Sharing a Nexus 7

[ancientgamer]

Hi

My Nexus 7 is in the post and I am a new Android user so this may be a simple question.

If I register the Nexus to my google account and my girlfriend also uses it via her account.

If we both download apps/games from Google Play, we will both be able to use all apps including each others paid apps when we are signed into our own account. Or will we only be able to use the apps linked to/purchased from our own accounts.

 

[zedorda]

Nope

 

[rubrnek]

I have 2 accounts on my phone and can see and use paid apps from both accounts. Can't see why the nexus 7 would be any different. After you sign in just go to settings and add the other account. When you go to the play store just click the accounts option to switch accounts and install the apps from that account. When you purchase from the play store you have the option of which account to use.

Sent from my LG-P925 using Android Central Forums

 

[ancientgamer]

So we will only be able to see our 'own' apps?

Does that mean we also get to personalise our own home screens then?

 

[ancientgamer]

rubrnek

My previous post was in answer to Zedorda.

When u say you have access to both account's apps do you mean from either account. Or you have to switch accounts to access the apps that belong to each account?

Thanks

 

[zedorda]

Ok at least some will have an error about not being activated for your account but some Devs don't bother to add that feature I guess.

Please understand you will be stealing in essence since software is sold on a per person basis not a per device. Is it really worth it just to avoid going in to the play store accounts and clicking the other account? Because that is all you have to do to make it all legit.

 

[ancientgamer]

OK I think I get it.

So all the icons for all the apps will be there on screen. But if I clicked an icon on my account for an app my girlfriend purchased I couldn't use it. I would have to log in as her to use the app?

Seems fair enough otherwise you get 2 apps for the price of one! Just trying to work out how it works.

 

[dpridgen]

You will see all apps that have been installed and be able to run all those apps as long as both accounts are registered in the device. If you want to update apps from a specific account or download new apps from a specific account you need to select that account in the play store. I've got both my and my wife's accounts set up on our GT 10.1 and have never seen an app (paid or otherwise) complain about which account is the current active one in the play store.

The only real annoyance is that, technically. both accounts are active all the time, so you will see notification of incoming email on both accounts. You can set up separate gmail inboxes tied to each account, so your emails won't mix in the same inbox, but you will always be able to access both accounts, so no privacy between the two accounts.

 

[dpridgen]

OK I think I get it.

So all the icons for all the apps will be there on screen. But if I clicked an icon on my account for an app my girlfriend purchased I couldn't use it. I would have to log in as her to use the app?

Seems fair enough otherwise you get 2 apps for the price of one! Just trying to work out how it works.

No, there is no logging in or out of a specific user. Once both accounts are set up on the phone you or the other user have full access to both accounts. Email, calendar, apps, dropbox, etc of all users registered in the device will fully available to anyone using the tablet.

In the play store, it is simply a matter of selecting which account is the active one in order to access the play store account associated with that user, there is no entering of a password, simply select Accounts and select which play store account to access, no password, it just changes which account the play store will bill when you download a paid app and which installed/downloaded apps are visible at the time in the play store. It has no effect on which installed apps are visible or usable. It does effect which apps are checked for updates and/or updated automatically (only the apps of the currently active play store account).

gmail can also be annoying if you launch it from the gmail icon, it will display the inbox of the most recently used account. Again, very easy to switch back and forth without a password. You can get around this easily by setting up multiple gmail widgets each with a different account as the current active account. But you still have full access to both accounts.