Android Lollipop makes it possible to share your Android Lollipop phones with other users temporally with some restrictions(guest user mode) or for an extended period without restrictions (multiple users mode).
This is a new Android Lollipop feature for phones. For Android tablet, multiple users has been supported since Jelly Bean 4.3.
Most Android phones with Android Lollipop support guest user mode and multiple users, e.g., Nexus devices (Nexus 4, 5 and Nexus 6), Motorola Moto devices (Moto X, Moto X 2nd Gen, Moto G, Mot G 2nd Gen, Moto E, and Moto E 2nd Gen), LG G3, LG G Flex 2, Sony Xperia Z3 and many others.
But Samsung currently does not support this guest user and multiple users feature in the Android Lollipop 5.0 update. For example, the Android Lollipop update for Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, and Galaxy Note 4, removed this feature for unknown reasons. But they will very likely add this feature in future updates.
What’s the difference between “user” and “account” when talking about Android Lollipop guest user mode and multiple users?
A lot of Android users may get confused on user and account.
In all Android devices, you can have multiple Google accounts (as well as other accounts, e.g., email accounts, Facebook account…..). But these accounts always belong to a user. Normally, you need setup at at least one Google account for the user to use some features.
Before Android Lollipop multiple users were introduced, there is only one user on your phone. So, there is no confusion: all accounts are “yours”.
Now, in your phones with Android Lollipop update, you can have more than one user. You can switch among these users.
Each user owns its own multiple accounts. These accounts are NOT shared among users.
What’s the difference between the Android Lollipop guest user and normal user? Who is the device owner (administrator)?
Android Lollipop Guest user is normally used for sharing the device temporally. There is only one guest user. So, you can continue a guest user session or start a new from scratch when switching to guest user mode in Android Lollipop.
Please note, guest user has similar permissions as other users. Guest user can add Google account to access his own contents and apps, in addition to pre-installed apps. Guest user can set screen lock, but new guest can always start a new session to clean all settings of previous guest users without unlocking the phone.
Normal users (multiple users) have own identification and own storage space. They can set their own screen lock to protect their contents. Normal users have almost identical privileges as device administrator except removing users.
The first user setup in the phone is always the device owner (administrator). Only device owner (administrator) can remove other users.
How to use Android Lollipop guest user mode?
Android Lollipop guest user mode is always available. There is no activation (or deactivation).
Step 1: Go to quick settings panel.
In quick settings panel (if you are not sure about Lollipop quick settings panel, please check this guide.), tap the avatar of current user in top right (as shown below).
Then tap more settings as shown below if you want to enable phone calling features to guest user.
Step 2: Setup guest user features.
You should be directed to Settings—Users page. You can also access this page from Settings, instead of the quick settings panel if you want.
Tap the gear icon next to Guest as shown below.
Drag the switch for Allow phone calls to right to enable this feature for guest user. By default, phone calls are not allowed for guest user.
Once this feature is enabled, the switch will change to blue as shown blow.
Step 3: Enter Android Lollipop guest user mode
In quick settings panel, tap Add guest as shown below. You can also enter guest user mode directly from Settings – Users – Guest.
If there is no saved sessions for guest users, you will see the Switching to Guest screen. It may take from a few seconds to 1 min to enter Android Lollipop guest user mode depending on your phone.
Step 4: Using Android Lollipop guest user mode
Once entering guest user mode, you will get a default home screen.
Guest user can use all pre-installed apps, i.e., apps installed before the owner setup the phone.
Although Android Lollipop guest user can use these pre-installed apps, the data and settings associated with these apps are NOT shared. Each user has own settings and data for the same app. For example, the contacts should be empty for guest user by default.
Android Lollipop guest user can install apps after adding his own Google account as shown below.
Step 5: Exit Android Lollipop guest user mode
When in guest user mode, you can tap the user avatar in quick settings panel. Then tap another user to exit guest user mode as shown above.
Please note, after switching to other users, the setting and data for the guest user is saved in the phone.
How to remove guest user in Android Lollipop?
If you are using other people’s phone as a guest user, it is recommended to remove your account so that all your data and settings are cleared from the phone.
If you simply switch to other user without removing guest user, next time the guest user (maybe someone else) will have the option to continue your session (and therefore access all of your data and settings saved under guest user mode) or start over (to clear the your data and settings).
To remove Android Lollipop guest user apps, data and settings, in the quick settings panel (in guest user mode), tap Remove guest as shown below. This sill remove all apps, data and settings linked to current guest user. Essentially, this removes this guest user. So, the guest user can remove the guest account himself.
Once the Android Lollipop guest user is removed, the phone will switch back to lock screen.
How to add a user to your Android Lollipop devices?
If you want to share the phone with other users for extended time, it is better to create a new user for him so that the user can use it as if it is his own phone.
This is the multiple users feature in Android Lollipop phone. You can add several users as you want.
The user you added will have his own space for app data and personal files. When a single app is shared by you and other users, each of you can only access your own app data and app settings.
To add a user to your Android Lollipop device, please follow these steps.
Step 1: Go to Quick Settings panel
If you are not sure how to access quick settings panel, please read this guide. In short, swipe down from the status bar (top of the screen) with two fingers.
Step 2: Tap avatar for current user in top right.
Step 3: Tap Add user as shown below.
After tapping Add user, your phone screen should indicate it is switching to new user as shown below.
Step 4: Set up new user.
You need confirm to add a new user by tapping OK as shown below.
After a few seconds, you will be redirected to the new user setup page.
Tap the Arrow icon to proceed.
From now on, you can let the user control the process if you want.
When setting up a new user, you can optionally skip the Google account setup so that the user can add it later by himself.
So,in the Add your account screen as shown below, you can ask the user to add his Google account (not yours) if the user is beside you.
If not, you can simply tap skip as shown below. Of course, your Android system will remind you that before adding the Google account, the user cannot access his Google content (quite straightforward).
Next, the user need provide a name so that it can be shown in the user list. Otherwise, you don’t know who is who.
After setting up the user name, tap the Finish button as shown below to set up this user account.
You will see the default screen for this user as shown below. Currently, only pre-installed apps are available. The user can add apps after adding his Google account.
How to switch to other users in Android Lollipop multiple users mode ?
When you have more than one user in your phone, you can switch among users in either of the two locations:
- In the quick settings panel, tap the avatar for current user in the top right, then tap the account which you want to switch to. Please see the image above.
- In Settings –Users. Tap the user name to which you want to switch (as shown in the image below). Current user is always listed in the first.
How to remove users from your Android Lollipop phone?
Please note, only the phone owner can delete other users. Other users are not allowed to remove other users or himself on the phone. Guest user is an exception: it can remove himself.
So, to remove users from your Android Lollipop phone, you need switch to phone owner, which is always indicated in Settings—Users.
In Settings–Users page, tap the gear icon as shown above. This settings (gear icon) is only available for phone owner.
Tap Remove user as shown below.
Tap Delete to confirm the deletion as shown below.
Now, the user is removed from your Android Lollipop powered phone as shown below.
Why I cannot find the option for the restricted profiles in Android Lollipop phones?
Restricted profiles are only available in Android tablets, not phones.
So, in Android Lollipop phones, you cannot create a restricted profile. There is no such an option currently.
What are actually shared among users and what are not shared when using Android Lollipop guest user mode and multiple users?
1. App files are always shared.
Each app has only one copy on the phone. So, any user can upgrade the app and accept new permissions. This is similar to the PC.
2. App data are NOT shared.
Each app has its own settings and user data. These are NOT shared.
For example, there is only one copy of GMail app. But each user can only see emails (and email settings) of his own accounts. He cannot see email or settings for accounts that are under other users.
3. Accounts are NOT shared.
Each user can have a lot of accounts (multiple Google accounts, Facebook account, multiple email accounts..). These accounts are NOT shared. Each user can only access accounts added by him.
4. SD card is always shared.
If your phone has a SD card, and you saved some files in the SD card, or you choose SD card as the photo/video storage location for camera app, these files are shared. In other words, other users can see these files in the SD card.
Do you have any questions of problems on how to use Lollipop guest user mode and manage (and use) multiple users on Android Lollipop phones?
If you encounter any problems or encounter any issues on using Android Lollipop guest user mode, or managing/using multiple users in your Android Lollipop phones, please let us know in the comment box below. The community will try to help you.
For more Android Lollipop guides, please visit on Android Lollipop Guide page.
Karampal yadav says
How i access all installed app by all users because now i only access system app by multiple users not any installed app that why all user install one app like fb, whatsapp etc. Again and again so that if any app install three or for time then it take 4 time more space in Storage then one user
simon says
You need “install” them. As mentioned in the guide, the phone will create another profile for the corresponding apps. It will not actually install several copies. This is to save storage because it’s not necessary to create profiles for all apps for new users.
Please note, all users can update the app. So different versions of the same app for different users are not allowed.
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Sergio says
Hi, I got a new tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S and i have created two users. The functionality “Private Mode” is only available for the device owner (administrator). I can not see that option in my second user. Is it possible to use it? Tks.
simon says
private mode is a Samsung feature. I guess it only works with device administrator.
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Chirag Gupta says
I m using android one with android loolipop 5.1but my user switch is not working
simon says
Do you have the button? Can you use guest user mode?
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Chirag Gupta says
no button is there but not switching
simon says
If there is no button, maybe the vendor doesn’t implement it. But android one should have it.
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lokesh says
I m using android one with android loolipop 5.1 but my user switch is not working..when i touch user button its shows a pop up like “The contact doesn’t exist.”.. help me to add a guest user..
simon says
Did you add yourself in your contact?
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Hardik Joshi says
Hey i have micromax unite 2 i have icon of user but when i press it it doesnt work it says the contact doesnt exist can someone help me out with this
simon says
Have you added a Google account to the phone yet?
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Hardik Joshi says
Yes i have added google account and there is no option of users also in settings but there is icon of users pls help me out fast
simon says
Very likely, guest user and multi user were not implemented in the phone. Some manufacturers may choose not to implement some features.
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sajinu says
Check the contacts that you have added your profile details.
It may caused the inaccuracy of the settings.
Check it and try.
sajinu says
Or,
Enable multi-user feature on your Android one phone (running Android 5.1 Lollipop) without flashing .zip through custom recovery. All you need is root access.
Just go to /system , edit your “build.prop” file and add the following lines:
fw.max_users=3
fw.show_multiuserui=1
Save and reboot your phone. Done! Tested on Micromax Canvas A1.
Gen says
I believe or rather think this multiple users feature is not available for android one users, maybe the vendor did not implement it. Because I’ve been crazy about this feature since I’ve heard of it, but surprisingly to me since I got my new phone with android one 5.1 I couldn’t find it, and I’ve gone online to seek for help, there seem to be no remedy for it.
When you click the avatar button you’d see your profile contact, or “contact does not exist” message if you’ve not setup your profile contact. I believe this may be like an answer for android one users and why they get the “contact does not exist” message if you’ve not setup your profile contact.
simon says
Thank you for sharing the info. Sometimes, it is due to resource (CPU, RAM and storage) limitations for some phone models, multi users feature is not implemented.
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Abdullah Arsyad says
What about if our our devices were stolen.. Do they can use the guest user to enter the phone?
If we use anti theft apps, then will they (new user can bypass the screen lock and enter the phone).
What about that?
Thanks
simon says
If the screen is locked, you cannot use the phone. Guest user doesn’t bypass screen lock. Guest user can also set it’s own lock screen.
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aL says
I created two accounts.One is the primary Owner account, which has no apps installed.And I installed all my apps and got data synced on the second account (User 2). Its around 700MB of apps. So, If i try installing these same apps from the Owner account, it will not download them again? Since they are already there. I will only need to sync my data again. Is that correct??
Thanks
simon says
Yes, but you still need go though the installation process. But the app files will only have one copy. Each user has his own app data. Any of the users can update the app. So you cannot have two versions of the same app.
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prudhvi says
I had a doubt urgent. . In my moto g2 administrator user is getting pattern incorrect when I kept in charging something gone wrong and pattern not working now I’m using guest user .. how to get data of primary administrator user???it’s very imp ..it’s not getting forgot password or backup pin option for recovery
simon says
For pattern lock, after a few tries, it should give you the option to use your backup password/pin.
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Pranav says
My Xperia C3 does not have users options after i updated it with lollipop 5.0.2
Also gyroscope not working properly
simon says
Not sure about that phone model. Did you check with Sony service center. Some manufacturers may choose not to implement some android lollipop features on some phone models.
For gyroscope sensor, you may try to clear cache partition to see whether it helps. Otherwise, you may have to reset the phone or visit Sony service center.
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unknoWn says
M using sony xperia c3 why this option is available on my phone..????
simon says
Do you mean the guest user option is not available? Is the phone on android lollipop?
Even the phone is running lollipop, some manicurist. Some manufacturers may choose not to implement a few features.
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Nagib Afifi says
Is there a way ti prevent a guest from accessing the adminstrator account by requiring password before switching? Or is the guest able ro switch at any time?
simon says
It can only return to the lock screen. You only need set the lock screen secutity for the administrator.
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brent says
Is there a way to recover photos that were taken on a added user account after said user account was deleted?
simon says
Probably not. Once a user is removed, the files and settings will be deleted automatically.
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Hardik says
I also have the same problem plz let us one is there any way to recovery those images taken from guest account…. Those are the important ones I lost
Viz says
When I tap on user avatar in quick settings, it takes me to the lock screen instead of users list/options… y? How to access it thru quick settings?(I know how to access it thru settings, but unable to do it thru quick settings) plz help…
simon says
what’s the phone model?
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Viz says
ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE551ML
simon says
Not sure about this phone. I guess ASUS implements it in this way probably.
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Viz says
No Simon, it was working before and I saw this is working in other ZenFones as well. I think this is associated with Android, I might have disabled something, but not getting what I have done… 🙁
simon says
Not sure about this phone model. The vanilla Android (Nexus devices, Moto X, Moto G devices…)works like what shown on the page. There are no settings for it in Android.
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Viz says
Idk what happened… now again I am able to access “users” thru quick settings again. This might b a bug or may b some settings got restored…
Simon thanks 🙂
Lars Olesen says
I would like to know if the super user or administrator, can terminate jobs of other users?
I am asking because my ageing nexus 7, slows down almost to a halt. I am hoping that killing other users apps would enable it to run a bit faster again.
simon says
No, the device administrator doesn’t have this option. You can only remove the user totally.
A workaround for your problem is to switch back to administrator, then to reboot the tablet. The other users’ processes should not start at reboot. They are started only when you switch to other users.
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sangeeta says
can we have 2 whatsapp account using 2 sim cards
simon says
No, WhatsApp only allows one account in one device.
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Janneke says
Whattsapp allows one account per user in my CAT S30
Janneke says
In my dual-SIM Cat S30 phone, I’ve set up a second user for work. I cannot import contacts on that profile. Is there any way I can?
simon says
Two users are independent. What exactly do youwant to do?
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cga says
How can i Access all my music in the sd card from another user?
simon says
If these music files are DRMed, you cannot play them at all.
If not, you can locate the folder of music files, then access them. If it is under app data folder, you can ask the owner to copy them to a normal folder in SD card.
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cga says
My music is in my sd card and I don’t have access to it from the user I have created.
simon says
SD card should be accessible for all users. Which folder are the files in?
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cga says
I use iSyncr to sync music with pc. Music is in SD card Syncr folder. As another user I don’t see my SD card under storage. LG or Google messed it up
Eric collins says
How can I remove guest user all together?
simon says
The remove guest option is available when you are in guest mode. This is a bit counter – intuitive. But it’s designed in this way so that guest user can destroy his own data.
Please read the guide again.
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simon says
Not sure. SD card is a shared resource. All users should be able to see it. Did you try to check settings – storage? You may also try to reboot the phone to see whether you can see it.
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cga says
Tried all that
Joe says
I’m having the same problem. My second user account won’t connect to SD or to a hdd connected by an OTG cable, but they work in admin account. I want the second account for a media player but it just won’t work. As soon as I open second account it says SD and hdd are safe to remove. Yeah cool, thanks
simon says
It could be due to implementation of acer. Did you set any encryption for the device?
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Joe says
I’m using an acer iconia a1-840fhd with Android 4.4.2
Vijay Naru says
Hi I have IZOTROn Quattro MI7 tablet having Android Lollipop 5.0.2 installed . When I try to creat user profile nothing happens by clicking on the blue user icon as shown above. Please help me resolve this.
simon says
Not sure about the tablet. Most tablets have this feature since jelly bean 4.3. Did you check the user guide of the tablet to see whether multiple users are supported?
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Unknown says
Can we restore the data of deleted guest Account… It’s important & urgent…
simon says
No, there are no easy ways to recover such data. You may consult local data recovery expert.
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Sumathi V says
i used guest user 1st time and after that i took some photos . unfortunately i gave removed user command. how to recover that photos . help me if u have any idea
simon says
No undo options in Lollipop. If the photos are really important, you may check with local data recovery experts. (their charge is usually high and they do NOT guarantee anything….)
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isaiah says
I can’t access it…it keeps saying contact does not exist
simon says
Please eloborate what did you do and what did you get in each step.
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Mohan says
Hi Simon
Great Blog!
Here is the question:
a) Administrator/first user does not use whatsapp or olacabs app. The permissions of these two apps say that they can take over the entire mobile – including looking up call records, contact list etc etc.
b) Added a user who uses these two apps. – Not as guest user though
c) Will these two apps be able to copy out the private data of the administrator or first user?
d) would there be restrictions within the storage so that the 2nd user does not take out data of the administrator / 1st user?
e) how robust is the multiple users’ data sandboxing given that apps steal all kinds of user data from a lollipop phone?
thanks
M
simon says
a. no. The contacts are tied to the Google account. Although all users can access Contacts app, but what they can see is different.
b. the new user have to “install” the apps. It actually creates the user’s profile for the app.
c. No, app data are private to each user.
d. For app data, user can only access own data. But other folders (e.g., you create a folder in the SD card), or SD card itself, are always shared.
e. if you don’t trust the person, never hand the phone to him, This is the most important principle. Device sharing should be among people who trust each other. Technically, it should stop all honest users from accessing other’s data. But for bad guys, don’t share the phone with them.
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Aleksa says
I have Samsung Galaxy S6 and I have 5.1.1 but i don’t have guest mode idk why?
simon says
Samsung did not implement guest user mode in 5.1.1.
It was rumored Samsung would add it in 5.1. But for unknown reasons, Samsung still refused to add multi user support.
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harold says
I have zte blade a711 5.1.1 but no user ..
simon says
Not sure about this phone. But some vendors choose to disable the guest user and multiple user feature.
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jerome says
My Android device with the user who is not the owner, does not detect my sd card .
I do not understand why …
in my account , I see , on behalf of my children, the SD card is not detected …
With guest account is the same: No SD Card!
What’s the problem? thank you 🙂
simon says
Not sure. By default, the SD is considered as shared resources. It should be available for all users including guest.
I checked it again on Moto G 2nd gen. There are no issues.
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Hans Olav Roaldstveit says
I have a Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet (with LTE if it matters) running Android 5.0.2. I have set up an extra user for my girlfriend. However, when she is running various applications, the screen turns black and it says “protected” with a padlock. I have three choises, one saying “approve”, then “wi-fi settings” and “emergency call”. Hitting approve, I’m turned to google login page. She has setup her own google account on her user, but logging in with that does not work. It has to be mine (the admin user) that logs in for her to be able to continue usage of the tablet. I have searched in the security and user pages, but found nothing that gives me any clues about this.
Any ideas?
simon says
Did it happen to a specific app?
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Hans Olav Roaldstveit says
It has been happening with candy crush and farm hero. However, right now I tried rebooting the tab and i ran Play Store app from her user. It got locked, and I had to enter the admin user Google account info to unlock it.
simon says
Did you add the user as a normal user or as a restricted profile?
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Hans Olav Roaldstveit says
I’ve added her as a non-restricted user. Even tried removing it and setting it up again according to your guide here. It appears that whenever I reboot the device, I have to unlock it again. At the bottom of the page it is listed a 15 digit number that never changes.
simon says
Not sure.
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Skleptor says
hello, i have the same issue on my Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, any new about this?
Skleptor says
just add a security pin for the users to bypass the “protected” page
Hans Olav Roaldstveit says
I figured it out as well. I had, as I do with all my phones, disabled the SIM PIN code requirement to use it. Once I re-enabled the PIN, this problem went away. You need to enter the PIN when the tablet reboots for anyone to use it, but once that is done it is game on. Or you could just give that PIN to the other users of the tablet in case it needs to reboot.
Kyle Desjardins says
Got a question. I use Moto G 1st generation, which doesn’t have the ability to have an SDcard inserted. Is there any easy way for me, as an administrator on my phone, to copy or send files from my (1st) User to a second User?
simon says
Just create a folder in the internal storage, put the files there. Such folders are accessible for all users.
You need a file manager to do this. You can try ES File Explorer.
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Sourav says
What if the default user account is deleted, one of my friends inserted his details and my picture while creating the default user account on my MOTO E while it was kitkat v4.4.4 and my default user account on Lollipop was showing two details tab. So when I wanted to get rid of the details I deleted the account and was stuck because there is no option for adding a user available for me, touching the small user logo says ‘the account doesn’t exist’ – what should I do, my Lollipop update was just a day ago and I’m stuck right there.. PLEASE HELP!!!
simon says
In KitKat, you only have one user. You can have multiple Google account. The first Google account cannot be deleted unless you reset the phone.
Are you talking about Google account or user? They are two different things as explained in this post.
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Sid says
Hi! I am able to use the User setting and created a new account, with the SMS and calls enabled. However, when this account is chosen, my phone does not vibrate/ring when receiving messages/any notifications, and only seems to receive notifications when on the administrator account. How do I make it so when someone messages me I receive a notification when on a new user account.
simon says
Did you check notification settings inside the messages app?
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Lori R-T says
Same problem here. Checked app settings and notifications are enabled. Messages come in, but no notification.
Ash says
I cannot see the option to remove the user: guest account. If I got to apps it says it is still running and using ram. Even after apparently removing the account.
How do I stop it?!?!? Anyone else having this issue?
simon says
it is specially mentioned in the section of “How to remove guest user in Android Lollipop”.
you can remove guest user only when you in guest user mode.
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Baggy says
When I’m playing games on the Sony Z3 with the latest version of android the task bar always stays there is there an option of getting rid of that???
simon says
it depends on the app. The app developer decides whether it supports the immersive mode.
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shyam says
Does not 3rd gen support guest mode.. I can’t do in my moto g 3rd gen
simon says
Are you referring to Moto G 3rd Gen? Yes, it supports guest mode.
Can you find the icon in notification panel?
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shyam says
Yes but I tried a lot…but it doesn’t work..Motorola customers support told me that moto g 3rd gen not supported multiple user
simon says
I just tested it. Yes, it seems the guest mode (and multi user) is not working on our Moto G 3rd Gen either.
Probably Motorola will add guest user mode and multi user support in future update.
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Bhagirathsinh says
Many time I try to create multi user in moto g3 but it not work,no options for create it,why?? Pls add this facility fast
simon says
Do you have settings – users? (not accounts)
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Bhagirathsinh says
In notification panal ,but not create add user, and in setting menu no user menu.
simon says
It means multi user and guest user mode are removed by the manufacturer. Although guest user mode and multi user are new features for phones with android lollipop, some android device manufacturers choose to remove these features.
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Jan'et says
So what if I only want MY account on MY Samsung, how would I do that? No matter how many different ways I try to disconnect it, it still has a default “Guess User” account on my Samsung Galaxy S4 tablet. So how do I make that disappear?
simon says
You can remove guest user. Once it is removed, only you can add it again. If you don’t use this feature, you just don’t add a guest user account.
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Sara says
Not true on my Samsung tablet at least. I just updated my android to 5.1.1 and now no matter how many times I’ve deleted the guest user, it always lets anyone to choose guest user without any passwords. I tried restarting the tablet and still whoever can access my tablet using guest user. I really don’t like that!
Also I didn’t used to use any wipe screen or passwords, it just went directly to the screen I had open on the tablet but now it seems you have to have wipe screen or password/pin/shape?
I never leave my tablet anywhere where a total stranger could get their hands on it but it would be great to keep it locked from my nieces and nephews, haha. I guess I have to turn it off everytime I don’t want anyone else to have access to it 🙁 .
simon says
If you don’t have a screen lock, anyone can use all features and access your data, in addition to guest user.
Don’t assume you will never lose the tablet. Many people regret until the device is lost or stolen.
Anyway, if you don’t have a screen lock, your doors are open. Then why do you want to limit guest user?
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Sara says
I do have a screen lock now, I didn’t have one before the update though. But with screen lock on I can still choose guest user and use my tab without giving any passwords.
Not sure if this update is a bit messed up anyways. In the first screen, when you turn tablet screen on, the screen lock screen (sorry, English is not my native language), it keeps turning the screen off like two times before I can type in the pin number or with guest user wipe the screen.
It’s not like I can re-install the OS?
Thank you for your reply 🙂
simon says
You need remove the Guest user. As explained in this guide, you need witch to guest user, then remove guest.
Once guest user is removed, and a screen lock security is set to anything except none or swipe, there is no way to add guest user without unlocking the phone.
If you already set another user or guest user, of course, anyone can choose these users (and you) when screen is locked. But they can unlock the phone only if they know the screen security for this user or guest user. This is similar to your PC.
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Shantanu says
I’m using YU Yureka plus running Cyanogen OS 12.0 which is based on Android 5.0.2. I want to restrict the guest user from seeing images in my gallery. How do I do that?
simon says
In Android Lollipop, guest user cannot see your photos. Each user has own gallery. I am not sure about Cyanogen.
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Shantanu says
Initially I also thought the same. But when I entered in Guest account and opened the gallery all the images on the phone appeared there. I guess its the fault of Gallery app from Cyanogen.
Aviral Rastogi says
Hey, I have a Samsung Galaxy Grand. I installed unofficially ported cm12.1. It has option for multiple users. I created a new user and installed whatsapp on that user again. But I cant see the app in app drawer. I know it is installed as I can see it in downloaded apps. What is causing this problem, please help.
simon says
In application manager, you can uninstall and install the app again.
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Jim Hindman says
Has anyone ran into this problem with multi-user mode – I’m the tech guy at a grade school. We just bought 68 Samsung Galaxy Tab4’s for Education. Most are managed by the Google Admin Console, but not the 3 dedicated teacher tablets we have. We discovered that in Multi-user mode, only the Administrator account can print – managed tablet or not. When installing Google Cloud Print or Brother Print Services (we have Brother printers), the app installs and you get a notification that – “Google Cloud Print has installed successfully – tap here to enable”. After tapping, if you’re logged on as the Administrator, you go to the “Settings – Connections – More networks”. On the right side of the screen is heading of “More networks” with “Printing” listed under it. After tapping on it you can enable whichever Print service you’ve installed. If you are NOT logged on as the Administrator – when you tap on the notification to enable, you go to “Settings – Connections” but the choice of “More networks” does not appear and you CANNOT enable the print service. I’ve called Google & Samsung and so far they just blame each other! The Samsung Print Service is pre-installed and enabled, but this would mean buying new printers for every class using the tablets!
Any ideas?
simon says
it is Samsung’s fault. In Nexus devices, even guest user can use printing feature.
Some printer vendors have own printing apps (long before printing service was baked into Android), in addition to the plugins. Non-admin users can try to use these apps to print if they cannot access printing services.
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Jim Hindman says
Thanks for the response. There’s so much good info on this page, I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask. I was pretty sure it was Samsung’s fault. I did try a Brother Print app with no success – it also needs to be enabled on the missing settings screen. I had the idea of shooting a video to exactly show Samsung what is going on and now they have ” escalated the issue to a Sr. engineer for consideration and resolution”. I let you know what they finally do.
Alain Roy says
I have the same problem with samsung galaxy tab pro 12 and hp print plugin
Only the primary user can see more wifi options and printers.
A few months later nothing changes.
I my opinion Android is a mess
simon says
That’s Samsung’s implementation. There are no such issues in stock Android (Nexus) devices.
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Peter says
Thanks for the detailed explanation. One question, when I set up multiple users on a phone, is there a way to lock profiles? To prevent the other user from switching to my profile.
simon says
Yes, you need set your lock screen security to anything except none or swipe. Every user has own lock screen security settings.
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Ian Silva says
Hello guys, I’m trying to enter guest mode or set up a new user but when I click those options, the device reboot! Do you know what’s happening? Thanks in advance!
simon says
What’s the phone model? Did you install any antivirus or task manager apps?
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Ian says
No antivirus and no task manager! Do you know which folder of the system the multi user files are? I would like to try to find if there’s something wrong there! Thanks!
simon says
it is not user accessible unless the phone is rooted.
Anyway, you can always try to clear cache partition to see whether it helps.
You can also back up your phone and try a factory data reset.
Of course, you can also visit the service center if factory data reset does not solve the issue.
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ian says
Do you know which folder is? My device is rooted!
simon says
User are listed in
/data/system/users/userlist.xml(two digits are for users you added).Users app data should be in
/data/user/userID/pkgname/Anyway, do not try to mess the system unless you know what you are doing.
We do not discuss rooting in this site. You may check xda forum for such topics.
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Ian says
Thank you very much for your attention and time here helping us!
Ian says
Do you know which folder is? My device is rooted!
Ebraheem says
Thanks for these details, on Sony Xperia E2333 running android v5.0, beside the owner i created another user “without gmail” and it worked fine, but now I was trying to create another third user but when i touch “add user” nothing happen I restarted the device several times and it is the same.
I use the guest as a third user anyway, but is there any thing I can do to create one more user or there is a limit of 2 users only on my device?
simon says
Not sure about the limit of number of users imposed by Sony.
Android vendor can configure it in frameworks/base/core/res/res/values/config.xml. But this file is not accessible or writable for users. Most vendors choose 3 as I know. Some disable it (for example, Samsung)
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mark says
Can’t access this file even on a rooted device?
simon says
It depends how you rooted the phone. Technically, if you are the root, you can do anything and access any files existed on the phone, although Android still poses some restrictions.
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Sara says
Thanks for replying, there must be something wrong with the update when it comes to my tablet (Samsung SM-T900). I did exactly what was said in the article and I understand what you mean but it just doesn’t work 🙁 .
I shut down my tablet. Then I turned it back on and instead of giving my pin, I chose the guest user which I had deleted as a guest user but which was again available there.
No matter what I do it’s always available to use. When I choose it the screen goes off, then I turn it back on, it goes off, then I turn it back on again and I have my default guest user desktop in front of me.
Thankfully I mostly have my tab at home since it’s so big 12,2″ but I’d definitely prefer to get it fixed, maybe in the next update? Or since Lollipop is brand new OS for my tab maybe they fix little bugs sooner?
Sara says
Sorry this message went to the wrong place, it was meant as a response to
https://gadgetguideonline.com/android/lollipop/how-to-use-android-lollipop-guest-user-mode-and-multiple-users/#comment-413
simon says
It seems Samsung messed up it. In nexus devices, guest user appears on lock screen only after you add it.
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Hassan Maje says
I upgraded my Old Moto G first Gen the other day to 5.1 and notice I can’t add users. Anyone experiencing same problem on Moto G first Gen?
simon says
Motorola removed the multi user support in Android Lollipop 5.1 update. There are no official explanation on this. A vague excuse from support guys is due to some conflicts. But it is probably just an excuse as there are no issues with multi user in Nexus devices.
So, multi user is only available in Moto devices with Android Lollipop 5.0.
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Jenny says
I’m on lollipop 5.0.2 moto g first gen had the phone for over a year and been on lollipop since July never a problem until now the allow phone calls for guest switch keeps turning itself on, also the usb-mtp setting in storage keeps checking itself any ideas? I’ve already reset to factory after some data loss not helped though
simon says
For allow phone calls for guest, the setting may be not consistent in some devices. After turning it off, you can try to reboot the phone once to see whether it changes back.
For USB-mtp, I am not sure which setting you are referring to. How did you reproduce the issue?
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hap says
on my moto g3 the multi users are not working………
simon says
Probably it was not activated. A lot of vendors choose not to activate the multi user in their android phones.
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Shriram sharma says
Hello sir
I am using Micromax Canvas tab p680 I have a icon of user but when I press it it says
Contact does not exit some one help me out of this problem
simon says
In Contacts app, add yourself as a contact.
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welcome.jn says
If is in secondary profile installed airwatch mdm and the device would be erased by this app remotely what exactly gonna happen? Whole device will be erased or that secondary user and its data?
simon says
I never tried this solution (and I will never).
Normally, it can wipe or lock your phone totally. If the phone is owned by you, you should not grant such access.
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chaila says
when i switch to owner account, the photos under guest user cannot be found. then i tried to switch back to guest user and a dialog box ask mo if i start over again when i press the yess button worst just happen pictures were totally lost.. what can i do?
simon says
This is exactly how the guest user is designed.
You cannot do anything except learning the lesson. If you choose start over, you mean you want to create a new guest user. All files owned by previous guest user are removed.
Unless the files are extremely important, you should not waste time and money on data recovery.
To share files among users, you can manually create a folder in the SD card (if your phone has one),and copy the file there.
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Chris says
Hello Admin,
thanks for your article. can you tell me which phone models support multi-user mode?
maybe Dual-Sim phones?
simon says
All nexus phones with Lollipop have multi user. But none of them is dual SIM.
Motorola phones (Moto X, G) only has multi user in Lollipop 5.0. In Lollipop 5.1, it was removed.
Some ASUS phones may have multi user enabled.
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Shari G says
Is there a way to not have user passwords saved? We need users to log in rather than simply switch accounts.
simon says
What exactly do you want to achieve? Saving password for what?
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Shari G says
We are trying to use Android tablets with students in a school. We want each student to be able to log on with a Google account on the device securely. We added the accounts and passwords. We can switch between users but it never prompts us for a password. We do not want the passwords saved for security. We want students to log in with their username and password much like they do on a Chromebook.
Thank you.
simon says
each user (not account, see the post for the differences) can have own screen lock. they log in by selecting the user, and use the screen lock to use the tablet as this user.
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Mel says
My daughter has forgotten her screen lock password for Moto G but luckily had set up a guest account. She took lots of photos when we were on holidays on the guest account but they had disappeared when she tried to look at them at home. Are they on the sd card that she can’t access due to the locked screen or has she started a new guest session by mistake and lost them? Any ideas? Many thanks
simon says
If you start a new session for guest, all files owned by guest are removed. This is the purpose of guest session.
If the photos are saved in SD card, you can take out the SD card and user any SD card reader on a PC to get the files. But if you already started a new session, the files should be deleted. You have to try file recovery.
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Real Bisaillon says
outch @#$$%!! I CAN ACCESS THE TABLET AND INTERNET AND WHAT HAVE YOU IF I USE GEST MODE INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH SECURITY PASSWORD
… tried ‘samsung tab 4 android 5.1 how to remove guest in user.
THERE SEEM TO BE NOWAY OF REMOVING THIS FAULT
USE A PASSWORD TO INSTALL AND REMOVE THE GUEST MODE
simon says
Guest user cannot bypass lock screen if you set lock screen for guest user.
You can remove guest user when you use the tablet as a guest user, as explained in this guide.
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Bogdan says
Hi!
This is very helpful!
I would also signalize one problem, for which I don’t have an answer, yet. I am using 2 user accounts on my tablet ASUS Zenpad S 8.0 Z580CA, which I recently bought to be used by me and my wife, with two distinctive accounts: myself, as owner, and my wife, as user. Things are working as presented here, except for the fact that once I switch the tablet on my wife account, in a couple of seconds the External SD Card is no more accessible. The lock screen is showing normally, on owner’s account, a notification box with “External SD Card Mounted”, which fades away once I switch on the user account. In this state the Ext. SD Card is invisible, like it was never inserted. Switching back on owner’s account and, Voila!, SD Card again visible and accessible, and the notification box is there. The funny thing is that if I restart the tablet, and start it directly on my wife account (switching from lock screen, the tablet starts with owner account as default), the External SD Card is visible and usable for a while, and than disappears again, in some minutes I didn’t count (2-5 minutes or so). Again accessible once I switch on owner account. Anyone has a clue on what this could be? Could be a bug from ASUS? Many thanks for your help!
simon says
This is a known problem for some vendors. Each vendor may choose different permissions when mounting SD card.
This problem should be solved in Android Marshmallow.
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Bogdan says
Thanks for the comment. I would accept that if after reboot the access to Ext. SD Card would have also been denied. But as stated, for some minutes, it is working. So I believe it is a bug, still :).
simon says
The main user is assumed when rebooting the phone until it reaches the lock screen. Anyway, when this feature was introduced in Jelly Bean on tablet, there are no such issues at all. It seems there are some problems since KitKat.
In Marshmallow, the SD card can be managed as internal storage. So the permission issues should be resolved.
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Emma says
Hi I’m using Android 5.1 and all my photos and music after switching once in guest mode doesn’t appear anymore when I’m in owner mode. It says SD card is busy or insert SD card. What to do to get back my files that once had in owner mode and now appear only in guest mode?
simon says
You can try to reboot the phone or re-mount the SD card when you are in owner mode.
Please do NOT start a new guest session before you can access and backup these files.
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Maroof Nursumar says
Hi there, I own a moto g2. the issue is I cannot add a third User (i.e 1 admin, 1 user, 1 guest user). The option to add a third user (other than the guest user) is greyed out. Is there some kind of limitation as to how many users can be added. I have my self as admin and my colleague as 2nd user. I want to add another colleague as 3rd user (not guest user). Pls guide me.
Regards.
simon says
Yes, there is a limit and you hit the the limit. This limit is imposed by individual Android vendors.
Actually, Motorola removed this feature in 5.1 update in most regions.
Phone is still mainly a personal device and many Android vendors (e.g., Samsung) do not implement this feature in phones at all.
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Jeff says
What avatar?? I cannot see this at all! I only want to switch this guest user thing on because it’s part of the troubleshooting steps to get the None option for the Lock Screen back! I personally am finding Lollipop to be infuriating – full of bugs, stupid animations for no good reason apart from to use more battery, coloured Contact’s backgrounds for no discernible reason or pattern. Laggy as hell. Slow starting (15 seconds more than KitKat on same device). More steps to achieve the same thing on many features.
simon says
Some Android vendors, e.g., Samsung, do not enable guest user mode at all on phones. (it is usually available in tablets with Android Jelly Bean 4.3 or later).
For Android Lollipop problems, if you update your phone from KitKat, you can try to clear cache partition to see whether it helps. If not, backup your data and try a factory data reset.
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Jose says
How can I disabled guest user from a Samsung Galaxy S2 I tried removing it in my settings but once I press remove guest account it takes me back to the main user but when I select the user menu I can still access the guest account and does not get removed from my device
simon says
Samsung does not implement guest user on any of their phones. Are you running custom rom?
Anyway, you need remove guest user when in guest user mode. The guest user option should be removed from lock screen.
New guest user session can always be started when you are using the phone as device owner. So, essentially, you cannot totally disable guest user. But you can disable it from the lock screen.
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JenT says
I have a Lenovo Yoga TAB 3 tablet running android 5.1.1 There is no user icon next to the settings icon in the pull-down menu. Does this mean I cannot create multiple users? Any ideas on how to make it appear? Thanks in advance!
simon says
Tablet has multiple user support since Jelly bean 4.3. Did you check Settings–Users?
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Javier says
Hi Simon. I Have a Teclast X98 Pro (Chinese Tablet). When i create a new user and switch to it, some apps are missing. I don’t have any browser (in the owner profile I have Chrome, Firefox and Opera) and also Play Store. Because of this I cant install any app in my new profiles… any idea?
Thanks in advance!
simon says
I guess this is normal. When using multiple users, only pre-installed apps are available for the new users.
These OEMs are not a member of Open Handset Alliance, and therefore, they do not install any Google Play services. In addition, Google (including Play store) was blocked in China. The Play Store you have is very likely side-loaded.
You need sideload the apps when you are using it as the new user. You can copy the apk file (e.g., from APK mirror) to the tablet then install it. You can use PC, SD card or cloud to transfer files between two users. Some folders are also shared (e.g., Downloads folder).
Of course, you can sideload Google Play store. But this highly depends on the ROM the vendor offered.
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Joe says
NVIdia Shield Tablet, Android 5.1.1.
As the owner, I can see the external sdcard (sdcard1) and contents with ES File Explorer. My wife is the secondary user, but eventhouhg ES File Explorer can see sdcard1, tapping the sdcard1 folder comes back with “/storage/sdcard1 is not found” and I get a forever looping “Loading…” on the screen. I thought the secondary sdcard would be shared by everyone.
Appreciate any insight on this.
simon says
For sd card under multi users on lollipop, it depends on the vendor implementation. Did you try to unmount it in the main account, then switch to secondary user?
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Joe says
Hi Simon, thanks for the prompt reply. Yes I tried that to no avail. Very frustrating. The sdcard is recognized by the tablet, but it will not show the contents. Are there some “hidden” permission settings that need to be enabled by the owner? I’ve tried every menu with no results. Do I need to have usbdebugging enabled?
Thanks
Joe
simon says
The permissions of the SD card are part of vendor’s implementation in the firmware. You cannot set the permission unless the device is rooted. But in some rare cases, the firmware may overwrite your settings after reboot.
You may contact the vendor for tech support to see whether they can do something on it.
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mimeli123 says
Hello,Simon!
I just bought an Asus zenpad z380, running on lollipop 5.02. I wanted to add an other user/ profile- but can’t find the function anywhere. From what I read here on yourpost- one should be simply able to swipe down and there should be users and below that- a + sign to add more…. except- there isn’t!! I get only the one(main) user profile. tapping on it leads me to the profile itself on the (google) contact list.. and that’s it!
Is this an asus problem or did I miss something while setup? And is there a way to co rrect that?
Thanks in advance!
Simone
simon says
Most tablets have multiuser since Jelly Bean 4.3. But it’s up to individual vendor to implement it or not. Do you have a user entry in settings menu?
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brijesh says
I can not find this kind of functionality in moto g 3rd generation.
Plz give solution…..
simon says
Motorola removed multiuser feature in phones(Moto G, Moto X and Moto E) with Android Lollipop 5.1.
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TheForeigner says
When I switch to the restricted profile user and swipe on the lock screen, the tablet replies with “unfortunately, system UI has stopped” tried everything I found online, from ‘clearing cache’ to factory reset. NOTHING works. System is actually working in the restricted profile because swipes from the top are detected and I can enter the settings section. Is there any way to make the restricted profile work? Has this ever been actually tested by google (sorry, Alphabet)? Very frustrating experience. Maybe the reason that Samsung hasn’t included this feature in there distri…
simon says
It has nothing to do with Google. The multi-user feature was introduced to tablet since Jelly Bean 4.3. There are no such bugs or issues. The problem is very likely due to some apps or settings or vendor’s customization.
If factory reset (don’t install any of your apps) cannot solve the issue, you probably have to visit service center to check the device.
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Jennifer says
I have an Acer Iconia One tablet running Android 5.1. The user option is not available under settings – does this mean Acer has disabled it? Any other suggestions to make the tablet child-friendly?
simon says
Very likely, Acer did not implement the this feature in this tablet. For tablet, multi user was available since Jelly Bean 4.3.
if the tablet is mainly used by kids, you can install some parent control apps. You can try Dinner Time Plus. You can manage everything in parent’s device (you need one parent device and one child device). It is very effective for teenagers. If you want to manage the kids usage on the same device, you can try Screentime.
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Gen says
Thanks a lot Simon for this guide, it was very helpful.
Authority says
Thanks for the detailed explanation on guess mode and multiple users.
Kat says
How do you delete the Owner (Administrator)? I bought my daughter a Moto E for Christmas. I made myself the Owner and her a User so I could control what she had access to and am able to monitor her. However, we discovered that notifications (especially sounds) don’t work when she’s logged in but they work fine when I’m logged in as the Owner. I have checked everything I can think of under notification settings, volume, etc under both the Owner and User sides. I even went to the AT&T store for help, they weren’t much help at all. Nothing works. I decided the only option is to make her the Owner.
I can’t figure out how to delete or switch the Owner to her. I’m about to factory reset the phone and start over unless you can help.
simon says
Delete all users. Then delete your Google account. You can delete your Google account only after all other Google account, and all other users are deleted.
Once there are no Google accounts on the phone, the next Google account added will become the device administrator.
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Madlyhs says
I have Sony Z5 Android 5.1. I’m wondering ….in Multiple account how can i restrict the Guest or any users that i create from accessing me the Owner ?
The way i see it now he or she can easily go to users tap and select Owner account and have full access to my mobile /files !
Is there a way to prevent that ?
Thanks
simon says
Are you talking about account or user?
Each user can set own screen lock. So when you try to switch users, you have took unlock the screen for that user.
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Elizabeth Scots says
Hi there.
I use a One Plus X and two users. I need to backup data of the secondary user. Once connected to computer while in the secondary user profile, data is not visible on the computer.
How do i backup?
Please help.
simon says
What data do you want to backup? Are you using any backup software for the phone on the PC?
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Pardeep says
Hi
I added some Important files in Guest user and after that in next day by Mistake I switched with new Guest user. Now m looking my last added files in guest user but didn’t find anywhere in Moto G 2nd gen.
Kindly help…. How to Recover that files ???
pls reply on REMOVED.
simon says
If you start a new session for guest user, all files are deleted already. You have to try some file recovery services or apps. I have no recommendations.
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Aurore says
Hello. I have 2 SIM and 2 accounts on my phone. When i want to call with the second account, this message appear : ´´the call doesn’t realize ´´ and i can’t call. I have to connect with the first account for calling. What can i do to be able to call from my second account?
Thank you.
simon says
you need turn on phone calls for the second user in Settings–Users?
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Aurore says
Hello,
I already turn on this parameter for the second user.
Is there anything else possible?
Thank you.
simon says
There are no other settings for other users. Can the user use mobile data?
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Aurore says
Yes. Data is used with the second sim card for all users.
simon says
Try it with single sim card. Don’t set restrictions on call usage for all users.
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Aurore says
I already try, it’s ok
simon says
If the second user still cannot use phone calls when using two sim cards, he need go though the dual sim settings.
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Adetokunbo says
Guest mode has bug on infinix hot note pro file manager refuse to show SD card and phone refuse to connect to PC with com.android.process.media has stop working
How can i solve this problem,plsss i need help on it
simon says
it depends on vendor’s implementation. Guest mode is supposed for short time use.
if you need share the phone with other persons for long time, you should set up a new user, who usually has less restrictions.
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Brian says
hi, is it possible to not give acces to data(internet) for the guest mode. Like if my children want to play games on guest mode without giving them access to internet. It can be a password or just take out the permission.
thank you
simon says
You can only disable calls, not internet connections, for guest user.
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vivek joshi says
When i clock on account icon on top right it says “contact doesn’t exist ” what sgould i do .?
simon says
Your phone probably doesn’t support guest user and multi user. Due to storage requirements and other resource requirements, some vendors disable this feature.
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vivek joshi says
I am using moto g3
simon says
Moto G3 doesn’t have guest user and multi user support.
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Hussein Hammoud says
Can i stop recieving whatsapp on the owner user when switching to anotjer user as. if. i have no internet on the owner. user
simon says
You should not receive notifications for other owners. Not sure why and how you got such notifications.
What happens if you tap the notification?
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Hussein Hammoud says
i donot see notification but when any one send me whatsapp message it appears that i recieved the. message and when any one call me on whatsapp i donot see the call but i only hear the call tone on my phone
simon says
Please tell the problem in detail. Are you talking about WhatsApp problem or notification problem?
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Hussein Hammoud says
i want to isolate the user from internt when i am in another user
simon says
More confused on what you want to do. You can state step-by-step what you get and what you want to get.
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julie says
Dialer (phone) and Contacts don’t work for the 2nd user account I added. They work for the first user (owner). The 2nd user gets an error “app not installed”. This is on a t-mobile Coolpad Rogue, Android 5.1.1 build LMHY47V. As 1st user (Owner), I enabled “Allow phone calls and SMS” for the 2nd user. SMS works for both users, but phone and contacts only works for 1st user (owner). t-mobile shop did factory reset. I set users up again and same problem. dialer (phone) and contacts app are installed – I can see them if I look under apps. I added google accounts for both users. Am I missing something?
simon says
I guess it is due to vendor implementation on this feature. You probably cannot bypass the limitation.
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julie says
Thanks, I was afraid of that given what I read above – odd thing is SMS does work. I notice Coolpad says Rogue has “Intuitive Android™ L 5.1”, a customized version, but I couldn’t find any information about it.
simon says
it is hard to guess. There are so many different ways to implement such features. it is easy to break some other features.
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Yashpal Krishna says
Hi, I have a Tegra Note table with lollipop 5.1. I added a new user and then removed it. But, the user profile is still running and takes about 100mb ram out of the 800mb. I can see it in the running apps section but not in the users. When I tap on it, I can even see what apps are running but can’t stop them. The device has become very slow and can’t do anything without lagging. What do I do now?
simon says
Reboot the tablet?
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Maaah says
I have Samsung galaxy J5 & 5.1.1 android version.but there is no avatar icon or user or sth like that!
i have a profile in my contacts too
what should I do?
simon says
None of the Samsung phones have multi user or guest user feature. Samsung removed this feature.
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Parminder says
how i can create another user account on lolypop 5. 0. 2
simon says
Settings – users. If you cannot find users settings, it means your phone doesn’t support this feature. Android manufacturers may remove this feature. For example, none of Samsung phones support multi user.
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Jimz says
How to remove guest account?
I dont want to use this feature because if guest account disable pre installed apps, that app in my account will restored to default, and remove all updates too.
Example : youtube. If guest disable this app, i have to re login and update youtube in my account.
simon says
You should not share your device if you are not comfortable with it. You can remove guest user when you are in guest user mode as mentioned in this guide.
You cannot disable this feature. You just don’t use it if you don’t need it.
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Jimz says
Thanx for reply.
My 10 years brother usually use my phone without asking first.
My switch user account always show in my screen lock default. Can i hide it? Or i have to download new lock screen?
Thanx
simon says
You can set a lock screen password/PIN/pattern for guest user. You do so when you are in guest user.
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Jimz says
Okey.. thanks. I will try..
John says
The problem is that the internet is open for the guest user. This allows for inappropriate images on the phone with no way of preventing anyone from accessing inappropriate images. I want to remove this option from the phone.
simon says
I don’t think there are any options for this.
You should give the phone to a person you trust. If you are not comfortable to give the phone, don’t give it to the person.
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andy says
Is there any way to enable a 2nd user to manage the portable hotspot on Sony Xperia Z5 Compact? Thanks.
simon says
Probably not. Actually it depends on individual manufacturers. But none offer this feature as I know.
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Gersome Henry says
I’m the owner and can I get the notifications of another user in the owner account
simon says
from which app?
For system apps, it is possible for the owner to see notifications for the other use. But for third-party apps, you should not see such notifications.
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Yaw says
I have a Blu studio 7.0 II phablet. It cannot access 3g networks even though its listed. When you force it, the service from the cellular network will go off till you return it to 2g. Please help me out
Also there’s no user accounts nor guest account
simon says
For 3G network access, is 3G access included in your SIM card/mobile plan? You need check with your phone caompany.
For multi user or guest user, it requires Lollipop and considerable internal storage. On phones, some vendors removed this feature on phones.
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vijay dabhi says
apps are not install in guest user in moto e
simon says
Did you try it with other normal user?
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Asif says
I have created new user on my Moto G4 Plus, & copy some apk files on sd card, but in new user I am unable to install App from apk file. Whenever I click on .apk file it do nothing.
simon says
Do you install any file explorer apps for the second user?
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Asif says
No, using inbuilt file manager.
simon says
Try es file explorer for the second user.
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Asif says
How to install es file Explorer or add from administrator to second user?
simon says
Set up a Google account for the second user.
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Asif says
Thanks for your prompt reply, able to install apps from play store only, now facing one more issue, I have copied 1 video file to sd card and install MX Player on second user but sd card only shows in inbuilt file manager not in es file Explorer and copied video not playing on MX player or other inbuilt player on second user.
Please help.
simon says
did you choose SD card as portable storage? If yes, you can try to unmount and mount again in Settings– storage & USB.
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Asif says
Tried unmount & mount sd card, but nothing happens, sd card only showing in inbuilt file manager but none of the files accessing like .apk .mp3 or video. Also tried playing video file from mx player but after refresh in mx player show no video file found.
simon says
The second user may have problems to access SD card from third-party apps due to the new permissions in Marshmallow.
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Srejith R says
Device – One Plus Two
Android Version – 6.0.2
Oxygen OS Version – 3.0.2
Created a new user with a separate Gmail account for the same. So, I am able to have a separate WhatsApp account, FB etc. I installed ESFileExplorer and am able to access the storage space allotted for the new user.
Problem – Able to access the storage space of the Administrator User through PC, but unable to do the same through the new user.
Please Help.
simon says
Did you try to switch to the second user before connecting to the PC?
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Raksha says
Hi,
I am using Moto X Play, when I try to switch the user to Guest user, it shows ‘Switching to Guest” and then all of a sudden it becomes “Switching to Raksha” that’s me. Could you please let me know why this is happening?
I think because of this, my phone is always on busy ring tone, whenever anyone tries to call me.
Please help.
Thanks and Regards,
Raksha
simon says
You can try to reboot the phone and try again.
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richard says
With Android Lollipop, if a phone is started in Safe Mode, does only the admin have access, or do all users and guests have access? (Assuming all have screen locks in place.)
simon says
Safe mode is for the owner. You should not use safe mode when there are no problems with the phone.
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Kavitha says
Hi,
I have Lenovo A7000 that has multiple user menus and I have installed dual sims with two gmail ids (official and personal). Both have whatsapps and apps installed separately.
Now I am looking for upgrading my phone and am surprised to find that this multi user is not there in these 2016 phones. How could they do away with this useful feature? I do not want to carry 2 phones. can you please suggest some good models that still have this feature or atleast find a way to get it in any new phone that I buy.
simon says
It depends on the vendor and phone model. You can try dual SIM model of LG G4 or V10. Both are decent and now are not expensive now. Dual SIM version of LG G5 has not been released yet.
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Kavitha says
Thanks.. Will definitely check out. Especially G4..
Kavitha says
Just got to know that Moto G G4 supports multi users 🙂
marcel says
i have samsung s7 and like to use it, how to get back the function multiple users?
simon says
Samsung doesn’t implement multi users feature on any of their phones.
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Jesus says
Hello and thanks for all the responses above.
I’ve set up a restricted account in a Samsung Galaxy Tab SM-T580 with Android 6.0.1 and it works just fine, the problem is that I cannot see how this account is automatically started when the device is powered on. By default it goes to the owner account but I’d like the restricted to come by default on start up and switching to the owner manually if needed.
Thank you
simon says
If you set lock screen security for the owner account or the user account, it will be in lock screen after rebooting and you will have to choose an account (tap the owner’s photo in lock screen to switch to other users).
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Harsh says
I have YU Yuphoria android based version 5.1.1 and cannot find any Users option in my phone. Please somebody tell me how to add users.
simon says
Some vendors remove the guest user and multi user options.
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sakthi says
I lost my moto G V1 with my guest user enabled. Can a thief access my google contacts or any internal storage such as photos/videos? Also is there any way to remove guest user remotely without phone?
simon says
You can use android device manager to wipe the phone remotely. You can Google Android device manager, log in with your Google account and then you can find all Android phones under your account. Of course, this works only if the phone has internet connection.
You should set lock screen security for guest account as well. By default, guest user cannot access your files. But it’s easy to bypass it.
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pranit says
I m using android one with android Marshmallow but my user switch is not working..when i touch user button its shows a pop up like “The contact doesn’t exist.”.. help me to add a guest user..
pranit says
its moto g 3rd generation. I already my name with my number ( in set of my profile) but now i m click on User icon then its open my contact only, but not seen user and guest profile contact.
Will you please clarify.
simon says
Did you check settings – users?
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pranit says
USERS not seen/displayed in settings option in my moto g 3rd generation, but i have seen in another moto g.
simon says
In some Moto G3 models, the multi user features is not available.
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pranit says
Moto g 3rd generation 2015 is supported for JIO sim.
pranit says
is jio sim will be working on Moto g 3rd gen 2015 model?
simon says
What is jio sim?
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pranit says
Android Nougat 7 should be update on Moto g 3rd generation 2015 edition? if yes then when?
simon says
Motorola only confirmed Moto G4 would get Android Nougat update this year.
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Jennifer says
Hello
I cannot find the option to create additional users on Android Lollipop 5.1.1 on my phone, think Im missing something somewhere. I explored all the settings yet no option to add more users. This is really disappointing 🙁 Sony skimps on quality, the camera and recorder quality is also poor. Not buying a Sony again. First Sony I bought and its disappointing. When I buy a phone again Im first going to switch it on in store and play with it to see if its proper.
simon says
Nexus phones always have all Android features. Motorola Moto phones also have almost all features.
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subin says
I have motorola g3 . In this i can’t find guest mode option. Can u plz help me … When i select contact it just only open contact and doesn’t show more settings or guest mode on screen
simon says
Can you find Settings – users ?
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kumail khan says
Hi my phone is motorola G2 I have mistakenly deleted my guest user and within that I have lost all my data please I kindly request you to guide me how to get back on my guest user
simon says
There are no easy ways to recover the deleted data in Android.
If the data are extremely important, you should check local data recovery service providers (they usually charge very high AND they will NOT guarantee anything). Don’t try it yourself!
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Martin says
I have an Asus ZenPad S 8.0 Z580C. I have read comments about people having different users set up however cannot see the option. Can anyone confirm if it’s an option and how it’s done. Thank you
simon says
Do you have settings – users option? Multi user was introduced in Android tablets as early as in Jelly Bean 4.3
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Martin says
There appears to be no users option, unless I’ve missed it somewhere
simon says
Not sure about that tablet. Asus may remove the feature in that tablet. This is not uncommon.
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Martin says
Is there any other options open for doing this?
simon says
If it’s disabled by ASUS, you cannot have the option because it’s removed from the firmware. Did you check with ASUS support?
Your only option probably is to flash third party ROMs. For example, CyanogenMod ROMs always have all features. But I am not sure whether there are any CyanogenMod builds for your tablet.
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Martin says
Asus support have just said this feature has been removed from this version of Android (6.0)
simon says
Thank you for sharing the info.
In this case, then you cannot use this feature. Normally, most vendors disable it on phones only.
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guest says
Is there a way to hide user accounts ? I mean, I want to create a user in my device and I dont want to make it public/seen for other eyes.
simon says
No, you cannot. If the user is not shown on the lock screen, how can he unlock the phone?
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Rishab Radesh says
Please help me enable this on my Moto g 3rd gen. I badly want to use it. Please suggest any method.
simon says
Guest users are enabled by default. What did you get if you tap your own photo in notification panel?
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Manish says
Hi
I have Micromax Canvas Evok E483 phone which runs on latest version of lollipop
But still i don’t see any guest mode option in my phone.
Help me with this..
simon says
Some android vendors may remove the guest user and multiple user features.
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simon says
Some Android vendors may disable this feature.
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Jennifer says
Hi there
I have no user menu or user icons in the quick access panel. How do I activate this feature? Should I enable sim security and add a scond google account under settings/accounts?
Thank you in advance,
Jennifer
Sony Xperia C3 Dual with lollypop 5.1.1
simon says
Don’t waste time. The guest user and multi user feature was removed by Sony.
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vlado says
I have two users (my children) on cm 12.1, samsung galaxy s4 mini. The reason is that I do not wont be disturbed by facebook or musicalLy messages for them. It works fine. But…
These users cannot set “mobile network” in settings. Why is it missing in their settings? They must change user to me (owner), set the moble data on and change user again. I have not find the way to allow it for them (neither settings menu, nor quick settings). Is there a way to do it?
simon says
Can you turn on mobile data on lock screen?
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vlado says
No.
🙂
simon says
Not sure. But mobile data should be among the quick setting buttons, which can be accessed from lock screen. How does the owner (first user) enabled mobile data?
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vlado says
You are right. Owner quick setting contains item for mobile data. The item is disabled on the lock screen. Other users don’t have the item in the quick settings. Evne in the regular settings it is missing. And of course, there is no possibility to change quick settings menu for them (this is also missing in regular settings).
simon says
Thank you for the update. The mobile network settings are only available under owner account. But I remember mobile data can be enabled from lock screen by any users in stock Android.
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vlado says
Ok, not possible 🙁
Thank you
Vaish says
In user account i have installed WhatsApp as like that In guest user can i install another WhatsApp for second sim Incase the guest mode supports dual SIM WhatsApp ,will be any affects/damage happen to the Device?Does it harm ?
simon says
You can install apps with the second user account, not guest user.
What damage are you referring to? Two user accounts work independently, similar to multiple users on a PC. Of course, some system settings can only be accessed by the owner (first user account).
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John says
good day, I can’t access my contents inside the file manager after switching from user back to original owner of phone, whenever I switch back to guest or user all the files will be accessible again , pls any useful ideas because am tired, am using infinix hot 2,
simon says
Each user can access their own files only. If the files can be accessed by the second user, it means they are owned by that user.
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jigar says
hey simon nice detail information about guest mode
i am using apple 6 but i want to buy a secondary phone which support 4g volte support and which have guest user feature my budget is 5000
can you suggest me mobile
simon says
Moto G, Moto Z or Moto X depending on your budget (I am not sure the currency of 5000 of you budget). Moto E is also a good option if you budget is around $100.
You should always try get the latest version of Moto devices.
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jigar says
thanks for suggestion sir
but suggested phone are costly
i am talking about 5000 Indian rupees
i am very confuse which phone should i buy on which i can use 4g VOLTE and multi user mode feature is most important requirement for me
moto E not support 4g network in India
i am waiting for your reply simon
if you can help me for the same
simon says
Moto E3 (Moto E 2016) does support LTE as I know.
In addition to Moto E3, you can check Android One phones.
Anyway, don’t buy unknown bands.
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jigar says
any other brand apart from motorola ??
simon says
In India, there are a few manufactures also offer Android One phones. As I haven’t used any Android One phones, I am unable to recommend any specific model.
Android One is budget phone. It should be cheaper. But it should be good enough as it’s a collaboration between Google and local manufacturers. You can check them here: https://www.android.com/intl/en_in/one/
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jigar says
ok simon if possible you just give me list of diffrent motorola mobile with guest user mode and LTE support
so will purchase
thanks for your help
jigar says
hey simon thanks for your help
I AM PLAN TO BUY MOTO E 2ND GENERATION 4G WHICH IS LTE SUPPORTED PHONE
JUST WANT TO CONFIRM WITH YOU THIS PHONE SUPPORT MULTIPLE USER MODE OR NOT
THANKS
simon says
As I know, yes, it supports guest user and multi user. If you have doubts, you can check with the seller or try it in the shop.
But please note, multi user mode requires more storage and RAM. Moto E may become shower once you user it. Generally speaking, Moto G is usually powerful enough for multi user. Moto E may be slightly underpowered.
Also if possible, you may try to get the latest Moto E (Moto E3) or Moto G (G4).
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bumpthead says
Hi,
How do I have only the Owner User enabled, I want to remove the guest and disable the possibility to add guest. TAB S2, Android 6.0.1
Thank you,
simon says
You cannot disable/remove this feature. if you do not want to use guest user, you just do not add. Other people cannot add guest user without unlocking the tablet.
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bumpthead says
Simon,
I guess we will have to ask the manufacturer to improve security. Until then, I will have to keep the tablet away from my kids. An accessible guest account allow them to go on any website. You probably know how resourceful kids are when they want something.
Thank you for your time,
simon says
You can remove the existing guest user. Other users cannot use the tablet without unlocking it if the guest user is removed.
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Ak Smoker says
Hi sir Iam Using lenovo s1.In guest mode everything is working fine but j cant use any message apps.if i have any message i have to switch to owner account.Any idea for this problem.?
simon says
The default messages app is always linked to owner account. SMS can only be accessed by the owner.
Other messaging, for example, WhatsApp, can be set up and used in the second account.
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Greg says
Hi simon. Is it possible to run 2 whatsapp accounts on one phone using this multi user feature? For example on user 1, whatsapp installed and account is connected to SIM 1. Then on user 2, another whatsapp account is active, connected to SIM 2. Thanks
simon says
Yes, if WhatsApp is not pre-installed (installed by you).
If you are using Samsung phoneb with Android Nougat (Samsung phones don’t support multi users), you can use secure folder to run two copies of apps.
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Ali M. says
Hi
I am using Note 5 multi user mode everything is working fine but when i got call suddenly i got message say
“unfortunately the process com.android.phone has stopped”
and i can’t use the phone until restart the phone
simon says
Are you referring to Samsung Galaxy Note 5? For Galaxy Note 5, multi user is not supported. Actually Samsung removed guest user and multi user feature in all of their phones.
Anyway, it’s better to restart the phone if you get such an issue. You can try to back up the phone and try a factory days reset.
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Ali M. says
Thanks a lot for your reply I will try it and came back