[eimoaotl]

We are currently running iOS for most all the members of our household, but I am switching us all (me, wife and children) over to Android. The iPhone is just too small (i want a 4.5" plus) and my kids want iPads which are too expensive (and I am sick of Apple limitations such as not being able to buy things through the amazon app, etc and my wife and I both despise apples new maps). So I am going to buy the Nexus 7's for Christmas for the kids and nexus 4's for my wife and me. I had a dell streak before in the past and liked it, but I am only going nexus from now on out as it drove me nuts to not get android updates when they came out and be stuck several versions behind.

On iOS I have one account that I buy all apps with and we share the account so that we can buy the app once and share it across all devices.

So questions:

Should I set up a new Fresh Google account and have that be the play store account, or should I just use my current gmail account? I don't want my kids to have access to my gmail - can I just set up the play store but not give them access to my gmail account if I am linking all my purchases to my existing gmail account?

How many android devices can download purchased apps from one play store account? Can we buy once and use it on all devices?

If we all share the app from one google account, are there programs like apples iCloud that will get messed up? Example, do games save your place and if you start playing on a different device it remembers where you were? That would be bad for me as the kids would all want their own game saves.

Any good tips on parental controls? Perfect for me would be no one but my wife and me can download apps to devices - kids can't. Also, I can set up exactly what websites the kids can access on the browser and what programs they are allowed to access (no YouTube, etc). Also I can control what times various apps are used (can read kindle any hours, can play games for 2 hours anytime between 4:00 and 9:00, etc).

Any other tips any of you have on running android for your family?

Thanks.

[natehoy]

Set up a new family account. Make it the only account on your kids' tablets. Turn off sync of email, etc on those tablets. Don't associate a credit card with that account or use a prepaid card so there's a limit on what they can buy.

Then add that account as a secondary on your and your wife's phones so you can get access to the apps you buy on the family account if you want.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

[natehoy]

PS: as for parental controls and timing, I believe there are apps for that. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some more specific recommendations.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

[a1kemist]

As natehoy recommend, I would setup a family account. Apps and anything purchased will be stored in the cloud but unfortunately saved games are not and only saved locally on the device.

There are parental managing apps but I don't know any off hand since I don't have the need for it... Yet.

There are "rumors/speculation" that Google is working on multiple account login service.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

[quamdar]

One idea I saw that was pretty cool was using google drive for your shopping list. Someone makes a document and shares it with everyone else in the family then you can all add items you want then delete them as they're bought.

I'm single so I don't know of anything else really...

[eimoaotl]

Thank you all - I very much appreciate the feedback. Great community here.

[johnwccres]

You can set a password on Google Play - the kids can't download paid apps without it.

[odd1ne]

One thing I saw which will be a huge help to you is with the new update you can have multi-sign ins with one device like windows PCs great feature to bring to tablets.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

[a1kemist]

One thing I saw which will be a huge help to you is with the new update you can have multi-sign ins with one device like windows PCs great feature to bring to tablets.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

Yeah, it's being released in 4.2, hopefully early to mid November.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

[jimbarr]

Multi-signon could be quite useful.

In the meantime, my wife and I each have a Nexus 7, and we each have a Gmail account. I set my Gmail account as the primary account on my N7 with full syncing), and hers as a secondary account (without email or calendar syncing.) Her N7 has her Gmail account as the primary with full syncing, and mine as secondary with no email or calendar syncing.

The end result is that we can each purchase Play content to our heart's content and have access to each other's content without any restriction.

Adding kids to the mix (which we do not have) would definitely complicate matters.

[Shilohcane]

With the new Android 4.2 release "Finally, Android tablets now get multiple users for the first time. That means each person can have their own home screen, widgets, apps, wallpaper, and games, the latter with individual high scores and level support. "


Android 4.2 Still 'Jelly Bean' Gets Miracast, Photo Spheres | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

[EnlightenedSoul]

Really good information all. I really like the idea of having separate accounts and refrain from associating ccards on the account and use giftcards/prepaid cards only.

[kenyee]

I'd second the "family" account for shared devices. We don't even have kids and do the same thing. You can also use it as a shared calendar for putting on reminders of family events...