OT: Android management

[Bob Eager]

I suspect you'll get the rest when you log in.

[The Natural Philosopher]

How do you 'log in' to android?

[Bob Eager]

Oh dear, dear, dear.

[Andy Burns]

You "unlock" by PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint, but that's not exactly logging in.

To actually login as a different user requires you to create multiple users on the device, then you can switch between users.

If rooted, you can install an SSH server and login that way, or start a shell via ADB over USB cable.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well I have an android device, and there is no provision to 'log in'

So I was actually asking a serious question...

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well exactly.

Indeed. Does anyone do that though?

Mmm.

[Andy Burns]

Only to see how it works. I suppose if someone had kids sharing a family tablet, it might be useful to set them up their own user account.

[Jaimie Vandenbergh]

You connect it to your Google account.

Cheers - Jaimie

[whisky-dave]

Wouldnt that be logging on to google rather than andriod.

[dennis]

8<

Try adding more than one user. You can certainly login on my phone and tablet as different users.

[JoeJoe]

You don't log in to Android. You log into your Google account.

PS: regarding the cut-down settings - in the latest version of Moto G there is an option to change from novice to expert mode (or similar). Can't remember exactly how, but Google should be aloe to verify if it is the same for your phone. There may also be an option in the "novice" setting to change to "expert" mode.

[Bill]

There is no novice vs expert mode on this cheap phone. I don't think I'd make novice grade anyway.

It's weird. My cut down Settings just gradually expanded into the full app. Everything worked except the auto screen rotation and I got as far as installing things to check the sensors.

These showed that this phone only responds to x and y sensors, not z. The other phone responds to all 3. But suddenly, after leaving the phone untouched, the screen rotation seems to have come good. The accelerometer still just shows x and y movement with z staying at a fixed value.

I'm going to soak test it for a few days.

[The Natural Philosopher]

What the f*ck for?

[Bob Eager]

With a brannd new or factory reset phone, you have to initially give your Google username and password. That's logging in. After that, settings etc. get restored from your account.

[Bob Eager]

I didn't actually say 'log in to android'.

[Max Demian]

I'm not sure, but I don't think you can install even the free apps without a Google account. Maybe you can, and they just want you to have an account. They keep wanting you to put in your (credit) card details, but you can skip that.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh yes, you need an account to get the apps, but that isn't 'logging into your android' not will it do anything for your apps unless they need updates. It doesnt store your configs

[Andy Burns]

It does unless you go into settings, accounts, google and change the various sync settings (apps, calendar, gmail, books, music, etc, etc)

[dennis]

You are wasting your time, TNP only knows windows up to XP and android version 1 and he bases all his "facts" on these. He has no idea what modern smart phones or windows actually does as he refuses to try them.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh dear.

Poor old Dennis.

I have a 2018 android spmart phone sitting on te desk next to me