Why Google Opens the Wrong Account and How to Fix It Without Signing Out

This happened to me recently. I had to sign out of Google for some reason. I don’t do this often. Since Google forced 2fa on me. My workflow involves being signed in to seven different Google Accounts – two were originally me, two I inherited from developers who left the company, and then three more that are personal non-profits that I’m involved with that have associated Gmail accounts. Since these evolved over the years, the 2FA methods are different for each account, so it is painful to log in again.

But since I last reset, I have been constantly running into a problem. When I go to a “normal” screen as part of my “normal” day, Google says I don’t have authorization. And then when I click the right account, Google never resets my account. So I hit this extra roadblock maybe 5 or 6 times a day, and it slows me down a lot.

This article explains, in technical terms, what is happening, how to validate it, how to compensate for it, and how to fix it. You can compensate by adding your email to your bookmarks, which I will show below. The only true Fix is to sign out. But at least you’ll know why.

What Are /u/0 Accounts?

Google lets you sign in to several accounts in one browser. It gives each account a number. The first account you sign in to gets number 0. The next one gets 1, then 2, and so on. You can see this number in many Google addresses, like mail.google.com/mail/u/0/. Google’s Workspace admin guide calls this the /u/X part of the URL. It tells the page which signed-in account to use.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/   <--Click on this to see it

Google’s own help page on signing in to multiple accounts calls u/0 your “default account.” That word is misleading. It is not really the “default” in the sense that it is the most important one to you. What it really is – is the first one you logged in to after logging out. That’s all.

Switching accounts with the picker does not change it. Even an expired or signed-out account keeps its number. So any link without an account number opens as u/0. That includes bookmarks and Google Search results.

How to Check Which Account Is u/0

Most people are surprised by the account at u/0, may not be the one they use most. Other than Google, the choice of this over others is probably not something you thought about. It may not even be important. But to Google Services, it is your primary account, and most Google screens default to it over your other login accounts.

There is an associated cookie for this. In Firefox or Chrome, press F12 and open the cookies for google.com. You will see cookies named SID and __Secure-1PSID. These hold your sign-in session. But the values are scrambled, so they cannot show you the account order. Google keeps that list on its own servers. The u/0 web address is the only real way to check.

Fix Your Bookmarks With Your Email Address

You can’t change u/0 without signing out. But you can tell each link which account to use. Google reads a setting called authuser in the web address. Most people who know about it use a number, like authuser=1. That works until your account order changes. Then every bookmark breaks.

The better trick is to use your email address instead of a number. Google accepts it. Here is my Search Console bookmark before the fix:

https://search.google.com/search-console?resource_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2F

And here it is after:

https://search.google.com/search-console?resource_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.example.com%2F&authuser=you@example.com

If the address already has a ?, add &authuser= plus your email at the end. If it has no ?, use ?authuser= instead. For Gmail, Drive and Calendar, this replaces the /u/0/ part. Test each bookmark once. Now it opens the right account every time, no matter what sits in u/0.

You can do this with Gmail:

https://mail.google.com/?authuser=myworkmail@gmail.com
https://mail.google.com/?authuser=mypersonalmail@gmail.com

The Only Real Fix: Sign Out of Everything

Bookmarks help, but they can’t cover every link. A link from Google Search has no account in it. Neither does a link in a Google alert email. These all open as u/0. To change u/0 itself, you have to start over.

Here is how. Click your profile picture on any Google page. Choose “Sign out of all accounts.” Then sign in again with the account you want at u/0. Do this first, before any other account. After that, add your other accounts one by one.

Each sign-in will ask for its password again. Each one asks for its two-step check again. My seven accounts use four different 2FA methods. One wants a text message. One wants a phone prompt. One wants an authenticator code. I know this is meant to be secure, but it costs 10 minutes of lost time to log in to all seven accounts again.

This is why most people avoid it, and why the bookmark trick is worth doing first.

Chrome Signed In vs. Chrome Signed Out

Chrome has been shown to be a data-collection tool Google gives away to profit from its ad business. I don’t use it as my main browser, and I don’t sign in. But if you do sign in, Chrome sets your u/0.

Chrome Signed In

If you sign in to Chrome, you have already set your u/0. Chrome puts the browser’s account first. Your bookmarks, history and passwords sync to that account. If you have one main account, this is the simple choice.

Chrome Signed Out

This is the choice for privacy-minded people. I use it. Here is why:

• Privacy. Your history, bookmarks and passwords stay off Google’s servers.
• Work accounts. A Workspace account signed in to Chrome can put the whole browser under your company admin’s control.
• No single main account. If you switch between many accounts, tying the browser to one makes little sense.
• Shared computers. Nothing gets linked to one person’s account.

In this mode, Chrome works like Firefox or Edge. Your u/0 is the first account you signed in to on a Google website.

Watch for one trap. Chrome’s settings page offers “Continue as” with your u/0 account. Mine offered a non-profit account I rarely use. Clicking it would lock that account in. To stop Chrome from signing you in automatically, open Settings, go to “You and Google,” then “Sync and Google services.” Turn off “Allow Chrome sign-in.”

Summary

Google has no “default account” in the way you mean it. It has u/0, the first account you signed in to. Any link without an account in it opens as u/0. That includes bookmarks, Google Search results and alert emails.

If you keep finding that Google defaults to the wrong login, your /u/0 account is most likely set incorrectly. The only true way to reset it is to log out of all accounts, and then log into your main account first. 

Short of logging out, you can prevent a lot of issues by ensuring all your bookmarks go the the intended account by adding &authuser=me@example.com to each of your bookmarks.

FAQ

How can I fix Google defaulting to the wrong account?

Add your email address to your bookmarks with authuser=. For example: https://mail.google.com/?authuser=you@example.com. The link then opens that account every time. Links from Google Search will still open your u/0 account.

Why does my Google account keep switching to another account?

It isn’t switching. Google opens u/0, the first account you signed in to. Picking another account in the menu only changes the current page. The next link without an account opens u/0 again.

How do I change which Google account is the default one?

Sign out of all accounts. Sign in to the account you want first. Then add your other accounts. There is no setting to change it, and no cookie you can edit.

Can I change u/0 without signing out?

No. Google keeps the account order on its servers. The only way to set it is to sign out, then sign in with the correct account first before any other accounts.

Why does Search Console say I don’t have access?

Search Console opened as your u/0 account, and that account is not a user on the property. Switch accounts with your profile picture, or fix the bookmark with authuser=. Google explains who can see a property on its users and permissions page.