Apple iPhones may finally get this Android feature in near future

Future Apple iPhones may get multiple user accounts option.

Google launched Guest mode with Android 5.0 Lollipop way back in 2014. This feature allowed multiple users to operate a phone and the owner need not worry about others prying on his/her private data such as chat data or photos.

Cupertino-based technology major Apple too has this feature for Macs, but not for the iPhones. Well, the latter too will soon get guest user options in the near future.
Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a patent titled -- 'Containers shared by multiple users of a device' to Apple, which allows the company to implement the technology in iPhones and iPad.

"Some embodiments provide a method for a device having multiple users. The method identifies a process installed on the device that requires an isolated storage in a file system of the device. For each of a set of users of the electronic device, the method assigns at least one container for use by the process within a user-specific section of the file system. The containers assigned to the process in a section of the file system specific to a particular user are only accessible by the process when the particular user is logged into the device. The method assigns at least one container for use by the process within a non-user-specific section of the file system. The containers assigned to the process within the non-user-specific section of the file system are accessible by the process irrespective of which user is logged into the device,"--reads the abstract of the Apple patent displayed on the USPTO website (here).

One of the diagrams in the patent showing how multiple users can use a single iPhone account. Credit: USPTO

In layman's terms, future Apple devices will allow multiple users to access the same device and yet maintain privacy. Also, the device will have separate storage for each user to store and access data when needed and only when logged in with a security passcode.

Also, Apple devices will have separate storage for all apps for each user and they will get access only to their account only. For instance, Apple Pay will be linked to that user and whenever a transaction is carried out, the money will be deducted from that in a particular account only.

Furthermore, Apple has improved the security of the iPhone and it will more sophisticated to deter bad actors to break open the mobile.

Apple iPhone owners have long been waiting for this feature, as this will come in handy for parents to hand their device to children in the house. And, they never have to worry of kids un-intentionally make in-app purchases on a gaming application or order food without their parent's consent.

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