Multi-Account Switcher for Claude Code

A simple tool to manage and switch between multiple Claude Code accounts on macOS, Linux, and WSL.

Features

• Multi-account management: Add, remove, and list Claude Code accounts
• Quick switching: Switch between accounts with simple commands
• Cross-platform: Works on macOS, Linux, and WSL
• Secure storage: Uses system keychain (macOS) or protected files (Linux/WSL)
• Settings preservation: Only switches authentication - your themes, settings, and preferences remain unchanged

Installation

Download the script directly:

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ming86/cc-account-switcher/main/ccswitch.sh
chmod +x ccswitch.sh

Usage

Basic Commands

# Add current account to managed accounts
./ccswitch.sh --add-account

# List all managed accounts
./ccswitch.sh --list

# Switch to next account in sequence
./ccswitch.sh --switch

# Switch to specific account by number or email
./ccswitch.sh --switch-to 2
./ccswitch.sh --switch-to user2@example.com

# Remove an account
./ccswitch.sh --remove-account user2@example.com

# Show help
./ccswitch.sh --help

First Time Setup

1. Log into Claude Code with your first account (make sure you're actively logged in)
2. Run ./ccswitch.sh --add-account to add it to managed accounts
3. Log out and log into Claude Code with your second account
4. Run ./ccswitch.sh --add-account again
5. Now you can switch between accounts with ./ccswitch.sh --switch
6. Important: After each switch, restart Claude Code to use the new authentication

What gets switched: Only your authentication credentials change. Your themes, settings, preferences, and chat history remain exactly the same.

Requirements

• Bash 4.4+
• jq (JSON processor)

Installing Dependencies

macOS:

brew install jq

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install jq

How It Works

The switcher stores account authentication data separately:

• macOS: Credentials in Keychain, OAuth info in ~/.claude-switch-backup/
• Linux/WSL: Both credentials and OAuth info in ~/.claude-switch-backup/ with restricted permissions

When switching accounts, it:

1. Backs up the current account's authentication data
2. Restores the target account's authentication data
3. Updates Claude Code's authentication files

Troubleshooting

If a switch fails

• Check that you have accounts added: ./ccswitch.sh --list
• Verify Claude Code is closed before switching
• Try switching back to your original account

If you can't add an account

• Make sure you're logged into Claude Code first
• Check that you have jq installed
• Verify you have write permissions to your home directory

If Claude Code doesn't recognize the new account

• Make sure you restarted Claude Code after switching
• Check the current account: ./ccswitch.sh --list (look for "(active)")

Cleanup/Uninstall

To stop using this tool and remove all data:

1. Note your current active account: ./ccswitch.sh --list
2. Remove the backup directory: rm -rf ~/.claude-switch-backup
3. Delete the script: rm ccswitch.sh

Your current Claude Code login will remain active.

Security Notes

• Credentials stored in macOS Keychain or files with 600 permissions
• Authentication files are stored with restricted permissions (600)
• The tool requires Claude Code to be closed during account switches

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details