it might not have occurred to you how useful doing so can be. There are several reasons why someone might find it beneficial to have more than one Facebook account:

1. Privacy: Some individuals may want to separate their personal and professional lives. Having separate accounts allows them to maintain a professional online presence while keeping personal information private. This is especially true of celebrities, influencers, bloggers, and other thought leaders who share a public persona but also want to reserve some aspects of their lives for close family or friends.
2. Business Purposes: Entrepreneurs or small business owners may create separate Facebook accounts for their businesses to promote products, engage with customers, and manage business-related content. However, they would still be responsible for running each of these accounts as the owner.
3. Targeted Marketing: Marketers and advertisers may create multiple accounts to target different demographics or niche markets more effectively. This allows them to tailor their content and advertisements to specific audiences.
4. Testing and Development: Developers or digital marketers may use additional accounts for testing new features, advertising campaigns, or website integrations without affecting their primary account or audience.
5. Content Creation: Some creators, such as artists, writers, or photographers, may maintain separate accounts to showcase different types of work or to cater to different audiences.
6. Community Management: Individuals who manage online communities or groups may find it helpful to have separate accounts to moderate discussions and engage with members without revealing personal information.
7. Managing Others: Facebook can be an important part of marketing and PR. Many agencies are tasked with managing this channel for clients, so theoretically some brand leaders could manage several Facebook profiles. This could also be true for people such as executive assistants who might manage various digital platforms for someone else.

At the end of the day, it's important to comply with Facebook's terms of service and guidelines when using multiple accounts. They have specific terms to avoid issues or complaints from users and you should seek to adhere to these when setting things up.

Using Multiple Accounts for Groups and Online Communities

One of the biggest reasons for having multiple Facebook accounts is group or community activity. Facebook makes it possible to build active and robust groups pertaining to any topic, without being limited by geography. This is helpful for anything from support groups to professional organizations to real estate interest (and much more). Having multiple Facebook accounts for managing online communities or groups can provide several benefits:

1. Efficient Organization: With separate accounts, community managers can keep their personal profiles separate from their community-related activities. This helps in organizing and maintaining a clear distinction between personal and professional interactions.
2. Enhanced Privacy: By using a separate account for community management, individuals can protect their personal information and maintain a certain level of privacy. This allows them to engage with community members without revealing personal details.
3. Streamlined Communication: Having a dedicated account for community management ensures that all communication related to the community or group is centralized. It becomes easier to manage messages, notifications, and interactions without getting mixed up with personal conversations.
4. Branding and Consistency: Community managers can use a separate account to represent the community or group. This helps establish a consistent brand identity and fosters trust among community members. They can also customize the account's appearance and content to align with the community's goals and values.
5. Focused Engagement: By using multiple accounts, community managers can focus solely on community-related activities and interactions. This allows them to dedicate their time and attention to engaging with community members, addressing concerns, and fostering a positive and inclusive environment.
6. Easier Moderation: With a separate account, community managers can effectively moderate discussions, enforce community guidelines, and address any conflicts or issues that may arise within the community. It helps in maintaining a fair and unbiased approach to moderation.
7. Network Expansion: Having multiple accounts can enable community managers to connect with other community managers or professionals in their niche. This can lead to collaborations, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities that benefit the community and its members.

And of course: another gentle reminder to comply with Facebook's terms of service and guidelines to ensure a positive and ethical online presence.

Related Post: How to Manage Multiple Facebook Messenger Accounts

The App or Browser Experience?

A lot of managing multiple accounts comes down to the form of the platform that you’re using. If you normally use the app on your phone or device, then you will need to use the “Facebook Profile Switcher” that allows you to add and switch between different profiles on one device. Each profile will have its own settings, friends, and content.

However, if you want to create entirely new accounts and manage them easily, you should use Facebook in a browser. There are some other benefits to using Facebook in a browser rather than the app version, including more features like additional settings and customization options. You can also take advantage of better privacy controls and preferences, using Facebook on your browser likely uses less resources than relying on the storage space of your phone. And finally, you can improve your overall Facebook experience by using ad-blocking extensions or add-ons which will block ads while browsing Facebook.

For people managing multiple accounts on Facebook, they are likely to find the browser offers a much better experience overall.

Steps for Managing Multiple Facebook Accounts

So just how does one go about setting up multiple accounts? Start by following these steps:

1. Open your web browser and go to the Facebook website.
2. Log in to your first Facebook account using your username and password.
3. Once you are logged in, click on the downward arrow at the top right corner of the page.
4. From the dropdown menu, select "Switch Account".
5. Click on "Add Account" to add another Facebook account.
6. Enter the login credentials (username and password) for your second Facebook account and click on "Log In".
7. You can now switch between your multiple Facebook accounts by clicking on the downward arrow at the top right corner and selecting the account you want to switch to.

Please note that using this method, you can only be logged into one Facebook account at a time on a single browser. However, if you’re using Shift, you have a few more options. You can use Shift to set up Workspaces that have different accounts per your needs. For example, if you manage a group, or if you manage a separate account for a client, then you can create Workspaces in Shift with the correct Facebook accounts, along with other tabs and bookmarks that you use.

Facebook: the Latest News

Originally designed as a simple platform where college students could “find” others in their institution, Facebook has grown far beyond what the founders likely anticipated. In recent years, Facebook has evolved to offer a wide range of features and services. Facebook is a tool that many people use daily and it’s become a key part of our culture.

However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Facebook has faced several controversies over the years. One of the major controversies was related to privacy concerns. In 2018, it was revealed that the personal data of millions of Facebook users had been harvested without their consent by a third-party data firm called Cambridge Analytica. This incident raised questions about Facebook's data protection practices and sparked a global debate on privacy and user data misuse.

Facebook has also faced criticism for its role in spreading fake news and misinformation during political campaigns. The platform has been accused of allowing the dissemination of false information, which can have significant social and political consequences. Additionally, Facebook has been under scrutiny for its handling of hate speech, harassment, and other forms of harmful content on its platform. The company has faced criticism for not doing enough to prevent the spread of such content and for not taking swift action to remove it.

In response to these controversies, Facebook has made efforts to improve its policies and practices. It has implemented stricter content moderation rules, increased transparency in political advertising, and invested in technology to detect and remove harmful content. However, the platform continues to face challenges in addressing these issues and maintaining the trust of its users.

Related Post: How to Manage All Your Social Media Accounts in One Place

Using Shift to Power Your Facebook Account(s)

Remember how we mentioned there was an easier way to handle this if you use a special browser? The answer is Shift, and it can help you move between not only Facebook accounts, but multiple accounts of many platforms you use like Google, Outlook, and many more.

If you’re already familiar with Shift, just make it a point to add your Facebook account to streamline the entire account switching process. To add your Facebook account to Shift, please follow these steps:

1. Launch Shift: After installing Shift on your computer, locate the Shift icon on your desktop or in your applications folder and double-click on it to launch the Shift application.
2. Open the “Accounts” section: Once Shift is launched, you will be taken to the Shift dashboard. In the left sidebar, click on the "Accounts" section.
3.  Add your account: In the Accounts section, you will see a list of platforms. Scroll down to find and click on the "Facebook" option.
4. Enter your unique Instagram information: A new window will appear, prompting you to enter your Facebook username and password. Fill in your Facebook login details and click on the "Next" button.
5. Complete the verification process: Depending on your Facebook account's security settings, you may be required to complete a verification process. This could involve entering a verification code sent to your email or phone number associated with your Instagram account. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the verification process.
6. Use your Instagram account: Once you have successfully added your Facebook account to Shift, you will see the Facebook icon in the left sidebar of the Shift application. Click on the Facebook icon to open the Facebook web interface within Shift.

Now you can use Shift for accessing Facebook, and even move back and forth between multiple accounts without logging out and then back in. You can also create Workspaces in Shift that are customized to include the apps, tabs, and bookmarks you care about, so you can design your own digital workroom with precisely the accounts that you need.

Shift: The Best Browser for Facebook and Beyond

When you choose to access apps in a browser, the browser you use can make a huge difference. We recommend using Shift because it truly powers the performance of so many applications and platforms that you use every day. As you seek to make the most of Facebook or other social media accounts, make it a point to install Shift first. In addition to encouraging peak performance across social media tools, the Shift browser offers the following:

Improved work/life balance

This might seem like a stretch, but really, marketers or other professionals who manage multiple accounts can seriously benefit from using the Shift browser. Should you forget to toggle between accounts,  you might post to the wrong account. Or, you would need to constantly go back and forth between personal and work accounts. Using Shift’s dedicated spaces, you can keep personal things separate and only access your work-related accounts during your actual working hours. The rest of the time, it can all be out of sight, out of mind.

Complete access to all of your email accounts

Connect all of your Gmail, Outlook, and Office 365 accounts and manage everything from one centralized window.

The ability to use all of your favorite apps

WhatsApp, Slack, Messenger—we have everything you need to get it done. Browse our Apps Directory, connect yours, and switch between them easily.

Chrome extension connections

Use all of your favorite Chrome extensions like Boomerang, Grammarly, and so much more. You can browse our app directory to see all of the Chrome extensions that integrate with Shift.

Easier tab management

Access the web from inside Shift. Manage your tabs and organize them by account for a better browsing experience.

Expanded search capabilities

Save time and find exactly what you're looking for across any of your Mail, Calendar, and Drive accounts. This is extremely helpful for streamlining search and keeping what you need right at your fingertips.

More focused browsing with Workspaces

Create a Workspace for strictly business and another for weekend plans— with entirely separate tabs, apps, and bookmarks. Workspaces are a focused collection of platforms and accounts. Create a custom Workspace with the exact tools you need to be efficient online, including apps, extensions, bookmarks, email, and more. Workspaces allow for more collaboration and focus which makes you even more efficient online.

Related Post: The Web Browser Built for Power Users

Download Shift today and try accessing your favorite tools there to improve your user experience. While you’re at it, make sure to follow our blog so you can get the latest tips, trends, and tech news.