Getting started with Ecosia accounts

Our account feature allows you to make the most out of your experience on Ecosia. In this article, you will find everything you need to know to get started.

What is an Ecosia account?

An Ecosia account is a login you can use across Ecosia so we can:

• Save your climate impact profile (levels, seeds, collectibles)
• Keep your progress when you switch devices or browsers
• Personalise parts of your Ecosia experience over time

You’ll recognise that you’re logged in when you see your profile image or a small tree icon plus a seed counter in the header on Ecosia.

Why should I create Ecosia account?

Creating an Ecosia account is optional, but it unlocks a few important things:

• Your impact follows you if you change device or browser
• You get access to a richer impact experience (levels, seeds, impact stats)
• You’re ready for new features we’ll roll out to account holders in the future

Without an account, your progress is usually tied only to cookies on one device. If you clear your cookies, switch devices, or reinstall your browser, you can lose that progress.

Right now, with an Ecosia account you can:

• See and keep your impact profile

  Your levels, seeds, and impact information (like approximate trees protected or renewable energy supported) live in your account, not just in a cookie.

• Collect and spend seeds

  Logged‑in users earn seeds, a virtual currency inside Ecosia, that you can spend on collectibles (digital items linked to climate impact).

• Level up over time

  Regular use of Ecosia unlocks growth points and levels. Your level reflects your long‑term contribution on Ecosia.

• Unlock AI Search features

With an account you can save your AI search chat history and soon more to come. 

Planned next: 

• Uploading and analysing files.

• Stay logged in across sessions

  As long as you don’t clear cookies or explicitly log out, you should stay logged in on that browser or app.

We’ll keep adding features on top of accounts, so what you can do with your account will grow over time.

What can’t it do yet? 

There are some things users often expect from “accounts” that Ecosia accounts don’t (yet) do:

• Browser data sync

  Your Ecosia account does not currently sync your bookmarks, history, saved passwords, or open tabs.

  • If you use Ecosia in another browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.), those things are usually handled by that browser’s own sync, not by Ecosia.

• Profile editing inside Ecosia

  At the moment, you generally can’t change your email address or upload a custom profile picture directly inside Ecosia.

  • Your profile picture usually comes from the account you used to sign up (e.g. Google).
  • Changing that picture happens in your Google / email provider account, not in Ecosia.

• One account for everything on the web

  Your Ecosia account is only for Ecosia products and features. It doesn’t replace other logins you use elsewhere.

What impact metrics will I see with an account?

When you’re logged in and visit your profile page on Ecosia, you’ll see:

• Your current level and how close you are to the next one
• Your seed balance (how many seeds you have available to spend)
• A breakdown of your approximate climate impact based on Ecosia’s global data, such as:
  • Trees protected or supported through projects
  • Renewable energy generated
  • Other climate outcomes tied to Ecosia’s work

These numbers are based on Ecosia’s overall impact, scaled to reflect your contribution. They are not a direct, one‑to‑one count of “your personal trees”.

For a deeper explanation, see our article: “About your impact, seeds, levels, & collectibles”

How to create an account on desktop

Step 1 – Open Ecosia

1. Open your web browser on your computer.
2. Go to the Ecosia website as you normally would.

Step 2 – Find the account icon

1. Look at the top of the page (header).
2. You should see an account button that looks like:
   • A “Sign in / Sign up” button, or
   • A small image / tree icon with a seed counter (if you might already be logged in).

Editor note: add screenshot of the Ecosia header on desktop with the account icon highlighted.

Step 3 – Start the sign‑up / sign‑in flow

1. Click the account button.
2. Choose how you’d like to sign in:
   • Continue with Google 
   • Continue with Apple or
   • Continue with email 
3. Follow the steps on the sign‑in screen:
   • If you already have an Ecosia account, use the same login method as before.
   • If you don’t, you can create a new account from the same screen.

Step 4 – Confirm you’re signed in

You’re signed in when you:

• See your profile picture or a tree image in the header
• See your seed counter next to it

How to sign up or sign in on mobile

You can use your Ecosia account in the Ecosia mobile app or in mobile browsers like Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

In the Ecosia android mobile app 

1. Open the Ecosia app on your phone.
2. Perform a search 
3. Click on the menu > Sign in.
4. Choose your preferred sign‑in method.
5. Follow the on‑screen steps.

You should now see your profile image and seed counter in the app header when logged in.

In the Ecosia iOS mobile app 

You can directly sign in you Ecosia account when opening the browser.

Alternatively you can

1. Perform a search 
2. Click on the menu > Sign in.
3. Follow the on‑screen steps.

In other mobile browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)

1. Open your mobile browser and perform a search with Ecosia.
2. Look for the account icon or Sign in link in the header.
3. Tap it and follow the sign‑in steps, just like on desktop.

Is this the same as the personal counter?

No. The new experience is more than just a personal counter:

• Previously, we simply showed a personal counter linked to your searches.
• Now, with accounts we show:
  • Seeds (a virtual currency you can spend)
  • Growth points and levels (showing your long‑term contribution)
  • A richer impact profile on your account page

You can read more in: “About your impact, seeds, levels, & collectibles”.

Having trouble?

If something doesn’t work as expected—e.g. you can’t log in, your seed counter looks wrong, or you keep getting logged out—see:

“Troubleshoot common Ecosia account issues”