How to Manage Firefox Profiles with about:profiles

Firefox's about:profiles page is a built-in management tool that enables users to control multiple, isolated browser environments without closing their current browsing session. Each profile acts as a separate container with its own bookmarks, history, extensions, and settings. This article explains how to access this internal page and use its interface to create, launch, rename, and delete profiles directly while the Firefox Web Browser is running.

Accessing the Profile Manager

To manage profiles while Firefox is open, type about:profiles into the address bar and press Enter. Unlike the traditional profile manager that requires launching Firefox via command-line arguments while all browser windows are closed, this internal page operates live within your active browser tab. It displays a list of all existing profiles, their root and local directory paths, and the controls to manage them.

Creating an Isolated Profile

You can generate a fresh, completely isolated browser environment directly from the about:profiles interface.

  1. Click the Create a New Profile button at the top of the page.
  2. This launches the Profile Wizard in a pop-up window. Click Next to proceed.
  3. Enter a descriptive name for the new profile. By default, Firefox automatically generates a dedicated, randomized folder in your system's application data directory to keep this profile's data isolated, though you can click Choose Folder... to specify a custom storage location.
  4. Click Finish. The new profile immediately appears in the about:profiles list, ready for use without requiring a browser restart.

Launching a Profile Side-by-Side

The about:profiles page allows you to run multiple profiles simultaneously. Under every listed profile—except the one you are currently using—there is a button labeled Launch profile in new browser.

Clicking this button spawns an entirely separate instance of Firefox assigned to that specific profile. Because the profiles are isolated, you can log into the same websites with different accounts, use different themes, and run separate extensions in the newly launched window without any data bleeding into your original running session.

Renaming a Profile

To organize your profiles better, you can change their display names at any time.

  1. Locate the profile you wish to modify on the about:profiles page.
  2. Click the Rename button situated below that profile's directory information.
  3. A prompt will appear asking for the new name. Type the desired name and click OK.

Firefox immediately updates the profile's identifier on the page. Renaming a profile only changes its label within the manager; it does not alter the actual folder name on your hard drive, ensuring that file paths and active configurations remain unbroken.

Deleting a Profile

When a profile is no longer needed, you can remove it using the Remove button located beneath the target profile.

For data integrity reasons, Firefox will not allow you to delete the profile that is currently active in the window you are using. The Remove button simply does not appear for the profile marked "This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted." Furthermore, if a secondary profile is currently running in another open window, you must close that specific window before deleting it.

Upon clicking Remove on an inactive profile, Firefox presents a confirmation dialog with two choices:

  • Don't Delete Files: Removes the profile from the about:profiles list, making it inaccessible through the manager, but leaves the data folder intact on your hard drive for backup purposes.
  • Delete Files: Permanently erases the profile from the list and deletes its entire root and local storage folders, including all associated bookmarks, passwords, and settings.