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Multiple Instances (Profiles)

Teams for Linux supports multiple accounts two ways: an in-app account switcher that keeps every account in a single window, or separate isolated instances that each run as their own process. Either way, sessions, settings, and data stay fully isolated per account.

Two Ways to Run Multiple Accounts​

  • In-app account switcher (single window, experimental) — enable multiAccount.enabled and switch between accounts inside one Teams for Linux window via the Profiles menu. Each account is isolated in its own session partition. This is the newer approach introduced in ADR-020; see In-App Account Switcher below.
  • Separate isolated instances (multiple windows/processes) — launch a separate process per account, each with its own --user-data-dir, icon, and window class. This is the established approach and is documented in the rest of this page.
When to use which

Use the in-app switcher if you want all your accounts in one window with quick switching. Use separate instances if you want fully independent windows — distinct taskbar icons, separate window-manager identities, or different per-profile command-line flags.

In-App Account Switcher (Experimental)​

Enable the switcher in your config.json:

{
  "multiAccount": {
    "enabled": true
  }
}

With the flag on, a Profiles menu appears in the application menu:

  • Add profile… — create a new account profile (name, optional custom URL, optional avatar initials and color).
  • Switch to — jump between profiles; each runs in its own isolated session (persist:teams-profile-{uuid}), so cookies, tokens, and storage never cross tenants.
  • Manage profiles… — rename or remove existing profiles.

On first launch after enabling the flag, your existing session is migrated into a default "My account" profile, so you stay logged in with no re-authentication.

note

This feature is under active development. Switching is currently driven from the Profiles menu; a top-right dropdown switcher and Ctrl+Shift+1…5 shortcuts for pinned profiles are planned. The switcher is mutually exclusive with Intune SSO (auth.intune.enabled) — see Configuration. For the full design and roadmap, see ADR-020.

Separate Isolated Instances (Command Line)​

The rest of this page covers the separate-instances approach: one process per account, each with its own icon, window class, and data directory — perfect for work and personal accounts you want as fully independent windows.

Quick Start Examples​

Work Profile​

./teams-for-linux \
  --appIcon=/path/to/work-icon.png \
  --class=teams-work \
  --user-data-dir=/home/user/.config/teams-profile-work

Personal Profile​

./teams-for-linux \
  --appIcon=/path/to/personal-icon.png \
  --class=teams-personal \
  --user-data-dir=/home/user/.config/teams-profile-personal
tip

Replace the user-data-dir with the full path where you want to store the profile data.

Command Line Options​

--appIcon​

Set a custom tray and window icon for each profile:

--appIcon=/path/to/icon.png

This changes the visual icon used in the title bar and system tray/dock, making it easy to distinguish between different profiles.

--class​

Set the internal application name used by Electron:

--class=teams-work

This affects:

  • Window manager identification
  • Task switcher appearance
  • Application grouping in dock/taskbar
  • System-level application recognition

--user-data-dir​

Specify a custom directory for storing profile data:

--user-data-dir=/home/user/.config/teams-profile-work

Each profile stores separately:

  • Login sessions and authentication tokens
  • Configuration settings
  • Cache data
  • Custom backgrounds
  • Notification preferences

Configuration Per Profile​

Each profile can have its own config.json file in its respective user data directory:

/home/user/.config/teams-profile-work/config.json
/home/user/.config/teams-profile-personal/config.json

Example Work Profile Config​

{
  "appTitle": "Teams - Work",
  "appIconType": "dark",
  "disableNotificationSound": false,
  "customCSSName": "compactDark",
  "closeAppOnCross": false
}

Example Personal Profile Config​

{
  "appTitle": "Teams - Personal",
  "appIconType": "light",
  "disableNotificationSound": true,
  "customCSSName": "compactLight",
  "closeAppOnCross": true
}

Desktop Integration​

Creating Desktop Shortcuts​

Work Profile Desktop Entry​

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Teams for Linux (Work)
Comment=Microsoft Teams for Linux - Work Profile
Exec=/path/to/teams-for-linux --class=teams-work --user-data-dir=%h/.config/teams-profile-work --appIcon=%h/.local/share/icons/teams-work.png
Icon=teams-work
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Network;InstantMessaging;
StartupWMClass=teams-work

Personal Profile Desktop Entry​

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Teams for Linux (Personal)
Comment=Microsoft Teams for Linux - Personal Profile
Exec=/path/to/teams-for-linux --class=teams-personal --user-data-dir=%h/.config/teams-profile-personal --appIcon=%h/.local/share/icons/teams-personal.png
Icon=teams-personal
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Network;InstantMessaging;
StartupWMClass=teams-personal

Shell Scripts for Easy Launch​

teams-work.sh​

#!/bin/bash
/path/to/teams-for-linux \
  --class=teams-work \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/teams-profile-work" \
  --appIcon="$HOME/.local/share/icons/teams-work.png" \
  "$@"

teams-personal.sh​

#!/bin/bash
/path/to/teams-for-linux \
  --class=teams-personal \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/teams-profile-personal" \
  --appIcon="$HOME/.local/share/icons/teams-personal.png" \
  "$@"

Advanced Use Cases​

Organization-Specific Profiles​

For users managing multiple organizations:

# Organization A
./teams-for-linux \
  --class=teams-org-a \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/teams-org-a" \
  --appTitle="Teams - Org A"

# Organization B  
./teams-for-linux \
  --class=teams-org-b \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/teams-org-b" \
  --appTitle="Teams - Org B"

Development vs Production​

For developers working with different Teams environments:

# Production environment
./teams-for-linux \
  --class=teams-prod \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/teams-production" \
  --url="https://teams.cloud.microsoft"

# Development/Test environment
./teams-for-linux \
  --class=teams-dev \
  --user-data-dir="$HOME/.config/teams-development" \
  --url="https://teams-dev.company.com"

Best Practices​

Directory Organization​

$HOME/.config/
├── teams-profile-work/
│   ├── config.json
│   ├── Cache/
│   └── Partitions/
├── teams-profile-personal/
│   ├── config.json
│   ├── Cache/
│   └── Partitions/
└── teams-for-linux/           # Default profile
    ├── config.json
    └── ...

Icon Management​

  • Use distinct icons for each profile (different colors, badges, etc.)
  • Store icons in $HOME/.local/share/icons/ for persistence
  • Use SVG format when possible for better scaling
  • Consider using the same base icon with different overlays

Naming Conventions​

  • Use descriptive class names: teams-work, teams-personal, teams-client-name
  • Include purpose in directory names: teams-profile-work, teams-profile-personal
  • Use consistent naming across desktop files, scripts, and directories

Troubleshooting​

Profiles Not Isolated​

  • Check user-data-dir: Ensure each profile uses a different directory
  • Verify class names: Different --class values help window managers distinguish instances
  • Clear conflicting cache: Remove cache if profiles seem to share data

Icons Not Showing​

  • Check file paths: Ensure icon files exist and are readable
  • Restart window manager: Some changes require restarting the desktop environment
  • Icon cache: Clear icon cache with gtk-update-icon-cache if needed

Configuration Not Applied​

  • Verify config location: Ensure config.json is in the correct profile directory
  • JSON syntax: Validate JSON syntax using jq or online validators
  • File permissions: Ensure config files are readable by the application