Database Users

Tab only google account?

I was just wondering if most people use the same google account for phones and their tablet or have people created a separate "tablet" account? I noticed all the apps i have installed on my phone reinstalled on my tablet the first time, which was ok, but I started thinking, what if i start putting roms on each, it seems it'd be very easy to start getting some apps on the phone but not on the tablet, and vice versa.
i.e facebook is not available for the tab, so now if i wipe my phone and put on a new rom is the auto restore not going to restore facebook anymore?
I was also curious about how google talk or apps like that might handle multiple logins, anyone have problems with that yet?

I use the same account.. that way I don't have to buy apps twice!
Also added my wifes gmail/gtalk accounts on there without any issues. It just prompts you for what user you want to sign in with when you start the app.

I also just use one account so I don't have to pay twice (especially since I paid for the $30 Slingbox app).
Google Talk handles multiple concurrent logins fairly well, as has been the case since it was available in the browser email.
If you don't want apps automatically reinstalled when flashing a new ROM, just uncheck the box during the initial setup. I find it annoying and tend to only reinstall apps when I have a need to use them.

Multiple Google Accounts question

I signed out of a Google Account after adding another one, and it kept all my paid apps etc. Is there some downfall to this, or is this an easy way to share my apps with my family? Thanks!

Xygod said:
I signed out of a Google Account after adding another one, and it kept all my paid apps etc. Is there some downfall to this, or is this an easy way to share my apps with my family? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 4 Google accounts on mine I generally only use 1 for purchasing apps but occasionally accidentally use a different one. You don't 'lose' apps by changing account.
Once you've downloaded an app, it is possible to take the APK and install it on another device. Some apps phone home though and may call you out on this approach!

All apps you get from the play store are linked to the account and devices you were signed into when you got them. Many paid apps check for the linked account when they run out update to prevent you sharing them.
If you have the same account on multiple devices you can share, I do between my phone and my tablet, but my wife for example has her own accounts and own paid apps.
I don't want someone else with my Gmail account on their device. Mine is setup with 2 factor authentication anyway which requires a code which is sent via SMS to me to compete for extra security.
If you use your pc and log into the play store on the web you can see what apps are associated with that account and which devices they were loaded on.
Sent from my Nexus 7

[Q] Using a Nexus 4 without sending every private piece of info to Google

I got my N4 a couple of days ago. It's my first foray in the Android world.
The requirements that I am hoping to meet are pretty simple:
1) I want to be able to call contacts and send text messages
2) I don't want Google tracking my contact list
3) I don't want Google tracking my location
4) I don't want Google tracking my browsing history
5) I want to be able to use the Play store to download 3rd party apps. I didn't buy an N4 to use it it like a dumbphone. Logically, the Play store shouldn't require constant access to my contacts, location or browsing history.
I am making this post to get help meeting the above requirements. Despite seeming really basic, I'm running into trouble, and I think I will need frequent help. This thread can act as a journal that hopefully other people can follow.
What I did so far is immediately flashed the N4 to AOKP, and applied the OpenPDroid patches (though I've yet to use OPD). From a blank slate start, I declined to create an account, disabled location access, etc, during the startup wizard.
Adding a contact round 1
I was able to create a local, unsynced contact.
Using the Play store
I was forced to sign up for a gmail account, which is normal. I declined to "keep this phone backed up with my Google Account". I then went in Settings > Account and disabled sync for everything, including Contacts. I also disabled background sync in the power controls.
Adding a contact round 2
I am now unable to add a contact without being forced to sync it with my BS gmail account. When I click "Add Contact" in the phone app, a dialog says "Your contact will be synced with [email protected]" and my choices are either "OK", "Add other account", or to cancel out by clicking Back.
So I'm already stuck. Once a Play account is created, I am now unable to do something as basic as adding a contact without sending it to Google. Can someone tell me how to get past this obstacle?

That's how Google makes their money! Your only options are to either start using the amazon app store only or side loading apps if you don't want Google involvement. Good luck.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Why? Like they don't have all your information already? You freely give your information to everyone when you use the internet. Congratulations. You are not that special.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Eurotrash: always in this sort of discussions there's people like you who essentially advocate shutting up and taking it. "That's how things are" is not an acceptable solution to my problem, or I would not have made this post. There IS a way around the creeping, and someone knows it. My last resort is blocking every Google service from accessing the Internet except Play. I'm asking here because I'm hoping there's a less extreme solution that other people can use.
Gotzadroid: I will hold out for a better solution. Amazon appstore will likely be limited. Sideloading is not possible because many devs don't provide APKs

I know you can get an app to block individual permissions of other apps: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stericson.permissions
It requires root. Not sure about the contacts and other stuff you wanted to block, im assuming you've disabled location services.

Why not try flashing like cm10 and not flashing gapps so no Google apps? Then just manually downloading the apps apks and sideload the ones you need?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Didn't think my post lacked clarity, so hopefully this will be clearer:
My ONLY problem right now (we'll leave the rest for later) is that the Phone app, an essential app if I want to use my phone for making calls, an app that isn't even part of Gapps, doesn't let me add a local contact without sharing it with Google. That's it. Forget everything else in my post.
So my simple question is, how do I add my friend Bob to my contact list, locally in phone memory or on the SIM card or whatever, without telling Google I'm friends with Bob and giving them his phone number?

MachinTrucChose said:
Didn't think my post lacked clarity, so hopefully this will be clearer:
My ONLY problem right now (we'll leave the rest for later) is that the Phone app, an essential app if I want to use my phone for making calls, an app that isn't even part of Gapps, doesn't let me add a local contact without sharing it with Google. That's it. Forget everything else in my post.
So my simple question is, how do I add my friend Bob to my contact list, locally in phone memory or on the SIM card or whatever, without telling Google I'm friends with Bob and giving them his phone number?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As previously mentioned, try flashing a rom without gapps

OK, try this. Make a dummy gmail account for the play store only. Get all the apps you want and then sign out of gmail. Only sign back in when you want another app. That should keep Google from syncing all your info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Michealtbh said:
As previously mentioned, try flashing a rom without gapps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Phone app is not a part of gapps. It came on the stock ROM before I flashed gapps on it. I didn't try it before adding gapps, are you saying it will change behavior and no longer prompt me to sync when I try to add a contact?
I gotta go to sleep, I'll do more tests tomorrow evening to test this (and wait for your reply to the above question in case you misread my posts).
If the answer to the above question is yes, this would immediately beg another question: how do I install 3rd party apps from Play without flashing gapps?

gotzaDroid said:
OK, try this. Make a dummy gmail account for the play store only. Get all the apps you want and then sign out of gmail. Only sign back in when you want another app. That should keep Google from syncing all your info.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I did in the OP (2nd bolded step). I created a dummy account cause Play requires it. That became my main Google account on this phone (since I declined to set up an account prior to that). That's the account Google tries to sync my contacts to when I try to add a contact.
I looked in the Gmail app, there's no way for me to sign out. All I can do is add more accounts.

A similar thread from the galaxy nexus forums: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1589367
However, I'd also be interested in a deeper insight on why you're trying to do this. Fear of the big brother? Or just proving a point?
We know before buying an android phone that everything is tied to that Gmail address; now you want to cut that tie but maintain full functionality. Well, that probably doesn't work. And if it at the end does, why going through all that trouble? If a different platform offers all that then..

Why you bought an android phone in the first place? Just curious
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

You can try downloading or side loading the app "contacts+" then sign out of your dummy gmail account. You can get a sim to USB hub online and plug your sim into the hub and into PC to add contacts directly to sim. I don't know if there's a way to export contacts to sim anymore unless I'm guessing developers somehow add that feature. So look into CM or another well built ROM and ask some questions.
Good luck
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium

MachinTrucChose said:
The Phone app is not a part of gapps. It came on the stock ROM before I flashed gapps on it. I didn't try it before adding gapps, are you saying it will change behavior and no longer prompt me to sync when I try to add a contact?
I gotta go to sleep, I'll do more tests tomorrow evening to test this (and wait for your reply to the above question in case you misread my posts).
If the answer to the above question is yes, this would immediately beg another question: how do I install 3rd party apps from Play without flashing gapps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock rom comes with gapps already loaded.
Most custom roms come without them and they must be flashed separately. If you choose not to flash them you aren't even given an option to sign into your Google account at first boot, so there will obviously be no option to sync your contacts.
Your phone will be crippled and you'll have to find workarounds for many things. I don't think you'll be able to use Maps for example. To install apps you'll have to download and install the apks or use an alternative app market like SlideMe or Amazon

What's there to hide? They're just contacts
Sent from my Nexus 4

Google doesn't care what your Aunt Bertie's phone number is. All they use the data for is to customize ads for you, and if you're going to be seeing ads anyways they might as well be relevant to you.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

It's disappointing that the thread is taking the direction of Google advocacy rather than finding a technical solution to my problem, hopefully this post answers your questions and we can stop arguing about this.
Drakkula4 said:
You can try downloading or side loading the app "contacts+" then sign out of your dummy gmail account.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I sign out of my dummy gmail account?
Vangelis13 said:
A similar thread from the galaxy nexus forums: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1589367
However, I'd also be interested in a deeper insight on why you're trying to do this. Fear of the big brother? Or just proving a point?
We know before buying an android phone that everything is tied to that Gmail address; now you want to cut that tie but maintain full functionality. Well, that probably doesn't work. And if it at the end does, why going through all that trouble? If a different platform offers all that then..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, not full functionality. I can avoid using all gapps. The only required Google service is the Play store, which is the primary gateway to non-Google apps. I would use Email over Gmail, Navfree over Maps, etc.
The next paragraph is meant as a reply to the 5 posts essentially saying "tinfoil hat, trust Google!".
This is supposed to be an open phone, allowing the user to do what they want, compared to the big bad iOS. That's why I bought it. Now I find out Google is insisting on taking something extremely private (my social graph) even when I don't want to give it to them. I respect my friends' privacy, and I don't want an intersection of my online and offline lives being made by some 3rd party with intentions I don't trust. The insistence is starting to creep me out. You can provide convenience and still respect basic privacy, look at Mozilla with Firefox Sync: even they don't see the data you sync. I'm not even asking for that much, just respect my wish to draw the line at real-life stuff. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, this is the company banning people using pseudonyms on Google+.
The most disappointing thing in all this, is that you have 5000 custom ROMs being developed, which mainly differ in pointless GUI BS like scroll animation speed. Not a single one of those projects thought to provide a way to make the phone usable without giving up extremely private data. AFAIK only 3 guys are working on privacy stuff, and even those guys' patches and apps don't protect you from the Eye of Google.
chrisrozon said:
Google doesn't care what your Aunt Bertie's phone number is. All they use the data for is to customize ads for you, and if you're going to be seeing ads anyways they might as well be relevant to you.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What if I don't want tailored ads? Or what if I only want tailored ads by tracking the online activity I'm willing to submit to them, and I feel it should be my my right to draw a line? Many people are not comfortable seeing an intersection of online and real life activity. I am one of those people.

MachinTrucChose said:
Didn't think my post lacked clarity, so hopefully this will be clearer:
My ONLY problem right now (we'll leave the rest for later) is that the Phone app, an essential app if I want to use my phone for making calls, an app that isn't even part of Gapps, doesn't let me add a local contact without sharing it with Google. That's it. Forget everything else in my post.
So my simple question is, how do I add my friend Bob to my contact list, locally in phone memory or on the SIM card or whatever, without telling Google I'm friends with Bob and giving them his phone number?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple question deserves simple answer, only thing I can think of, go to settings > accounts > google > tap your account email address > and uncheck the things you don't want synced with google.
Hopefully it works and you will just have a local copy of everything then.

Again just flash like cyanogen mod since you have to flash gapps separate. Then don't flash gapps and your phone will have nothing to do with google.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Help please, stolen N10

My parents, away on holiday, just had the holiday rental place turned over and their stuff stolen including the Nexus 10.
Is there Anything I should do? I don't think it had any bank details etc on it but does have parents email set up (so that needs a new password)
And has my gmail account linked to it, so that needs a new password.
Is there anything else?
If it matters, it's on stock ROM, I'd unlocked it to get stick mount working and titanium backup, think I left the bootloader unlocked.
Thanks

Neilroot said:
My parents, away on holiday, just had the holiday rental place turned over and their stuff stolen including the Nexus 10.
Is there Anything I should do? I don't think it had any bank details etc on it but does have parents email set up (so that needs a new password)
And has my gmail account linked to it, so that needs a new password.
Is there anything else?
If it matters, it's on stock ROM, I'd unlocked it to get stick mount working and titanium backup, think I left the bootloader unlocked.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Change all relevant account details immediately. You'd be surprised what someone could get out of a login, especially if you were using a browser that caches/syncs password information (like Chrome). If you do use Chrome, you may want to clear all saved Chrome Sync data-- it's a pain, yes, but that's what you sign up for if you're going to use a syncing service.
In all likelyhood, your device is just going to get wiped and sold (sorry, but it's probably true unless they get confounded by a custom recovery [if you're using one]). Before you reset the password though, you may as well try to push one of the after-event anti-theft apps out on the market (like Android Lost or Plan B) to your tablet in case the thief is stupid enough to leave the tablet on or connect it to Wi-Fi. You never know!
You also may as well try to get your S/N and forward that to local authorities. You may get lucky.

Cheers.
I bought it for them as a present at Christmas so I guess my Google account may have the s/n. I also set it up for them so although mum created her own gmail account I think the tablet is still linked to mine. How do I push a theft app to it and NOT my nexus 4 or my old Desire (now my mum's mobile)?

Neilroot said:
Cheers.
I bought it for them as a present at Christmas so I guess my Google account may have the s/n. I also set it up for them so although mum created her own gmail account I think the tablet is still linked to mine. How do I push a theft app to it and NOT my nexus 4 or my old Desire (now my mum's mobile)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the Play Store online, search the names of the apps I mentioned, and hit the INSTALL button. It'll bring up a window showing compatible devices; choose the relevant one and away you go. Keep in mind that these are by far and away not bulletproof solutions, and it's more of a "why not" thing than something to rely on.

Rirere said:
Go to the Play Store online, search the names of the apps I mentioned, and hit the INSTALL button. It'll bring up a window showing compatible devices; choose the relevant one and away you go. Keep in mind that these are by far and away not bulletproof solutions, and it's more of a "why not" thing than something to rely on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. From my phone I can install them on it (my phone), but can't seem to push the app to another device.
Oh well. This is what insurance is for.

Neilroot said:
Thanks. From my phone I can install them on it (my phone), but can't seem to push the app to another device.
Oh well. This is what insurance is for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The insurance is going to be a lot more reliable than these apps. But yes, you can do it from your phone-- but you won't be able to do it in the Play Store app. You need to do it from the browser version (just navigate to play.google.com, and if it redirects you to the app, go to Settings > App > Play Store > Clear defaults and try again).

Excellent! Prey is now pushing....if it connects that is. So....do I wipe or do I go for location and a photo? Wipe I think!

Neilroot said:
Excellent! Prey is now pushing....if it connects that is. So....do I wipe or do I go for location and a photo? Wipe I think!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may as well go for the location first and send the wipe immediately after. If the app is any good it should handle the requests sequentially.

How to transfer device ownership without reseting?

My mother's Nexus 7 has 2 accounts, the main/owner one which is my own and a secondary one for her. That's how I initially configured that device but I don't use it anymore, I want to remove my account from that device. How can I do that and transfer the device ownership to her account without resetting and re-configuring everything?

Anyone?

Nazgulled said:
My mother's Nexus 7 has 2 accounts, the main/owner one which is my own and a secondary one for her. That's how I initially configured that device but I don't use it anymore, I want to remove my account from that device. How can I do that and transfer the device ownership to her account without resetting and re-configuring everything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, Nazgulled...
I really don't think there is an easy way of transferring ownership, other than with a factory reset, and then setting it up as a new device, with a new owner.
A factory reset provides a complete and clean break from the previous owner to the new owner.
It also depends on how many accounts you have, and with which organisations.
For example, I have my standard Google account, my Guardian (UK newspaper) account, BBC account, and Facebook account (not that I use it much).
Further, using Chrome browser, I use it to login to multiple blogs, websites and forums (such as XDA), and it remembers my login and password details.
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Removing Google accounts is reasonably straightforward though...
On your Nexus 7
Go to SETTINGS>>ACCOUNTS>>GOOGLE...
Select your Google account, and then tap on the '3 dot' overflow menu at the top right hand corner of the screen, and select the Remove Account option.
(See attached screenshot.)
And then do the same for your mother's Google account, as it's a secondary account.
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Once both accounts are removed, tap BACK twice (to just SETTINGS>>ACCOUNTS) and select +Add Account, select Google and enter your mothers Google login details, username and password...
Or alternatively, just back out of everything to the home screen and then fire up the PlayStore or Gmail app, where you'll be prompted to enter your mother's Google account details.
You're now setting up the Nexus 7 with your mother as the primary Google account holder.
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One possible problem here that I can forsee, is if you've bought any paid-for apps from Google PlayStore using your (Nazgulled) Google account, and that you currently share with your mother, they will still be installed on the Nexus 7, but they will likely, at some point, fail the Google licence check... as you will cease to be the legitimate paid-for and licenced user of those apps on this device, the Nexus 7 (because your Google account will have been removed from the device).
This may possibly result in complete cessation of those apps, or experience some degree of limited/restricted functionality. This may not happen immediately. It could be days or weeks before this happens. It depends on how the apps (in question), and their developers deal with unpaid for, and thus unlicensed software.
Your mother may need to buy the apps (a licence) to continue to use them at some point, or alternatively, uninstall them.
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You should also clear the data of certain apps you currently use, as the primary user of the device...
Any email apps you happen to use, such as...
**Gmail
**Inbox
**MailDroid
Any browsers...
**Chrome and it's derivatives (Beta and Developer)
**Opera
**Boat Browser
**Maxthon Browser
Any banking or financial apps you also might have installed. This will clear username and password login details stored by these apps.
This is accomplished as follows.
I'll use Chrome as an example.
Go to SETTINGS>>APPS>>Scroll horizontally to the ALL tab...
Scroll DOWN to Chrome, tap to enter and tap the CLEAR DATA button.
The same method should be used for apps installed whose login details you wish to clear.
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Please don't misunderstand me... I'm not trying to impugn your relationship with your mother or the level of trust you have with her. But privacy is a consideration when transferring a device that has not been properly wiped. And I'm just pointing out the complexity of removing your personal data from a device... without factory resetting it... and which is the only surefire and guaranteed way of cleanly transferring ownership.
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If all the above sounds a bit messy, that's because it is!!!
I know from experience in the past, with Android devices, Windows PC's, and quite recently, an Apple Mac, that the most straightforward way of transferring ownership, is for the new user to begin with a completely blank slate.
And apart from anything else, a factory reset device generally tends to perform better, is smoother and is more responsive, once the accumulated detritus of months or years of use has been swept away.
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Hope this is useful to you... and good luck.
Rgrds,
Ged.

Wow, such detailed post. Much appreciated...
Now that I think about it, a factory reset would probably work because my mother doesn't have that many apps and the ones that she uses are probably backed up on Google's servers which will be automatically restored when setting up the device a second time. There are no purchased apps that I share with the second account, so that's not a problem. About privacy, no worries mate, that's a non-issue, unless someone unknown gets access to the device and starts poking around, that's not a problem.
I'll probably do a factory reset than, it will probably be easier.
Thanks