Set up this Android privacy feature before you need to use it
Kids can be incredibly insistent when they want something — especially if it is on your mobile phone. They like to take your phone and play a video game or watch videos on YouTube Kids for long periods.
Handing your phone off to your child or someone else to use, there will always be a feeling of uneasiness. Your phone contains a lot of information that would be difficult to replace if something happened. Not to mention personal things no one else needs to see. Tap or click here for seven Android security settings to enable ASAP.
What if your kid presses the wrong button and wipes out a lifetime of photos or some critical files? Fortunately, with Android’s Guest Mode, you can set up a profile and restrict access to certain things. Keep reading to find see how it works and set it up.
What is Guest Mode?
When you enable Guest Mode on your Android phone, it creates a temporary profile that has restricted access to essential apps and services. The Guest Mode profile will only have access to Google apps like Maps, Mail and Chrome.
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It will block access to personal information like contacts, messages, notifications and photos. There are also no worries about unauthorized downloads, as the guest can download apps, but the original owner needs to approve them.
If an app is already on your phone, like a mobile game or YouTube, it will be copied over to the guest profile. The guest will then only be able to access those apps.
Essentially it creates a secure and restricted profile on your phone, so you can safely hand it off to anybody knowing they can’t access personal info. Google’s Chrome browser has a similar setting, which is great if someone else uses your computer.
How to set up Guest Mode
While the steps for setting up Guest Mode are generally the same, there might be small differences depending on your Android’s manufacturer and model.
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Setting up Guest Mode:
- Swipe down from the top of your Android’s screen.
- Tap your profile icon.
- Here you will see your profile as well as an option to add another user or a guest.
- Tap Guest.
This will create a temporary guest profile, and to remove it, you simply tap Remove Guest. For something a bit more permanent, you can set up an additional guest user. This account will always be available and will have the same restrictions as the temporary profile.
Setting up a permanent guest profile:
- Swipe down from the top of your Android’s screen.
- Tap your profile icon.
- Instead of tapping Guest, tap Add User.
- This profile needs to log in to an existing Google account or create a new one. After signing in, you can adjust restriction levels to suit your needs.
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