Usually our phones are used by ourselves, but Android allows us to create and add new users to fully customize the way we use the phone with other people. There are two figures in this case, the user and the guest , which have a different meaning, and are ideal for different moments.
It is not the same to invite someone to our mobile phone as to add their own user, these processes have different implications, and we are going to tell you below which are the most obvious when we choose to do this on our terminal.
What is a user?
By default our Android mobile reaches the market as a phone with a single user, which is added the moment we configure our phone for the first time. This is something we do when we enter our Google account when we start, what we are doing at that time is creating a user based on that Google account that will be the predominant when we use the terminal. Therefore, on a day-to-day basis, we will not have to be choosing users because we will only have one active account.
But whenever we want we can add a new user to the phone. That user will always be linked to a new Google account , so when we add it, we will have to follow the same configuration steps as if it were a new mobile, configuring our Google account. Once created we will have a completely differentiated space within the mobile with respect to the original account. This implies that all the search history and other information that Google can complete will be based on that other account that we have configured. In addition, the identification method on the phone can be customized, for example if it is through the fingerprint reader, with facial recognition or any other.
We can also have a visually personalized space . This means that we will have a personalized wallpaper for us, as well as a unique arrangement of the icons. Therefore, it is the same phone, but in a 100% personalized environment for each user. In this way, it is like having two mobiles in one, and for example we could have a regular entertainment and leisure account, with our apps, games and other personal content on the one hand. And on the other, a user based on our work, in which we have installed our own professional apps and a more serious profile.
And a guest?
A guest may seem the same, but it has nothing to do with it, and as its name suggests it is ideal for ephemeral use, for people who are going to use the mobile for only a few minutes or hours. It is the best to temporarily lend the phone. When we add a user we are only giving another person the space of our mobile in its most basic version .
That person will not be able to install anything in that session, and will only have access to the system apps, which are pre-installed. In addition, you will not have access to any history or information of the rest of the users. You will find yourself in a completely aseptic environment to use the phone for a few minutes. Yes, for example, you will have the possibility to customize some aspects such as the wallpaper, but the possibilities are clearly very limited.
What about apps?
The apps that we install in one user will not be available in the other user and vice versa , this means that even if user 1 has downloaded and installed an app, when we enter the other user 2 we will not find the installed app, and we will have to download it from again to be able to use it. Therefore the division between one and another user is total, and the space is completely independent of each other.
How are new users or guests added?
It is very simple, since in 95% of Android mobiles the interface for creating and modifying users or guests is very similar . To do this you have to do the following:
- Swipe the status bar down
- Click on the icon with a figure
- Select the add user or guest icon
- In the case of a new user, fill in the information of the new Google account to be configured
To switch between users, we must press this icon again, and in turn select the direct access to that other user or guest . From that area of the phone it will be how we can move between all of them. Without a doubt, the new users mode is perfect for when we have several different Google accounts, and we want different spaces for each of them.