Although you may never have realized it, your Android phone can support multiple user accounts just like Windows and macOS, and while you probably don’t share your smartphone with too many people on a daily basis , a guest mode feature is available. which can be useful if you ever need to lend your phone to a family member, friend or colleague.
Here, we will guide you through the process of enabling guest mode and also explain how it works. The instructions below are for the latest version of Android 13 on a Google Pixel 6 Pro, but if you’re using a different version of Android or a phone from a different manufacturer, there shouldn’t be too much difference in the procedure or the features available (a quick web search can usually help if you get stuck).
To get started, you need to enable multiple users on your Android device, which is done by opening Settings and then choosing System and Multiple Users. Turn on the Allow multiple users toggle switch and you’ll be able to add new users to the device (Add User) as well as enable guest mode (Add Guest).
First, you need to enable multiple users. Screenshot: Android
Choose Add Guest and you’ll get a very basic settings screen: there’s the option to switch to the guest account, the option to enable or disable phone calls while in guest mode, and the option to remove the guest account. You can’t add multiple guests at once, so if more than one person needs access to your phone regularly, you’ll need to start creating users.
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Creating new users, by the way, is a more complicated process – it’s like setting up your phone for the first time. The new user will need a Google account (at least if they want to use any Google apps or download anything from the Play Store), will be able to set up their own screen unlock method, etc. If you’re going for simplicity, go with guest mode; if you are actually sharing your phone with someone else on an ongoing basis, add them as a user.
Phone calls can be turned on or off for guests. Screenshot: Android
The user option is also the preferred option if you have a child who will be using your phone regularly, rather than a nephew or niece who will occasionally borrow it to play a game or two; you can add a child account from your Google family group and manage what your child can do on the device.
For now, we’re focusing on guest mode, and you can switch to it from the System & Multiple Users page, or by swiping down from the top of the screen with two fingers and tapping the user account button on the bottom of quick settings. panel You can use the same methods to switch back to your standard account again.
If your guest wants to download any apps or check Gmail, they’ll need to enter a Google account; they can use yours if they want, but that negates the point of using guest mode in the first place. Apps like Google Chrome and YouTube can be used without signing in, and phone calls can be made if you enabled the feature when you set up guest mode to begin with.
A guest account can be deleted when you log out. Screenshot: Android
What really makes guest mode stand out from a full user account is how easy it is to start over from scratch. Each time you switch to guest mode, you’ll be asked whether you want to continue the previous session (Yes, continue) or clear everything and start over (Start over). This includes the Google Accounts the guest is signed in to, the websites the guest has open in Chrome, etc.
There’s also no way guests can access your phone’s files or messages: everything from SMS messages to saved emails and photos is locked and inaccessible. Guests also can’t switch to another Wi-Fi network and, as you’d expect, can’t reset their phone either.
You can monitor the amount of space used by a guest account. Screenshot: Android
Guest mode also includes some privacy protections for the guest: when they’re done with whatever they’re doing, they can go to the account switcher screen (via Settings or at the bottom of the quick settings panel) and then choose Remove the guest. —this erases all traces of what they’ve been doing and locks them out of all their accounts.
Android includes a handy feature to control the impact that Guest Mode has on your device. If you open Settings, then select Storage and scroll down to the bottom of the list to Guest, you can see how much space your Guest account and other user accounts are taking up on your phone.
So there you have it: a feature built right into Android that may be completely irrelevant to some users, but will be very useful to others and is pretty simple to use (especially once you’ve set it up). At the moment, at least, there is no comparable option available on iOS.