Claude Account Switcher
Switch between multiple Claude Code accounts in VS Code without re-signing in.
Claude Code stores its login in ~/.claude/.credentials.json (access + refresh token) and
account identity in ~/.claude.json (oauthAccount, userID). Signing into a second account
overwrites the first, forcing a re-login every time you switch back.
This extension snapshots each logged-in account as a named profile and swaps those files on
demand, so switching is one click and no browser sign-in.
Usage
- Sign into account A in Claude Code as normal.
- Run Claude Account: Capture Current As Profile (or just activate — the current account is
auto-captured on first run).
- Sign into account B, then capture it too.
- Click the account name in the status bar (or run Claude Account: Switch) → pick a profile.
VS Code reloads and Claude Code comes up on the chosen account.
Commands:
| Command |
What it does |
Claude Account: Switch |
Pick a profile and switch (auto reloads window) |
Claude Account: Capture Current As Profile |
Save the currently signed-in account |
Claude Account: Manage Profiles |
Delete a saved profile |
Terminal switcher (no VS Code needed)
scripts/claude-switch.js does the same swap from the command line — handy for CLI-only
Claude Code use:
node claude-switch.js # interactive picker
node claude-switch.js <name|email> # switch directly
node claude-switch.js --list # profiles + current account
node claude-switch.js --capture [name] # save the current account as a profile
It uses Node's JSON parser (like the extension), so it tolerates the case-differing
duplicate keys that can appear in ~/.claude.json. Restart any running Claude Code
sessions after switching so they pick up the new credentials.
How switching stays valid
Claude Code rotates the refresh token when it refreshes. Before switching away from an
account, the extension re-snapshots the live credentials into that account's profile, so its
tokens stay current. A switch only fails if the target account's refresh token has fully
expired — then Claude Code prompts a normal sign-in for that account.
Where profiles live
~/.claude/account-switcher/<label>.json — one file per account, containing that account's
credentials and identity. Treat these as secrets (they hold live refresh tokens). They never
leave your machine.
Notes
- Windows / macOS / Linux — uses plain files under the home directory.
- Close in-flight Claude Code sessions before switching; the auto window-reload applies the new
credentials to newly started sessions.
