How to run multiple instances of the same app on your Mac

There are times when it can be useful to have multiple instances of the same app open at the same time, not just a separate window, but full versions of the app running side by side. Maybe you want to set up different desktops where apps are stationed or have another reason to access duplicate versions of the same app. Whatever the motivation, it can quickly become apparent that there is no obvious way to achieve this goal.

But it is possible and not difficult at all. We’ll show you a quick and easy way to run multiple instances of the same app at the same time.

Can I just right click on the icon?

While this may seem like the most obvious route, it won’t work as you’ll find there’s no option to open the app. The same goes if you go to the menu bar when the app you want is active, then select its name and search the drop-down menus. This is because macOS isn’t really set up to open multiple versions of an app at the same time. You’ll have to go to the command line instead, but don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds.

Use the Terminal app

The way to run two versions of an app at the same time is to use the command line. This may sound daunting, but it’s just a single, simple line of code to enter, and there’s no danger of anything breaking.

If you’re someone who hasn’t used the command line before (which is perfectly normal), you can get to it by opening Spotlight and searching for Terminal. When you see the app appear in the results list, select it and you will see a box with a code at the top.

Now all you need to do is enter the following command at the $ prompt:

Open -n -a [application name]

So, for example, if you want two instances of Safari, type this:

Open -n -a safari

Now you should see a second window open with another instance of Safari. That is it. If you didn’t have Safari open when you typed the command, re-enter the command to open the second version of Safari.

Foundry

Now you can use both versions of the app independently and at the same time. There are, however, some caveats. If the app uses an autosave feature, macOS may get confused as to which is the authentic version. So, before venturing into a lengthy or critical endeavor like writing that important business proposal in Pages, make sure your work is saved when you have two versions open.

Also, try setting up a test document or whatever you’re working on, then close one instance of the app and see if the work is saved. It should be fine, but we don’t want you to lose important data by using this workaround, and it may behave differently depending on the application you’re using.

You can use multiple user accounts instead

If you don’t want to mess around with the command line or problems it can cause when saving data, then there is another option. You can set up a second user profile on your Mac and then switch between them when you want to use the other instance of the app. It’s a pretty quick transition, so you might end up creating work and home accounts that access versions of the same app in different places. You can learn how to do this in our guide to setting up and managing user accounts on a Mac.