Enabling Multi-User profiles on your rooted Android phone

How to enable Multi-User profiles on your rooted Android phone

The Multi-User profiles feature is officially available only for tablets but if you are rooted, you can easily set it up on your phone.




I don't know why I didn't get this idea before. I guess I accepted the fact that multi-user profiles is an exclusive feature for tablets (running Android 4.2 and up). I have this feature on my Nexus 7 and find it very useful. Although I don't like sharing my tablet with my children, when the need arises (like when their three other tablets run out of battery..), they can use mine. They each have their own profile, with their games and I can keep my things private.

It was when I visited a friend on my last trip to Israel, that I realized I can easily set it up.
I saw that her husband had set it up on their rooted Kindle Fire running CyanogenMod. It doesn't happen often that I meet a fellow Android enthusiast in real life. I was very excited.

So I went ahead and downloaded the 4.2 Multiple User Enabler Root app from the Play Store.
This app allows you to enable the feature with the click of a button.
The only issue I had was that I didn't know how to switch between users. I posted the question on Google+ and found out that it can only be done after enabling lock screen rotation because the user profile can only be switched in landscape mode.

In some ROMs there is an option in the settings to enable lock screen rotation. In CM11 that option was removed. Maybe because the lock screen graphics are a bit messed up in landscape.
If you don't have that option, you can still enable it. To force enable lock screen rotation, you will need to add the following line of code to the build.prop file:

lockscreen.rot_override=true

To add the line of code, I used Root Explorer.

In Root Explorer, go to the /system folder and find the build.prop file. Long press on the file and choose Open in Text Editor. Remount it as read-write (A pop-up will ask you if to do so, click yes). Add the code anywhere but best to add it where you can find it later, in case you want to take it out. When you're done, click menu-Save and Exit. That's it. Reboot, and you’re done.

Please note that when you are not in the Owner profile, you will not receive phone calls. When you switch back, you will see the missed call.

Disclaimer: This website and I do not take any responsibility if the above messes up your phone in any way. Try at your own risk.

Sources: Android Police: http://goo.gl/ghK5o6, xda-developers forums: http://goo.gl/jqbzMq












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