• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Smart phone, gadget and computer tutorials

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iOS
    • MacOS
    • Office
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About
How to Enable Multiple User Accounts on Any Android Device

How to Enable Multiple User Accounts on Any Android Device

Posted on July 3, 2019 by Mona Leave a Comment

One great thing about Android is that it is open source, which means it gives room for developers and manufacturers to provide their custom skins on top of the AOSP code. Most of these skins provide your device with a lot of great and handy features, but it can come at the expense of some of the original ones. One of those features is multi-user support.

Google adds the user accounts features as part of the AOSP code, which grants you the freedom to share your phone with someone close to you. It can be likened to having multiple accounts on your PC.

Some Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like LG and Samsung opt to do away with this feature in their custom skins. But, if you happen to have a device that doesn’t have the multiple user feature, this article will show you the steps to take if you want to enable it on your Android device.

How to Enable Multi-User Support by Editing the Build.Prop File

To begin, you will need to tweak the build.prop file on your device’s partition. If you have root access, then download and install the BuildProp editor application and grant root permissions.

Next, launch the BuildProp Editor App. Tap on the pen icon that is located at the top right corner to proceed to edit the build.prop file.

Now that you have opened up your build.prop file in editing mode, scroll all the way down to the bottom and add the following lines to it;

fw.max_users=3

fw.show_multiuserui=1

When you have successfully done that, click on the save icon located in the top right corner and tap “save & exit”

 

Once this is done, reboot your device and the changes will occur. You should now have the multiple user accounts feature in the “Quick settings” page in your Android smartphone.

To set it up, just swipe down from the top edge of your phone with your two fingers to fully expand the notification bar, tap the user icon, then you can either add a new account or use” Guest”.

Pros & Cons of Modding Android

Android is probably the most versatile OS out there, both for mobile devices and PCs. While you can do pretty much everything with Android, there is a learning curve involved and some mods might cause your system to crash.

Before you mod your Android, make sure you follow the instructions to the letter, or that you know exactly what you are doing.

Pros

– Wide range of options
– Relatively easy
– Lots of instructions online

Cons

– Slight learning curve
– Sometimes involves coding
– Coding is hard

If you want to learn more about Android programing you can pick out The Big Nerd Ranch Guide by Bill Phillips that explains all of the ways that you can go about making applications or modding the existing ones.

Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide

Check Best Prices Here

 

Final Thoughts

The multiple user accounts are a useful feature to have on your Android phone as it grants you the ability to share your phone with family and friends while preventing them from tampering with any settings or accessing your private data. Although the multi-user feature is a part of the AOSP code, most manufacturers now remove it from their custom builds.

Nevertheless, tweaking and modifying the build.prop file is certainly not difficult, and it should easily restore that feature back onto your Android device.

So if at any point you need to share your phone with your friends or family and you have confidential information on it, just enable the multiple user accounts on your smartphone, set it up and they can use your phone without the threat of changing settings or seeing your personal information.

Check Best Prices Here

 

You Might Also Like

  • How to Manage Multiple Google AccountsHow to Manage Multiple Google Accounts
  • Microsoft Teams: How to Sign in with Multiple AccountsMicrosoft Teams: How to Sign in with Multiple Accounts
  • Chrome: Add/Remove User AccountsChrome: Add/Remove User Accounts
  • How to Enable Android 11 Back Tap on Samsung DeviceHow to Enable Android 11 Back Tap on Samsung Device
  • Windows: Fix ‘Multiple connections to a server or shared resource by the same user’ ErrorWindows: Fix ‘Multiple connections to a server or…
  • Windows: Enable “Run as different user”Windows: Enable “Run as different user”
  • Windows 10: Enable or Disable Fast User SwitchingWindows 10: Enable or Disable Fast User Switching
  • Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows 10, 8, or 7Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in…
  • Enable/Disable Device Driver Signing in Windows 10Enable/Disable Device Driver Signing in Windows 10

Filed Under: Android Tagged With: 0619-94, Android Pie

Reader Interactions

Did this help? Let us know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Android 10: How to Adjust the Keyboard Size
  • OneNote Error Code 0xE00001AE – Fix
  • WhatsApp: How to Change Your Phone Number
  • Fix OneNote Error 0xe00001bb: Section Is Corrupted
  • Zoom: How to Show the Unread Message Icon
  • How To Calculate Tips on Android
  • What to Do If Chrome Download Needs Authorization
  • Fix OneNote Error 0xE401065D, 0xE000145C, 0xE4010640

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Follow me on Twitter, or visit my personal blog.

You May Also Like

  • 9 Best Android TV box
  • 10 Best Android Phone Cleaner Apps in 2019

© Copyright 2021 Technipages · All Rights Reserved · Privacy