privacy-guides/how-to-use-multiple-compartmentalized-firefox-instances-simultaneously-using-profiles/README.md

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Title: How to use multiple compartmentalized Firefox instances simultaneously using profiles
Description: Learn how to use multiple compartmentalized Firefox instances simultaneously using profiles.
Author: Sun Knudsen <https://github.com/sunknudsen>
Contributors: Sun Knudsen <https://github.com/sunknudsen>
Reviewers:
Publication date: 2020-05-13T00:00:00.000Z
Listed: true
-->

# How to use multiple compartmentalized Firefox instances simultaneously using profiles

[![How to use multiple compartmentalized Firefox instances using profiles](how-to-use-multiple-compartmentalized-firefox-instances-using-profiles.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upib_vq_EB8 "How to use multiple compartmentalized Firefox instances using profiles")

## Guide

### Step 1: create Firefox profile

```shell
/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -p
```

### Step 2: open “Script Editor” and paste following snippet

Replace `work` with profile name from [step 1](#step-1-create-firefox-profile).

```
do shell script "nohup /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -p \"work\" --no-remote > /dev/null 2>&1 &"
```

![script-editor-step-1](./script-editor-step-1.png?shadow=1)

### Step 3: export script as application

Click “File”, then “Export…”, set “Export As” filename to “Firefox work” (or any other filename), select “Applications” folder (in “Favorites”), select “Application” file format and click “Save”.

![script-editor-step-2](./script-editor-step-2.png?shadow=1)

### Step 4: set Firefox app environment variable

Replace `Firefox work` with filename from [step 3](#step-3-export-script-as-application).

```shell
FIREFOX_APP="Firefox work.app"
```

### Step 5: configure app as agent and set icon

```shell
defaults write "/Applications/$FIREFOX_APP/Contents/Info.plist" LSUIElement -bool yes
cp "/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/firefox.icns" "/Applications/$FIREFOX_APP/Contents/Resources/applet.icns"
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -f "/Applications/$FIREFOX_APP"
```

👍