[acsurfer]

Do you use your Google account (gmail account) to store all your contacts? If not, do you create a new Google account just to store phone contacts?

My previous phone was a non smartphone, I was wondering if it is a good idea that I create a new Google account and store all my phone numbers to a new Google account contacts (and use the Google account for phone contacts only), instead of storing phone numbers to my existing Google account (personal gmail account that I use for email)?

I heard that changing the primary Google account would need to perform factory reset on our devices, is it a very hard process to change/switch primary google account?

Thanks

[Gekko]

my advice is to use one primary Google account for everything. Google services are tightly integrated and when you scatter your data/purchases/activity you scatter your experience. ok to use a secondary email for secondary communication though. simplify, don't overcomplicate.

[raptir]

I agree with Gekko. One account for everything makes things much more simple and lends itself to a lot of the Google features. For example, Google Now will pull tracking info, flights, etc... out of your Gmail account. If you're using an account for Google Now that doesn't receive any e-mail, you won't get those extra features.

What is your concern with using your main account? Yes, it is a pain to change the primary Gmail account on the phone but if you did so you would lose all your apps and media anyway. Do you expect you be changing your e-mail address in the near future?

[Rukbat]

I use one primary Google account for email, contacts, calendar, etc. I also have a few other Google accounts that I use strictly for email for various things (like a BBS, a blog, etc.) But there's only one Google account in my phone - the rest are all added to Email, not Google.

You don't have to factory reset the phone to change the Google account, but as raptir said, you lose the ability to update your apps (you don't lose the ones already on your phone) and your paid-for-but-in-the-cloud media.

But changing or adding email addresses won't change the Google account in the phone, unless you do that yourself. Add email addresses to Gmail or Email or whatever you're using for your email app.

[acsurfer]

What is your concern with using your main account? Yes, it is a pain to change the primary Gmail account on the phone but if you did so you would lose all your apps and media anyway. Do you expect you be changing your e-mail address in the near future?

I use one primary Google account for email, contacts, calendar, etc. I also have a few other Google accounts that I use strictly for email for various things (like a BBS, a blog, etc.) But there's only one Google account in my phone - the rest are all added to Email, not Google.

You don't have to factory reset the phone to change the Google account, but as raptir said, you lose the ability to update your apps (you don't lose the ones already on your phone) and your paid-for-but-in-the-cloud media.

But changing or adding email addresses won't change the Google account in the phone, unless you do that yourself. Add email addresses to Gmail or Email or whatever you're using for your email app.

1. How many Google account can be added to the phone?

2. If after changing a Google account and I will lose the ability to update apps, if I want to update apps can I just change back to the old Google account (that I bought/installed apps) to do the update.

3. Do I lose apps or only lose the ability to update apps when I change to a new Google account?

4. How to change to a new Google account properly?

Thanks

[Rukbat]

1. How many Google account can be added to the phone?

There are Google accounts (the phone should have only one) and email accounts, one of which can be the phone's Google account. I have 8 email accounts in my phone - I have no idea what the maximum is, if there is any limit other than available space.

2. If after changing a Google account and I will lose the ability to update apps, if I want to update apps can I just change back to the old Google account (that I bought/installed apps) to do the update.

Why would you want to change the Google account of the phone?

3. Do I lose apps or only lose the ability to update apps when I change to a new Google account?

Just the ability to update apps installed under another account.

4. How to change to a new Google account properly?

Again, why would you want to? But just delete the existing account, add an account, press Google and put in the account information.

[acsurfer]

Why would you want to change the Google account of the phone?

What I trying to do is I am thinking of using 2 different Google accounts on the same phone, one for personal use and one for business.

So I am wondering if there is a way like sometimes you set up/login primary account using Google account A (personal contacts/gmail/calendar/apps/whatsapp contacts...(to work with everything related to A)), and sometimes you set up/login primary account using Google account B (business contacts/gmail/calendar/apps/whatsapp contacts...(to work with everything related to B))

(An analogy would be like logging into different Google accounts on a PC. or like logging into different admin user in Windows 7. Once you are logged into the particular account, everything you see/do is related to that account.)

[raptir]

There are Google accounts (the phone should have only one) and email accounts, one of which can be the phone's Google account. I have 8 email accounts in my phone - I have no idea what the maximum is, if there is any limit other than available space.

There's no reason to only have one Google account under the phone, you just have to be mindful of which you are using in a given app. My wife has a work Google Apps account and her personal Gmail account added as Google accounts so that she can sync calendars/drive/contacts/etc... in addition to e-mail on both accounts, and she's run into no issues.

[raptir]

What I trying to do is I am thinking of using 2 different Google accounts on the same phone, one for personal use and one for business.

So I am wondering if there is a way like sometimes you set up/login primary account using Google account A (personal contacts/gmail/calendar/apps/whatsapp contacts...(to work with everything related to A)), and sometimes you set up/login primary account using Google account B (business contacts/gmail/calendar/apps/whatsapp contacts...(to work with everything related to B))

(An analogy would be like logging into different Google accounts on a PC. or like logging into different admin user in Windows 7. Once you are logged into the particular account, everything you see/do is related to that account.)

Android 5.0 actually handles this very well, and would allow you to setup work and home as two different "users." In 4.4 the user functionality is only available on tablets.

You can also, as I've mentioned, setup multiple Google accounts under the same user. Contacts/e-mail/calendar make it fairly easy to switch between calendars stored on different accounts.

[acsurfer]

You can also, as I've mentioned, setup multiple Google accounts under the same user. Contacts/e-mail/calendar make it fairly easy to switch between calendars stored on different accounts.

1. How to setup multiple Google accounts under the same user?

2. For multiple Google accounts under the same user, does it mean that it is still a main Google account (phone primary account), only thing is that multiple Google accounts are attached to the main Google account?

3. Is it possible to remove multiple Google accounts that are under the same user in future?

4. I am not using Android 5.0. Is it that in future after my S4 is updated to Android 5.0, I can then setup real multi-user, which is similar like multiple admins in Windows 7 (each user login can only see/change their stuff and have their own settings)?

Thanks

[acsurfer]

There are Google accounts (the phone should have only one) and email accounts, one of which can be the phone's Google account. I have 8 email accounts in my phone - I have no idea what the maximum is, if there is any limit other than available space.

There's no reason to only have one Google account under the phone, you just have to be mindful of which you are using in a given app. My wife has a work Google Apps account and her personal Gmail account added as Google accounts so that she can sync calendars/drive/contacts/etc... in addition to e-mail on both accounts, and she's run into no issues.

Just to make sure I understand correctly, the phone can only have one Google account. You can also access additional multiple Google accounts to see other Google accounts info/services. When you buy apps or update apps, you need to use the main phone Google account. Is my understanding correct?

[raptir]

1. How to setup multiple Google accounts under the same user?

2. For multiple Google accounts under the same user, does it mean that it is still a main Google account (phone primary account), only thing is that multiple Google accounts are attached to the main Google account?

3. Is it possible to remove multiple Google accounts that are under the same user in future?

4. I am not using Android 5.0. Is it that in future after my S4 is updated to Android 5.0, I can then setup real multi-user, which is similar like multiple admins in Windows 7 (each user login can only see/change their stuff and have their own settings)?

Thanks

1. Just go to Settings -> Accounts and add the new Google account

2. The first one you add is the "default." I don't know that I would call it the primary. There is no real primary because everything is accessible to all Google accounts on the phone. Your contacts, gmail, play store, google now, etc... will all have ways to switch between your two accounts.

3. Prior to 5.0, there's no concept of "users" on Android phones (there is on tablets). But yes, you can remove any Google accounts you add to the system. You do need to be careful though, because any purchased applications that are associated with the account you remove will also be lost. So make sure to do all your app buying on one account.

4. Yes, in 5.0 you can have a true multi-user system on a phone. Application updates and installations are shared across accounts, but you can setup your homescreens on their own, change your settings, and only see your contacts/calendar/e-mail based on the user you currently have selected.

[raptir]

Just to make sure I understand correctly, the phone can only have one Google account. You can also access additional multiple Google accounts to see other Google accounts info/services. When you buy apps or update apps, you need to use the main phone Google account. Is my understanding correct?

I think my previous post clarifies it, but you can have multiple Google accounts, buy apps on all accounts, etc... It's just recommended to keep all your purchased apps under one account so that it is easier to move that account to a new device.