iPad Pro iPad and guests

[dusk007]

Got myself an ipad pro, after bad experiences with Windows tablets and no interest in relatively cheap android tablets.
My father also had an ipad mini4 which is still quite snappy.
Brilliant hardware without a doubt.

There is one thing I did not know. There is no multi user login on iOS.
Since this is essentially a living room device for multiple people, surfing, shopping, youtubeing or remote controlling the tv (youtube,...) I wonder how people handle this.
I would like to use faceid and add my password managers and have shopping apps enabled...
Like when I hand it to guest, I don't want to have to look over their shoulder in order for them not accessing stuff they shouldn't.

1. There is this guided mode but just a single app. It is not about toddlers, I do want to give guest access to most stuff e.g. (youtube, maps, google earth, safari, ...)
However I would like them no to use an amazon(or other) shopping app, or my chrome business browser profile, or my card wallet (not using that yet).
On Windows I just have a guest user which is perfectly usable device with maybe family photos and nothing else.

2. Secondly I have a question about faceid. There is this alternate appearance, so two people can unlock it. But does this map to the same userId. Say I enable faceId in my password manager, would the alternate appearance than also be able to unlock it.
I now only see a way to add pins to things like password managers as a work around.

The hardware is just better than what you get with Android. While there are powerful windows convertibles, windows is still very bad in the app department, and slow and/or power hungry. This thing is sleek has great sound, incredible display and speed, I only wish it had an OS that didn't require me to buy three devices (which is obviously what Apple wants me to do). It is not a phone it is a tablet, in my mind that is akin to a TV in that everyone uses it.

Of course there is the option to just not put anything on there that is private or secret or buy an Android device.
How do you deal with these issues, or did you get used to it, not care and or changed you way of using it.

BTW: I have used MacBooks for many years (10+) my phones have always been Android for a number of reasons.

 

[rui no onna]

It's more like a laptop rather than TV. I don't let other people use my laptop, either.

Apple designed the iPad as single user only. Multiple FaceID and TouchID input just opens the main/only user account.

That said, yeah, guest mode and multiple profiles (e.g. personal and work) would be a much appreciated addition to iOS.

I've upgraded iPads multiple times over the past 8 years. The latest device is always for my use only. The old ones got handed down and used as a shared iPad until there were enough hand-me-downs that everyone eventually got their own.

Nowadays, the $250 basic iPads makes for a decent, relatively inexpensive iPad for shared use, HomeKit controller, etc.

 

[JagdTiger]

It's more like a laptop rather than TV. I don't let other people use my laptop, either.

I've upgraded iPads multiple times over the past 8 years. The latest device is always for my use only. The old ones got handed down and used as a shared iPad until there were enough hand-me-downs that everyone eventually got their own.

Nowadays, the $250 basic iPads makes for a decent, relatively inexpensive iPad for shared use, HomeKit controller, etc.

They are too expensive to be used as a toy.

 

[rui no onna]

They are too expensive to be used as a toy.

My personal use desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone are pretty much all just toys (tech is my hobby). The primary purpose of all these for me is entertainment.

 

[JagdTiger]

My personal use desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone are pretty much all just toys (tech is my hobby). The primary purpose of all these for me is entertainment.

Yes but to fix broken tech toys could be expensive.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

"Guided mode" (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions) is the right choice. It's not just about "children" (although intended mostly for children). For example, you would want to prevent guests from changing the device passcode and the password to your Apple ID account, or form accessing your account information (both Apple ID and iTunes & App Store).

However, iOS devices are intended to be personal devices - the amount of information available on them - your contacts lists, calendars, ability to send email and text messages in your name all make sharing a risky move. It's not just about the ability to spend money.

So, if you do want to use it as a quasi-public device, then create a separate Apple ID account for the iPad that lacks your personal information, and set the Content & Privacy restrictions so that a visitor can't make changes that allow them to take control of the device.

 

[rui no onna]

Yes but to fix broken tech toys could be expensive.

It is but broken tech toys also mean an excuse to buy and play with new tech toys. With Kindle trade-in deals, it also means 25% discount + $5-25 credit towards the new model.

Besides, it's pretty unlikely they die within the 1 year warranty period and I've got an annual tech budget. Primary reason I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on the $1700 iPad Pro 11 1TB LTE at launch. It just uses up way too much of the tech budget. No thousand dollar iPhones for me nor annual upgrades, either, but that's mostly because phones aren't a particular interest of mine. Mostly go for tablets and e-readers.

 

[The Game 161]

Maybe with iOS 14... can see it happening

 

[Shirasaki]

Multiple user support is already achieve by Apple, but ONLY for fing schools. God forbid they dictate multiple user is not a thing for iPad. Look. iPad cannot even control Apple Watch nor I can control music playback on my iPad via watch. Now iOS 13 shows clear signs of turning it into some sort of quasi-laptop. Still no user profile support? And don’t let me complain about profile: the only profile that can deeply control iOS devices are those installed on Apple store devices. Nobody else, can access that deep level of system modification. God damn.

Ok rant over.

 

[pmmacd]

Help!

Anyone have current info on who has the best Black Friday prices for iPad Air. Need as much memory as I can get without going Pro.
Thanx

 

[AutomaticApple]

It is but broken tech toys also mean an excuse to buy and play with new tech toys.

Exactly! ?

 

[dusk007]

They are too expensive to be used as a toy.

Well I also had a 15" Notebook which was a main desktop, work notebook, mobile notebook, couch/bed tv for my girlfriend, ...
These thing can do a bunch of things and because they are expensive they should serve more than one purpose. If you would never get an ipad pro except just for work, then nobody except some artists that used to get wacom tablets would get them.
It is the big display, speed and updates for many years which make them useful. Also because of the updates they can last a really long time, compared to cars they are a cheap hobby even if that is all they are.

Concerning work I just tried to attach it to my work notebook (the one I didn't pay for and I do not own but is owned by the company and thus has a (my) company AppleId). I cannot use sidecar with that. So I cannot actually use my expensive (privat) tablet with my work notebook, only my own notebook (which is broken atm).
I still sort of own the company AppleId or all the data in it at least but I would not want to have my private device running that AppleId. So just to extend the desktop and have a scratch pad I cannot make use of it with a MacBook Pro I got for work.

I think i might send it back. Yes it is a really nice device for the living room if you use it like my dad for youtube and little else, but I also wanted to use it for work, as well as use many of the great apps and features (FaceID). If it is only a single user device (while considering me working at home and me not working at home not the same fing user, even though me and me is the same person) that really makes it quite unattractive now.

I really don't want a little ipad, because I despise stuff that does not have USB-C. Lighting is a no go for me. Also the screen size was kind of the point and it is not like I don't have the money. I don't care so much what stuff costs if it gets used a lot and last a couple years 1000 Euro is not much. Compare that to the money people dump in home theater stuff they use once a week if that, or cars.

@pmmacd try amazon renewed. That is where I got mine. Saved me 500 Euro of the 1300 it normally costs for a perfectly working device with only a tiny nick in the aluminium.

 

[nicho]

"Guided mode" (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions) is the right choice. It's not just about "children" (although intended mostly for children). For example, you would want to prevent guests from changing the device passcode and the password to your Apple ID account, or form accessing your account information (both Apple ID and iTunes & App Store).

That isn't actually "guided mode". But you're right that it's the right choice.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

That isn't actually "guided mode". But you're right that it's the right choice.

You're right, it's not "guided mode" - that's the term the OP used, so I quoted the OP.

 

[dusk007]

Okay it is called guided access

"Guided mode" (Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions) is the right choice. It's not just about "children" (although intended mostly for children). For example, you would want to prevent guests from changing the device passcode and the password to your Apple ID account, or form accessing your account information (both Apple ID and iTunes & App Store).

yes but that is just a single App as I understand it.

However, iOS devices are intended to be personal devices - the amount of information available on them - your contacts lists, calendars, ability to send email and text messages in your name all make sharing a risky move. It's not just about the ability to spend money.[\quote]
But it is not just sharing with visitors but also my girlfriend. E.g. I have a separate google account for two different work places. A private one. She has her own YouTube recommendations and obviously should not have access to work passwords or confidential info. All this would be easily fixed by being Apple to have a couple accounts. You have a living room acc and one for her one for me and a work acc for me. Login once and every App is there ready to work exactly as it should.
Considering how powerful and expensive an iPad Pro is, it seems weird people to not demand such features.

I used Fedora desktop at work now MacBook, Windows tablet at home, Windows/Linux Desktop and a Mac Notebook. All except the work devices had two users. You pick it up login with your user and you it is like it is your device. It would not make sense to buy two iPad Pros even though it is my girlfriend who actually wanted the 12.9 inch as it is a bigger screen for couch surfing\watching (and we do not own a tv). However even just legally it would be problematic to use that iPad Pro for work now when I cannot lock stuff down.

So, if you do want to use it as a quasi-public device, then create a separate Apple ID account for the iPad that lacks your personal information, and set the Content & Privacy restrictions so that a visitor can't make changes that allow them to take control of the device.

But since there is no fast way of switching, that means I reduce the device to very basic functionality. That's is very meh. These things have existed for a while now, I imagined that people had ways to deal with this or Apple would have had to fix it. It is not like fixing it is difficult.
I would use it as a quasi "public" device maybe 5% of the time (Let them flip through pictures, remote YouTube of the pc) That is not what I had in mind when I payed 850€. But I generally also let other people use my notebook. Everything worrisome there is secured by extra logins e.g. a password manager auto closes, amazon requires 2fa, ...

 

[nicho]

You're right, it's not "guided mode" - that's the term the OP used, so I quoted the OP.

Except it isn’t. What op was discussing is completely different, in the accessibility settings.

 

[Lisat78]

This isn’t ‘guided mode’ (which is one app only, as you’ve found) but you could enable ‘restricted mode’ which is more configurable. You can choose which apps a user has access to-eg, App Store, Safari etc, and as far as I remember you can enable/disable it on the fly. That’s via Screen Time and may give you what you want. I’ve used it within a museum setting for multiple iPads where we needed to give kids a certain amount of control within the iPad, but lock them out of sensitive/account controls. Note, though, that some were able to disable it and we had to revert to Guided Access which was more successful, but less flexible. Alternatively, use apps that allow you to put your stuff in and hide behind a passcode, and everyone else use the defaults.