#InnovationLab #42: Multi Users...

[TheMystic]

Not an innovation, but a request to Samsung to STOP removing useful features, both that were already present in One UI before, as well as those that are part of Stock Android.

Multi Users is a great feature, available in Stock Android as well as several other OEMs. This feature is not only good from a privacy perspective, but also useful in how we setup our system and use our devices.

The main problem with Android, unlike an iPhone, is the way storage access is designed.

An iPhone uses a 'container' type design, where every app is installed (sandboxed) within its own container, and each app has access to just the files that it creates or downloads.No app can have access to files outside its own container. There is no concept of a common storage on an iPhone. If required, an app can call/ request the stock file manager and have access to files outside its container ONLY with EXPLICIT USER CONSENT during each instance. This is just a brilliant design both from a security and from a privacy perspective.

On Android devices, storage access has a severely flawed design, despite the recent implementation of SAF (Storage Access Framework) or Scoped Storage. If an app is granted access to storage, it basically has access to ALL the files in your storage (except may be the data and obb folders in newer Android versions). It is either full access or no access. There is no choice for 'limited' access.

Under these design limitations, if one has to use an app that mandatorily requires access to storage, one can install that app in a separate user profile where there are no personal files. I have been installing games in a separate user profile primarily for this purpose. The app can have access to storage, contacts, etc. but it doesn't affect user privacy because all those databases and storage are empty. Same holds true for other apps.

With the above design limitation in mind, I will list the top 4 benefits of Multi Users:

1.PRIVACY: Although it is not very common these days to share devices, but should such a need arise, even if temporary, one can safely handover the device without worrying about privacy.

2.MULTIPLE APP INSTANCES: Although Parallel Apps or Dual Apps provide this functionality (partly), it is limited to just one additional instance. With Multi Users, one can have upto 5 such instances, without taking up additional storage. 

For those who are unaware, you can install an app only once in a device. All additional 'installations' are simply creation of a separate data folder for each user, and not additional installations of the same app.

3.MULTIPLE PROFILES/ PRIVATE SPACE: Users can setup different profiles with a different set of apps. An example would be a Gaming profile. One in which only gaming apps will be installed. The reasons have already been explained above. Likewise, there could be different reasons for having a separate, isolated private space with each profile.

4.CHILD SAFE: Users can safely handover the devices to children without worrying about their files being deleted, modified or some inadvertent changes being done.

Samsung, please implement this very useful feature. Unlike some other features, this is not something that can be addressed using 3rd party apps. This requires implementation at the system level.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Not available... multiuser is only for tabs in Samsung.

[Anonymous]

Maine bhi pura nahi padha uper uper se padh liya 😂

[ㅤ]

😆

[VedantKalore]

Multi User is available and Samsung Knox is enough to keep your privacy protected

[TheMystic]

Available in OneUI 4.x? I can't find it.

As with Knox, it doesn't address the points described above.

[VedantKalore]

M or F series? S series for sure HAS! EVEN a series has!

[TheMystic]

I can't find it on my S22 Ultra. Is it a hidden setting or something?

[AjayBhojaniAB]

I can't it in F41

[VedantKalore]

Multi user one ui 3.1

[TheMystic]

Why are they removing useful features in OneUI 4.x? They are crazy.