Guest mode on Android: lend your phone, not your photos

Guest mode on Android lets someone use your phone in a separate session that cannot see your photos, messages or apps, and you can wipe it when they are done. Not every phone has it, and Samsung Galaxy phones are the common gap. Below: how it works, a quicker option for handing over one app, and what to do on a Samsung.

How to start a guest session

On a Pixel, open Quick Settings, tap the User icon, then tap Add guest. The phone switches to a fresh session. Google says a guest will not have access to all of your information, and its page does not list exactly what a guest can and cannot do. The more general Android help says other users get their own storage, and their files and messages stay private. Some settings, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, are shared. (Google: use or delete guests)

To manage users from Settings, go to Settings > System > Multiple users. Only the device owner can add users. (Google: delete, switch, or add users)

Google also notes that the guest profile is not available on all Android phones. If Multiple users is missing in your Settings, the phone does not offer it.

Wipe the guest when they are done

Two ways to end a session, per Google:

• The guest taps the User icon in Quick Settings, then Remove guest, then Remove.
• You open Quick Settings, tap User, tap Guest, then Start over.

Either one deletes everything from that guest session. If you switch back into an existing guest, you get a choice: Start over clears the old guest’s data, and Yes, continue keeps it.

Quick option: pin one app

If someone only needs your phone for a map or a game, app pinning is faster. Turn it on in Settings > Security (or Security & location) > Advanced > App pinning. Then open Overview, tap the app’s icon at the top of the preview, and tap Pin. The other person can use only that app. To leave it, use the unpin gesture for your navigation style, and enter your PIN, pattern or password if asked. (Google: pin a screen)

Pinning is not a separate user. It keeps a borrower inside one app, but it does not give them an empty phone. Use guest mode for longer loans.

Samsung Galaxy phones

Many Galaxy phones do not show a Guest option. Samsung’s support site does not document a guest mode for phones, so open Settings and look for Multiple users. If nothing appears, use one of these:

• Secure Folder keeps chosen photos and apps behind a separate lock. See how to hide photos on Samsung and Private space vs Secure Folder.
• Maintenance mode is meant for repairs, not borrowing. It hides your photos, videos, contacts and messages and gives the technician a separate user account. It needs One UI 5 or higher and a screen lock. Turn it on from Settings > Device care > Maintenance mode, and back up first. Samsung suggests a temporary cloud backup or a USB-C or microSD copy. (Samsung: Maintenance mode)
• App pinning works on Galaxy phones too, if you find it in Settings.

Lending a phone to a child

Guest mode is not a parental control. For children, Google’s Family Link works on Galaxy phones running One UI 2.0 or later. Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls > Parental controls, then sign in to the child’s Google account. Samsung also offers Kids Mode, which adds app monitoring and call limits. (Samsung: Family Link on Galaxy)

What guest mode does not cover

A guest session hides your photos from a casual borrower. It does not help if the person is already signed in as you, or if you leave your own session unlocked and they switch back. Your owner profile still depends on your screen lock.

If you want photos protected inside your own session, a separate lock helps. VaultIt encrypts photos, videos and documents on the device with AES-256-GCM, with the key derived from a drawn pattern, a 12-word recovery phrase, no account and no ads. Uninstalling it or clearing its data deletes the vault, so keep a backup off the phone.

Sources

• Google: Use or delete guests
• Google: Delete, switch, or add users
• Google: Pin a screen
• Samsung: Use Maintenance mode on your Galaxy phone or tablet
• Samsung: Use Google’s Family Link parental controls on your Galaxy

Quick answers

Does my Android phone have guest mode? Check Settings > System > Multiple users. Google says the guest profile is not on all Android phones.

Does Samsung have guest mode? Many Galaxy phones do not show it. Check Settings on your model, or use Secure Folder.

Is the guest’s data deleted? Yes, if the guest removes it or you choose Start over. Choosing to continue keeps it.

What is the fastest way to lend one app? App pinning. It locks the phone to that app until you unpin with your PIN, pattern or password.