If you use an Android device with several people, it pays to create different user accounts, so that others do not see what you are up to. How do you create different profiles and how can you manage them?
A user account on an Android device is similar to the profiles you have on a Windows PC: you log in with your own credentials and then have access to your own apps, settings and documents. So it goes further than just a second google account add on your phone or tablet: you set up your own profile per person.
Setting up multiple user profiles on one device also has drawbacks. You don’t exactly get faster on it. The more users there are on a phone, the slower your device becomes. After all, everyone installs their own apps on the device and that does not benefit the performance of your phone.
It is also not possible on every Android device to enable multiple profiles. On a Google Pixel it can, but not on Samsung Galaxy phones. Galaxy tablets support the option again.
That is how it works
Swipe on your screen from top to bottom to get to the control panel and tap the settings icon (the gear). Scroll down to System to find. On Samsung tablets you have to Accounts and backup to be. Choose Multiple users and enable the option. Then you can add users. A message will appear explaining how user profiles work. Tap on OK to proceed to.
Give the user a name and optionally add a photo. You can also choose to create a restricted profile. This is especially useful if you want to create a profile for your child and enable certain restrictions per app.
Once you have created a profile, you can switch profiles in the next screen and you can set whether this user is also allowed to call and text. In this menu you can also delete profiles again if you no longer need them.
Another, easier way to switch profiles is to swipe the screen from top to bottom again. You will now find a profile icon in the control panel. When you tap it, you can log in to a specific user profile.
That’s all it takes to set up and manage multiple profiles!
†