4 nexus 7 setup help

Hello everyone,

Complete newbie to the android world.

For Xmas this year we have brought 4 nexus 7s.

One for me ad one each for my kids.

Clearly I don't want to be buying 4 lots of apps. What's the best way to set then up ? My kids have their own gmail accounts and will want to use all the functionality of the device as will I. Can I set them up to share my googleplay account but they have there own for everything else ?

I have searched for an answer but seem to be getting confusing results.

Best regards

Xsprinterx

As far as I know, each tablet can only sync with one Google account, so if your kids want to sync their tablets with their own Google accounts, you won't be able to share apps you've purchased with them.

One possible solution would be for all tablets to be synced to your Google account, and have your kids access their own Gmail accounts using the native Email app (look for "Email" in your app list, not "Gmail"). However, this would mean that your kids would have access to your Google account.

You could consider making a new Google account for your whole family, and sync each tablet with that account. Each of you would then need to access your Gmail accounts using the native Email app.

Thanks for the reply, that's really poor...

Apple let's you have 1 "iTunes account" for up to 10 devices. I was really hoping the nexus would be similar. The kids will want their own google+ stuff set up so they can use messaging ect..

Does the multiple user functionality help me in anyway or have I got to face the fact ill have to buy some apps 4 times !!!

Can the nexus be synced to a pc or mac ad apps transferred that way similar to iTunes ?

Well, the legal and honest thing to do if you want the same app on multiple devices being used by different people, is to buy the app for each device. If everybody loves playing Ski Safari (and who doesn't?!), then you should buy it under the account of the user of each device. I'd think that not everyone would want all the same paid apps and games. I'd suspect you'd be making multiple purchases only on a handful of apps, while many others would be free anyway. Just purchase a gift credit for each N7 as an additional gift, then then each family member can choose their own favorite apps to purchase.

Now then, you could simply set up each N7 under a generic family account, and download all the favorite apps to each one, while just paying for one. That would be legal as far as I know. Anytime the user wanted to use one of the "family" apps, they'd log into the family account. That still won't work well with lots of apps that have social and sharing content. When not logged into the family account, they'd be logged into their own account for email, texting, Facebook, etc. That's not a very convenient method.

So, those are the legal ways, though only the first option makes any sense. The not so honest method is to pirate from yourself by copying the apk file from one device and transferring it to all the others. But then you have the issue with some apps doing a license check, so I don't know how that would work. Plus, it's not really teaching the kids a good lesson.

I don't want to do anything illegal.

I'm moving out of the apple Eco system. Where I have 2 iPhones (my wife's and mine) and an iPad linked to the same apple I'd for apps. They then run completely independently for all other features. I wrongly assumed that I could do the same with google.

It's not the end of the world but would have been nice to be able to keep tabs on the spend on apps through one account. I'll have to set up the pin lock on the kids machines.

Maybe next time it would pay to do a bit of research before purchasing four tablets. That is a big investment, too big for the amount of research you appear to have done.

And it's ID, not I'd.

Sent from my Nexus 7 running Android Jelly Bean 4.2

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xsprinterx [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Apple let's you have 1 "iTunes account" for up to 10 devices. I was really hoping the nexus would be similar. The kids will want their own google+ stuff set up so they can use messaging ect..

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Google is similar in that you can have multiple devices synced to one Google account. The difference is that your Google account is not just your music/video files and apps--it's your email, calendar, docs, etc. As far as I know, iPhones and iPads don't have something like an "iMail" app that is limited to syncing with some kind of Apple-only email account, akin to Gmail--they have an email app that you can use to sync with whatever email services you have, which is just like the Android native Email app.

And with Android, you're not burdened by a bloated clunky program like iTunes (at least, it's bloated and clunky on PCs).

The solution that MJKearney and I suggested of making a new family Google account and syncing all devices to that account is very similar to having one iTunes account with multiple devices associated with it. You just have to accept that you can't use the Gmail, Calendar, or People apps to directly access your own personal information--however, you can always use the native Email app to connect to your Gmail account, and I'm sure there are tons of 3rd party calendar and contacts apps in Google Play that can access your personal account info on a device that is registered to a family account.

Diddy - Useful information thank you.

.
I've done plenty of research thank you, it's why I haven't gone down the iPad mini road..... I miss understood / misread the google play account information. Like I said its not the end of the world.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by henywatty [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Maybe next time it would pay to do a bit of research before purchasing four tablets. That is a big investment, too big for the amount of research you appear to have done.

And it's ID, not I'd.

Sent from my Nexus 7 running Android Jelly Bean 4.2

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Hey, let's all be kind to the person who's ditching Apple for the good guys!;)

I have two Google accounts on my nexus 7 and can choose what I want to sync from each (mail, calendar, books, music, photos, tasks, etc).

But if you're talking about the new multiuser feature in 4.2 then yes it would separate the access if you put you app account on one and the kids account on the other.

I am guess you don't want the kid buying stuff on play store.
I believe there is a kid app that is a launcher where you choose what apps are accessible. maybe you can still allow their gmail in that. I don't know. I'm just going off the top of my head and might not remember correctly

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dralezero [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

I have two Google accounts on my nexus 7 and can choose what I want to sync from each (mail, calendar, books, music, photos, tasks, etc).

But if you're talking about the new multiuser feature in 4.2 then yes it would separate the access if you put you app account on one and the kids account on the other.

I am guess you don't want the kid buying stuff on play store.
I believe there is a kid app that is a launcher where you choose what apps are accessible. maybe you can still allow their gmail in that. I don't know. I'm just going off the top of my head and might not remember correctly

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Thanks for this information.

I'll look into the kids launcher app..

I actually didn't know you could have 2 Google accounts associated with a single Nexus 7. Is it possible then to have a family account for all of the apps, and then a personal Google account to sync personal email, Google+, and other info, all coexisting peacefully on the same device? Because that would probably be the best solution for the OP.

Hmm, I guess I was all kinds of wrong with my earlier posts on this thread--sorry! I think this may be what you're looking for, xsprinterx:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Goes to show you that someone who is brand new to Android can still teach something to a more experienced user, whether directly or indirectly!

Perfect... Very helpful community as well.. I might even have to ditch the iphone at upgrade time :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by B. Diddy [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Google is similar in that you can have multiple devices synced to one Google account. The difference is that your Google account is not just your music/video files and apps--it's your email, calendar, docs, etc. As far as I know, iPhones and iPads don't have something like an "iMail" app that is limited to syncing with some kind of Apple-only email account, akin to Gmail--they have an email app that you can use to sync with whatever email services you have, which is just like the Android native Email app.

And with Android, you're not burdened by a bloated clunky program like iTunes (at least, it's bloated and clunky on PCs).

The solution that MJKearney and I suggested of making a new family Google account and syncing all devices to that account is very similar to having one iTunes account with multiple devices associated with it. You just have to accept that you can't use the Gmail, Calendar, or People apps to directly access your own personal information--however, you can always use the native Email app to connect to your Gmail account, and I'm sure there are tons of 3rd party calendar and contacts apps in Google Play that can access your personal account info on a device that is registered to a family account.

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Diddy,

Not arguing the points about iTunes, or App Store - especially the latest incarnation but want to clarify something early in your post.
Apple does have an ID that links to Apple's (designed for one per user - iCloud) mail, calendar, contacts, reminders, notes, photos, etc. that is the equivalent of the Google (Gmail) account. It's called the iCloud ID and it basically gives you the same features as Google's account, online access, it will also do backups of the devices documents, photos, etc.

If you want, you can share an iTunes account (can be different from the iCloud account) which would allow one purchase of games, apps, etc to be shared by different devices like the OP has asked and everyone would have their own setup for mail, etc while only having to purchase apps, games, etc. one time and use across apps.

But, if the OP bought the Nexus (or Nexii?) then he'd still have a couple of hundred dollars to spend on extra apps, games, etc. per account. :)

I am also new to Android but am enjoying my Nexus 7 very much so far even though I have only scratched the surface (not even any widgets yet! - so I have a long way to go).

xSprinterx - in the long run the separate accounts will be a blessing, we just migrated my college bound son to his own iTunes account and he had to lose some past purchases of songs (we also wanted to only do things legally). Like you said though, not the end of the world.

Thanks for the clarification. Geez, how many times can I be wrong in a single thread?:confused:

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xsprinterx [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

I don't want to do anything illegal.

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Xsprinterx, just a quick apology. I didn't mean to insinuate that an illegal option might be something you would consider. I should have left that option out completely, even though I suggested in my post that it wasn't the right thing to do and it really wasn't a valid option. That's what happens when you post something with groggy eyes. Better to post with a rested mind! So anyway, sorry about that.

And have fun with all those Nexii! Despite having to make a few duplicate purchases here and there (and you'll likely have more free apps than paid ones anyway), I think you made an excellent choice. Just make sure to buy some good cases for the kid's devices, as kids have this odd habit of dropping things more often than (most) adults. And pick out a very random, kid-proof PIN for the Play Store!

Setting the pin on your own account should help keep your kids from purchasing apps off your account, there's also a filtering ability that should protect your kids from apps of an adult nature.

I also don't know if I think it is illegal and/or dishonest to put apps you have already paid for on multiple devices, I do the same thing across all my android devices and install from Google apps I bought years ago on my HTC Hero.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MJKearney [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]

Xsprinterx, just a quick apology. I didn't mean to insinuate that an illegal option might be something you would consider. I should have left that option out completely, even though I suggested in my post that it wasn't the right thing to do and it really wasn't a valid option. That's what happens when you post something with groggy eyes. Better to post with a rested mind! So anyway, sorry about that.

And have fun with all those Nexii! Despite having to make a few duplicate purchases here and there (and you'll likely have more free apps than paid ones anyway), I think you made an excellent choice. Just make sure to buy some good cases for the kid's devices, as kids have this odd habit of dropping things more often than (most) adults. And pick out a very random, kid-proof PIN for the Play Store!

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No need to apologise .

I'm looking into some tuff *** cases for these puppies.. I've been reading up on pin protection and the filtering of apps.

I have some confusion over anti virus software. So people really run it on their android devices ?

Surely google vet / test the code that's submitted to them..

Best regards...

I use Lookout for my antivirus. Malware is still relatively uncommon in the Android ecosystem, but it is growing. Google does try to vet apps in Google Play, but some bad apples (no pun intended) still get through. Besides, it's just a matter of time before malware can install itself by visiting a website or unwittingly downloading something using the browser, so I think it's better to be ahead of the curve.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Android Central Forums

Anti virus apps still seem to be a matter of debate in the Android community. Some play it safe, like B. Diddy, and figure a basic, free A/V can't hurt anything, and might be very helpful. Others think the threat is overrated and don't like the idea of an A/V app using up memory and potentially slowing down their device. I don't have it simply due to laziness!

However, B. Diddy's recommendation of Lookout seems to be a good one. I hear it recommended a lot and it seems pretty popular with well over 10 million downloads according to the Play Store. I think it offers other benefits, like find your phone (or Nexus 7?) and backup/restore, so it might be worth checking out at least the free version. It's probably also worthwhile typing "antivirus" into the Google Play Store search engine, so you can compare the dozens available to you.

Also, in Android 4.2, Google has added a verification check against malware for all apps downloaded from anywhere. Here's an article about it. [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...].

Great adivce again guys thank you.

Thought I'd reply back and let everyone know how were getting one. All 4 devices set up and running really well.. Kids couldn't believe it xmas morning....

I have gone down the route of the kids using my account for apps and music (google music thing is very cool).. They have their own google+ accounts so they can video chat with a few friends. 7 of them video chatting the other night :(

Really impressed with this as a device. The screen and processing power are amazing.

Thanks again for the help on here..

Happy new year,

xsprinterx,

I am getting ready to set up a Nexus for my 11 year son. Are you still happy with how you set yours up? How does it affect games like words with friends? I guess basically I want to know if it acts like completely different accounts. Do they have access to your gmail with this setup??

Thanks.