I read this news earlier in the week, but I decided not to talk about it because I didn’t trust the source and thought it may be a joke. However, with the story now being picked up by wider media, I think it’s safe now to mention it.
Starting from August 1st, Google has reportedly been rolling out a new feature that allows users to sign into multiple Google accounts in the same browser. According to a post on the unofficial Google Operating System blog, a Multiple Sign-In option is beginning to appear in the Personal Settings area of your Google Accounts page — and if it’s not there yet, it will be soon.
The feature gives you the option to sign into another Google Account after you’ve already signed in to one, and then use a link switch to quickly switch between the two (or more). Obviously it’s ideal for people who have multiple GMail inboxes, because you can sign in to every account and then switch between all your boxes with two clicks, if you so wanted. It is also supported in six other Google products: App Engine, Code, Calendar, Reader, Sites, and Voice. Sadly, no other Google property allows for multiple logins yet, although Docs is listed as “coming soon”. When you sign in to a property that does not support it, the first email address you signed in to will be used.
Now Google is quick to point out that this is a work-in-progress, and not everything will work smoothly just yet. Indeed, some issues have already been discovered, such as use you cannot use offline calendars or mail while signed in to multiple accounts, and some Google gadgets break or mess up. You also can’t use it on the Mobile versions at the moment. Even so, this is a very useful feature that some are already praising Google for.
But what do you all think? Leave your comments below or on the Forums. And if you want to know more about this new feature, you can find more info on Google’s Getting Started: Enabling Multiple Sign-In help page.