How to Enable Multi-Session Support in the AWS Console

AWS has finally released support for users to sign in to multiple AWS accounts simultaneously, without extra browsers or using special browser features. Multi-session support has been a missing capability for a long time, and enabling it is a breeze. Open the account menu in the console's upper-right corner and click the Turn on multi-session button. You'll get a warning telling you the console URL will be different; click on the Turn on multi-session button if that isn't a concern. The page will reload, and the console URL will have your account number in it . Now, you click Add session to open a window to log into another AWS account. If you use the IAM Identity Center (AWS SSO ), or some other SSO mechanism, you can open another account through that as well. I tested this with IAM Identity Center, and each account I opened used the new multi-session URL for the console. Multi-session support is a per-browser setting and not a per-account setting. Clearing your cookies will turn off the feature. Multi-session support only supports 5 simultaneous sessions; if you open a 6th, you get a screen asking which session you want to log out of. Multi-session support has been a long-awaited feature, and it's great to see it in the console. It's a more convenient alternative to using Firefox Containers, Chrome and Edge Profiles, or private browsing windows. Everything works very well and provides a smooth experience. I hope the limit of 5 accounts is adjusted or removed, but maybe having more than five accounts open isn't common for most people. How many AWS accounts do you typically need simultaneous access to? Tell me in the comments.

Jan 16, 2025 - 21:41
How to Enable Multi-Session Support in the AWS Console

AWS has finally released support for users to sign in to multiple AWS accounts simultaneously, without extra browsers or using special browser features. Multi-session support has been a missing capability for a long time, and enabling it is a breeze.

Open the account menu in the console's upper-right corner and click the Turn on multi-session button. You'll get a warning telling you the console URL will be different; click on the Turn on multi-session button if that isn't a concern. The page will reload, and the console URL will have your account number in it .

AWS Console showing the Turn on multi-session button in the account menu

Now, you click Add session to open a window to log into another AWS account. If you use the IAM Identity Center (AWS SSO ), or some other SSO mechanism, you can open another account through that as well. I tested this with IAM Identity Center, and each account I opened used the new multi-session URL for the console. Multi-session support is a per-browser setting and not a per-account setting. Clearing your cookies will turn off the feature.

Multi-session support only supports 5 simultaneous sessions; if you open a 6th, you get a screen asking which session you want to log out of.

AWS Multi-Session session selection screen when you try and open a 6th session

Multi-session support has been a long-awaited feature, and it's great to see it in the console. It's a more convenient alternative to using Firefox Containers, Chrome and Edge Profiles, or private browsing windows. Everything works very well and provides a smooth experience. I hope the limit of 5 accounts is adjusted or removed, but maybe having more than five accounts open isn't common for most people. How many AWS accounts do you typically need simultaneous access to? Tell me in the comments.