How to Use Guest Mode & Multiple Users on Android
What Guest Mode and Multiple Users Actually Are
Android has supported user profiles on phones and tablets for years, though many owners never discover them. The idea is simple: your phone can hold more than one separate space. You stay the device owner, and anyone who borrows your phone gets their own limited environment with its own apps, settings, and sign-ins.
There are three profile types to know about:
- Owner (you): full control over the device, all settings, and every installed app.
- User: a persistent secondary account with its own apps and data. It stays on the phone until you delete it — useful for a family member who uses your tablet regularly.
- Guest: a temporary space meant for short borrowing sessions. When you remove the guest session, everything the guest did — apps installed, files downloaded, accounts signed in — is wiped from the device.
Guest Mode is the fastest option when a friend asks to “just check something” on your phone. A full user account is better when the same person borrows your device repeatedly.
Which Android Phones Support Guest Mode?
Support varies by manufacturer, so it is worth checking your own device rather than assuming.
Google Pixel phones include multiple users under Settings → System → Multiple users. Many Motorola, Nokia, and other near-stock Android phones include the same option. On tablets the feature is even more common, since tablets are frequently shared within a household.
Samsung is the notable exception on phones: Galaxy phones generally do not offer the stock Android multiple-users feature. Samsung instead provides Secure Folder, which creates a private encrypted space for the owner rather than a separate account for someone else. Galaxy tablets do typically include multiple users, though.
According to Google’s documentation, the exact location of the setting can differ between Android versions, so if you cannot find it, use the search bar at the top of the Settings app and type “users” or “guest”.
How to Turn On Guest Mode
On phones that support it, switching to a guest session takes only a few taps:
- Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open the full Quick Settings panel.
- Tap your profile picture or the user icon (usually at the bottom of the panel).
- Tap Add guest or Guest.
- The phone switches to a fresh guest session. Hand it over.
Alternatively, go to Settings → System → Multiple users and enable Allow multiple users, then tap Add guest.
Before lending your phone for the first time, consider setting a screen lock (PIN, pattern, or fingerprint) on your owner profile. The lock screen is what keeps a guest from switching back into your space — without it, anyone can simply switch profiles and browse your private data.
How to Add a Separate User Account
If the same person uses your device often — a child on a shared tablet, for example — a dedicated user account makes more sense than a disposable guest session:
- Go to Settings → System → Multiple users.
- Tap Add user and confirm.
- Switch to the new user profile and complete the setup wizard: connect to Wi-Fi, sign in with a Google account (or skip it), and install the apps that person needs.
Each user gets their own home screen, their own installed apps, and their own app data. When you update an app in one profile, the update applies device-wide, but each profile’s data inside that app stays separate. To remove a user, go back to the same settings screen as the owner and tap the user’s name, then Delete user.
Guest Mode vs Private Space vs Secure Folder
Android offers several overlapping privacy features, and they solve different problems:
| Feature | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Guest Mode | Temporary separate profile, wiped when removed | Lending your phone to a friend for a few minutes |
| Multiple users | Persistent separate profile with its own apps and data | Family members sharing a tablet long-term |
| Private Space | Hidden, locked vault inside your own profile | Hiding your own sensitive apps from borrowers |
| Samsung Secure Folder | Encrypted container on Galaxy devices | Samsung owners who need an isolated workspace |
Guest Mode and Private Space complement each other nicely: the guest session keeps borrowers out of your stuff, while Private Space keeps your most sensitive apps locked even if someone is using your own profile. If you want to set up the latter, see our guide on hiding apps securely with Private Space on Android 15 and 16.
What Guests Can and Cannot See
Understanding the boundaries helps you lend your phone with confidence:
- Your files stay hidden. Photos, messages, emails, and documents in your owner profile are not visible from the guest session.
- Your accounts stay signed out. The guest gets a clean slate — your logged-in apps are not accessible, and anything the guest signs into is removed with the session.
- System settings are restricted. Guests cannot change device-wide settings, install system updates, or factory-reset the phone.
- Phone calls and SMS are limited. On many devices, the guest profile can place calls but cannot see your call history or message threads. Emergency calls always work.
- Storage is shared. The guest session draws from the same internal storage pool, so a guest could theoretically fill your storage with large downloads — remove the session afterwards to reclaim the space.
- Some apps may not be available. Certain apps, especially banking and device-admin apps, may refuse to run in secondary profiles.
One important caveat: Guest Mode is a convenience feature, not a security boundary against a determined attacker with physical access. For real protection of sensitive data, keep your device encrypted (the default on modern Android), use a strong screen lock, and review your overall Android security setup.
Smart Ways to Use Guest Mode
Handing your phone to a stranger or acquaintance. Showing directions to someone, letting a shop assistant test something, or lending your phone at a repair counter — Guest Mode means your messages and photos are never one stray tap away.
Kids borrowing your phone. A guest session keeps children out of your email and work apps. For longer-term control over what children can access, a proper parental controls setup with a dedicated user profile works better than Guest Mode alone.
Testing apps safely. Curious about an app but unsure? Install it in the guest session first. When you remove the session, the app and everything it created disappear with it.
Work and personal separation on a shared tablet. Keep a persistent user profile for work apps and another for family use, each with its own sign-ins and notification settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Guest Mode delete my data?
No. Switching to a guest session does not touch your owner profile at all. Only the guest session’s own data is removed — and only when you explicitly choose “Remove guest”. Your photos, apps, and accounts remain exactly as they were.
Why can’t I find Guest Mode on my Samsung phone?
Samsung does not include the stock Android multiple-users feature on its phones, opting for Secure Folder instead. If you need to lend a Galaxy phone safely, use Secure Folder to lock away sensitive apps first, or consider a third-party app-lock as an extra layer.
Can the guest install apps from the Play Store?
Typically yes, as long as the guest signs in with a Google account — or you can pre-install apps for them before handing the phone over. Anything installed in the guest session is deleted when the session is removed.
Will I get notifications from the guest session?
Notifications are per-profile. You will not see the guest’s notifications in your owner profile, and the guest will not see yours. If the phone is sitting in your profile while someone else’s session has pending notifications, they stay silent until you switch profiles.
Does Guest Mode work on Android tablets too?
Yes — and tablets are where multiple users shine most. Family tablets in particular benefit from one profile per person, each with their own apps, game progress, and parental control settings.
Final Thoughts
Guest Mode is one of Android’s most underused features, and it directly answers a situation almost everyone faces: someone needs your phone for a minute, and you would rather not hand over your entire digital life with it. Check whether your device supports multiple users, set a screen lock on your owner profile, and the next time you lend your phone, switch to a guest session first. It takes five seconds and removes the awkwardness entirely.
