How do YOU handle multiple users?

[Nelviticus]

Hello, here's the problem:

• My wife has an Android phone and so do I and we both have our own Google accounts;
• Android doesn't handle having multiple users on one device very well;
• Our new Transformer Prime turned up yesterday and I'm trying to figure out how best to set it up so we can both use it happily without driving each other up the wall!

I can't be the only one in a situation like this, so I'm just wondering - how have YOU set up your Prime for sharing with several people?

The way I see it I have a few options:

• Set up a new account just for the Prime and don't use our existing accounts on it, but add our email accounts to the GMail app [downsides - might have to buy a few apps twice, will get notifications for both users' email, will have to add all my bookmarks etc. again]
• Just use my own existing account [downsides - all my phone apps will get synced to the Prime, any bookmarks my wife adds will get synced to my account, etc.]
• Add both our existing accounts to the Prime [downsides - contacts/bookmarks/everything will probably get synced to both our accounts and cause an unholy mess]

It doesn't look like there's any 'right' way to do it, so if anyone else has already been through this pain please post here with what works and what doesn't and any recommendations you have!

Thanks

 

[Gromet]

Best way to deal with this is:

Get your wife her own Prime!

Win, Win, you both have Primes configured exactly how you would individually like them setup, not one is waiting for the other to get done with using it so they can have their turn, no hogging of the device, etc...

It's the only way to really be happy with your prime if you ask me.

..Gromet

 

[theandies]

Or you could root your Prime and use this app:
SwitchMe for Root Users
On the market
https://market.android.com/details?...1bGwsMSwxLDEsImZhaHJib3QuYXBwcy5zd2l0Y2htZSJd

 

[rsarno]

yea i also give up on multiple users. Maybe its possible, but i just dont want to share my time on the device hehe

ill be buying my wife an ipad3 when they come out, she can share that with my daughter.

 

[ylexot]

Or you could root your Prime and use this app:
SwitchMe for Root Users
On the market
https://market.android.com/details?...1bGwsMSwxLDEsImZhaHJib3QuYXBwcy5zd2l0Y2htZSJd

Cool! I was also thinking that you might be able to use Titanium Backup's profile feature to do the same thing.

 

[ylexot]

BTW, here's how to do it with TiBu:
3. How to use the multi-user "data profiles" feature (Pro version, TB 4.0.0 or above):

Important note: This feature is able to overcome the single-user nature of Android to some extent, and is (of course) awesome, but it will not turn your Android OS into a fully fledged multi-user entity. The feature is meant for apps that don't use background services and don't sync their data with a server. Ideal candidates are games, note taking apps, prank apps and many others. It may also work with some apps/games that access online services, as long as you use a different online account on each profile. Don't use this feature with system stuff such as SMS/MMS. If you're unsure about an app, feel free to try it in multi-profile mode with unimportant data for a while.

• Create the data profiles you want:
  • In the Overview screen hit "Switch profile" then "Create a new data profile".
  • If your goal is to have separate "Angry Birds" high scores, repeat the previous step to create one profile per player.
• Click on "Switch profile" and activate the profile that matches your current data. For example, if you played the game already, you'll want to activate your own profile now, so that the current data gets assigned to that profile in the next step.
• Switch to the apps list
• Make the app(s) multi profile aware. For each app:
  • Long-click on the app
  • Click on "Enable multiple profiles for this app". Your current data for that app will be moved into the profile you activated in the previous step.
• Create a profile switching widget (optional):
  • Hit the "HOME" button
  • Long-click on the background
  • Click on "Widgets"
  • Choose "Titanium Backup (Data Profiles)".
  • The widget is on your background now. Every time you want to switch the active profile, just click on the widget.

 

[Nelviticus]

Thanks for the replies. Buying another one isn't an option; I had to work hard to get approval for this one! SwitchMe looks very cool but unfortunately I can't root my device as I seem to have the 'missing serial number' problem.

In the end I decided to set up an account just for the tablet. I'll keep an eye on SwitchMe though in case I can ever root.

Cheers

 

[scorpiondi]

Thanks for the replies. Buying another one isn't an option; I had to work hard to get approval for this one! SwitchMe looks very cool but unfortunately I can't root my device as I seem to have the 'missing serial number' problem.

In the end I decided to set up an account just for the tablet. I'll keep an eye on SwitchMe though in case I can ever root.

Cheers

Try searching google for:
1-Click Transformer Root Root/Unroot/cwm/stock rec-ICS-TF101

Sorry but since it's my first post I can't post urls.

Note: Use the 1.1 version with latest firmware. Works great!

I've just rooted my transformer mainly to get multi-user capabilities and am now investigating the best option for multi-user configuration. SwitchMe looks cool and I am considering buying it.

Hope it helps.

 

[Jenniferlg]

Hi Nelveticus,

I was wondering just what the difficulty is with having multiple users on the Prime? In regard to Gmail, I have 3 different accounts connected with my app and can toggle notifications, what to sync (down to the label within ea. account) on & off. In any contacts situation I've always been asked what account to sync with and it has worked seemlessly.

In my ICS+ Browser, when I go to Google+ or Amazon there's no problem signing into accounts & I'm a heavy user of my Prime for that kind of thing. When adding or perusing bookmarks they're associated with each gmail account (the app organizes it that way & asks every time you tweak or set up) so that's not an issue.

As far as apps like Picasa Tool, I've never had a problem with Google+ albums & such. I can't think of an instance with a paid app, but I would think if the app doesn't support multiple users you're going to have to pay twice for it anyway most of the time, right?

If it's privacy you're concerned about, the ability to keep secrets easily is a different matter entirely. I'm just sayin', I haven't had any problems with multiple accounts on my Prime. No one asked you about this postulation & I don't want to see my Prime blamed unfairly - I love it! :~)

 

[Tman5293]

This is a simple solution for me. Get rid of the other users. No one touches my stuff without my permission. I am the master of my tablet.

 

[Nelviticus]

Multiple users isn't a huge pain and we ended up just working with it; for instance, you can put a widget for each individual email account on your home screen, but the email app they both open is a single app. So if my wife opens her email, then some time later I open mine, if I press the 'back' button enough times it will take me to her email account. Not a huge problem but a little bit annoying.

Also, bookmarks: if I add mine and she adds hers it becomes a mess, so generally she uses the stock browser and I use Chrome.

Fortunately there's not much cross-over in the apps we use: I have a DropBox account but she doesn't and she uses FaceBook but I don't, so we can set those apps up to use my/her accounts separately without causing hassle.

 

[Jenniferlg]

Ha, ha, Tman, you're so funny! No one touches your stuff without your permission because those close to you are willing to accept that stipulation from you, hopefully peacefully. And I hope you're all very happy because, that given, I would never be the one to criticise anyone's enjoyment of being submissive or dominant. Personally, my experience has been that when you open yourself up the most that you also gain the most.

 

[bethsned]

MULTIPLE USERS in an OFFICE & other issues
I want my work to get some Asus tablets for our overseas travel. We have a number of small laptops but when you travel a lot even these become burdensome to lug around. I bought my own Asus tablet TF101 recently, and trialled it on a trip to PNG in May - it had a number of flaws, the primary one being that it would not recognise a wireless modem in the USB port (whereas a notebook/laptop does). The second problem is that it tends to freeze up sometimes in the middle of using a program. The third problem, if I leave the device turned off for about 2 days+ it loses all battery charge, and then I struggle to get it to recharge (like now!).

If our office purchased one of the new Asus tablet 303s, I have four operational questions:

1. Does it recognise a wireless modem in the USB port?
2. As the tablet would be used at various times by up to five staff members, is there a way to setup for multiple users eg., similar to logging in to a PC.
3. Why is there a problem with the TF101 battery holding a charge? Is this resolved on the 303 tablet?
4. Why does my TF101 freeze in the middle of programs (especially Angry Birds!).

 

[Nelviticus]

1. I originally thought 'no' but there was a post on here a while ago confirming that many USB modems do indeed work with Android devices (including the Prime).
2. No. Not in the same way as a PC. As pointed out by several posters in this thread, there are ways of hacking around some things, but Android just isn't designed that way.
3 and 4. That sounds like a faulty device. If I turn off wifi, Bluetooth and GPS, my Prime's battery lasts for days in standby. It almost never crashes or locks up.