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I want to be able to have two instances which are completely independent in the sense that I can be working on two separate unrelated projects in different folders without any interference.

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    Very simple, but really useful question... I wouldn't have lost so many days waiting for the input data to be revised, but worked independently on a shadow project based on sample data (projected to a separate folder).
    – Partha D.
    Commented Oct 20, 2020 at 12:29

6 Answers 6

Reset to default
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(Spyder maintainer here) This is easy. You need to go to:

Tools > Preferences > Application

in Spyder 5, or

Tools > Preferences > General

in Spyder 4, click the "Advanced Settings" tab, and deactivate the option called

[ ] Use a single instance

Then every time you start Spyder a new window will be opened. If you want the old behavior back, just activate that option again.

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  • I deactivated the "use a single instance". When calling Spyder twice from the Gnome launcher, it still jumps to the existing window i.e. I only have a single instance. I have managed however to start a second Spyder instance from the command line. I'm using Spyder 3.3.3 on Debian.
    – Paul Rougieux
    Commented Nov 13, 2019 at 14:47
  • I think this should work even if some files were common to both projects-- so the other instance would update (or at least prompt to update) the file I changed on one instance !
    – Partha D.
    Commented Oct 20, 2020 at 12:31
  • not working for me, my only tool option is "Reset spyder to factory defauls", trying a different path "Python > Preferences > General" does not have the option use a single instance. I am using spyder 4.1.5 with python 3.7 on a mac (osx el capitan). The command line "spyder --new-instance" proposed in the other comment, works for me
    – Angelo Sajeva
    Commented Nov 4, 2020 at 10:27
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    For anyone using Spyder Version 5, this option is under Tools > Preferences > Application > Advanced settings
    – Rainfall.NZ
    Commented Jun 25, 2021 at 18:01
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You can use the --new-instance option as well. Just run

spyder --new-instance
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  • where do you write it?
    – Matan
    Commented Jan 5, 2022 at 21:11
  • @Matan in the command prompt. If not working then in the Anaconda prompt.
    – prashanth
    Commented Jan 6, 2022 at 8:46
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Update for Spyder 5.0.3+ (07/2021 onwards)

First, same as Carlos's answer:

Tools > Preferences

But then:

Application > Advanced settings

Then deselect [✔] Use a single instance, so it becomes [] Use a single instance, which will result in a new window opening each time Spyder is launched.

Still working for me in Spyder 5.1.5.

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Although clicking on the Spyder icon will not allow you to open two instances, you can open a second instance by simply going to the folder where spyder.py is and running spyder.py from the command line.

Further, you could make an icon for your desktop that simply runs spyder.py from its location. However, I don't know how multiple instances will affect user preferences if Spyder has those.

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Open the first instance of the app open -a "Name_of_App.app"

Open the second instance of the app using Terminal open -n -a "Name_of_App.app"

Make sure to replace "Name_of_App.app" with the actual name of the application you want to open (mac os)

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For Spyder 5.5, deactivating single instance does not work. You can do

Right Click on Console 1/A > choose New Console (default settings)

enter image description here

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