CCT / Guides
How to switch between Claude Code accounts on Windows
Short answer: Claude Code keeps one login per Windows user, so switching normally means /logout, /login and a trip to the browser. With CCT you save each paid login once, then switch from the taskbar in three clicks: right-click the strip → Claude account → pick one. Claude Code uses the new account on its next request, without a restart.
Why switching is a pain
- You forget which account the CLI is on, and spend the wrong quota (or your employer's).
- Every switch is a full
/logout→/login→ browser → paste-code round-trip. - Limits are per account, so you need to know which one is active before reading any number.
Your options on Windows
| Approach | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Log out and in | /logout, then /login with the other account | Built in, but slow, and easy to pick the wrong account |
| One config folder per account | Set CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR to a different folder in each terminal | Both accounts at once, but settings, history and MCP servers are split per folder |
| Command-line swappers | Scripts that store logins and swap them on command | Fast for terminal users; check how they store tokens and whether they switch on their own |
| CCT | Save each login once, switch from the taskbar | Three clicks, shows which account is active and its usage; Claude Code CLI only, paid plans only |
Switch with CCT, step by step
- Install CCT and log in to Claude Code with your first account.
- Right-click the strip → Claude account → Save current account.
- In Claude Code, run
/loginwith your second account, then Save current account again. - From now on, right-click → Claude account → pick the account you want. Done.
Give each account a short label in Settings, such as P for personal and W for work. The label sits before the Claude gauges, so after a switch you see at a glance which account you are on. The menu lists every saved account with its email, plan and the usage last seen on it, and marks the active one.
Labels at work: Work before the Claude gauges, Me before the Codex ones.
How it is kept safe
- Encrypted at rest. Saved logins are encrypted with Windows DPAPI for your Windows user, in
%APPDATA%\claude-codex-taskbar\accounts\. - Claude Code's own locks. A switch holds the same lock files Claude Code uses, so the two never write the login at the same time.
- Nothing is lost. The account you leave is backed up first, so its renewed token is kept; the new login is written through a temp file, and everything is restored if any step fails.
- Asks before cutting in. If a Claude Code task is running or waiting for your answer, CCT asks first, because the rest of that task would run on the new account.
- Warns about expiry.
⚠ login expires in Ndmeans a saved login is close to expiring;⚠ needs /loginmeans log in with that account and save it again.
The rules CCT follows
CCT is for people who legitimately hold more than one subscription, such as a personal and a work plan. It is a convenience tool, not a way around limits:
- Manual only. It never switches on its own, never rotates accounts when a limit is reached, and never balances load across accounts. This is a design rule enforced in code review, not a setting.
- Paid plans only. Only Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise logins can be saved.
- No token tricks. CCT never refreshes tokens itself; it reuses the login Claude Code already saved.
Questions
Do I need to restart Claude Code after switching?
No. Claude Code picks up the new login on its next request.
Does it switch the Claude desktop app too?
No. Switching changes the login of the claude CLI (~/.claude/.credentials.json). The Claude desktop app keeps its own login.
Does it work with CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR?
Not yet. Account switching is not supported when CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR is set.
Can I switch Codex accounts?
Not yet. A Codex account switcher with the same rules is on the roadmap. CCT already shows Codex usage for the current login.
Is this allowed by Anthropic?
CCT only does what you would do by hand with /logout and /login, for accounts that are yours, and only when you click. Make sure your use follows Anthropic's terms; sharing logins or reselling access does not.