You are standing on the street when a stranger approaches and asks if he can use your phone to make a call. You are at home and your partner asks for your mobile to consult something you have stored inside or, simply, you want to show something to your friends. In these situations, you certainly do not want someone to enter where they should not without your consent.
We keep so much personal data and information in our pocket that handing over the phone to others , even voluntarily, may seem like a possible invasion of privacy. Fortunately, Android has useful built-in options that restrict what guests can and cannot do on your smartphone . Even when it’s unlocked.
Prevent anyone from using your mobile
If what you want is for no one to pick up your mobile and access its content when you are not present, it is a mandatory condition to establish a screen lock.
Lock the mobile with PIN or fingerprint
From the Security Settings you are going to establish different ways to protect your content. The most used are the pattern or alphanumeric password or the fingerprint sensor, the most practical.
To do this, go to Settings> Security> Screen lock and select Pattern, PIN or password, but never choose “None” or “Slide”, as you will leave “the door open” to any interference. Also in the security menu you can establish different fingerprints to unlock the mobile, as long as your mobile has a reader.
Turn off facial recognition
Almost all modern smartphones have a facial recognition system that, really, is not the safest in the world. It has been shown how some manufacturers allow, inadvertently, to bypass this security system using a photo and although the tool has improved a lot in recent years, we do not trust ourselves.
Pin apps
When Android version 5.0 Lollipop was released in 2014, the operating system added a function called “screen pinning” or “pinning apps ” that, although very hidden, is very useful when it comes to lending the phone.
Basically, this mode locks the user of the phone within a specific application , so when using the mobile you cannot open other applications or change the settings unless you know the PIN. This is perfect for when you lend your phone to someone to make a call or hand it over to someone to play a game.
To configure screen fixation, go to Settings and touch Security, then you will find the option to Set Apps at the bottom as long as you DO NOT HAVE THE NAVIGATION GESTURES ACTIVATED. Flip the switch.
Next, open the application you want to give your friend access to and open multitasking. Swipe up slightly on the app to be pinned or keep your finger pressed on it until the option appears on the screen. Now this application will be the only one accessible to users.
Avoid using your mobile even while restoring it
Android allows you to configure the mobile so that no one can use it even if the factory state is restored without your permission. For this, the Google account or the screen lock is used.
Assuming that you already have your Google credentials hosted on your mobile and that you have configured a screen lock, you will not be able to reset the factory state unless someone knows your Google access data or your unlock pattern.
If you try to restore the mobile from Settings or by doing a Hard Reset with the button settings, you will be asked to unlock the screen before resetting the phone or using the Google account that was on the phone before resetting it. If you choose to reset the phone remotely, when you turn it on you will need to enter a Google username and password that have already been used on the phone.
Share your mobile by creating users
If you want to take more precautions because you are constantly lending your device, try Android’s guest mode. This tool allows you to create different accounts with independent applications, different settings and your own customizations.
Administator
The owner of the mobile and whose Google account is active on the phone is the only one who will be able to create new users and configure the accounts. You can also remove all guest access to the phone and set the apps to display in guest mode.
Guest User
This user will be able to use the smartphone in a more basic way. You will barely be able to alter a couple of settings and, of course, you won’t be able to install anything. In addition, you will not have access to any history or information of the rest of the users and will depend, for everything, on the administrator. Unless you allow it from the guest account settings, this user will not be able to make calls or send SMS or access the usual backup and restore functions. However, the guest can log into apps with their own accounts
How to create new users on Android
To find guest mode, open the Settings app, then choose System and select Multiple users. If there is a specific person, you can create your own account with a name by touching Add user . Otherwise, simply select Guest to switch to a clean version of Android where there are no open accounts or your personal content.