I suggest to add an App that will start at every system start to switch to a secondary user. The method require a version of Android 10 minimum. Let's suppose that the secondary user is not admin and it's the only secondary user. # The android App: **Manifest.xml** ``` <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" package="com.example.switchuser"> <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED" /> <application android:allowBackup="true" android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher" android:label="@string/app_name" android:roundIcon="@mipmap/ic_launcher_round" android:supportsRtl="true" android:theme="@style/AppTheme"> <activity android:name=".MainActivity" android:label="@string/app_name" android:theme="@style/AppTheme.NoActionBar"> <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" /> <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" /> </intent-filter> </activity> <receiver android:name="com.example.switchuser.BootReceiver" tools:ignore="Instantiatable" android:enabled="true" android:exported="true" android:permission="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED"> <intent-filter> <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" /> <action android:name="android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED" /> <action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED" /> <action android:name="android.intent.action.REBOOT" /> <action android:name="android.intent.action.QUICKBOOT_POWERON" /> <action android:name="com.htc.intent.action.QUICKBOOT_POWERON" /> <action android:name="android.intent.action.ACTION_SHUTDOWN" /> </intent-filter> </receiver> <receiver android:name=".AppAdminReceiver" android:permission="android.permission.BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN"> <meta-data android:name="android.app.device_admin" android:resource="@xml/device_admin_receiver" /> <intent-filter> <action android:name="android.app.action.DEVICE_ADMIN_ENABLED" /> </intent-filter> </receiver> </application> </manifest> ``` **res/xml/device_admin_receiver.xml** ``` <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <device-admin xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"> <uses-policies> <limit-password /> <watch-login /> <reset-password /> <force-lock /> <wipe-data /> <expire-password /> <encrypted-storage /> <disable-camera /> <disable-keyguard-features /> </uses-policies> </device-admin> ``` **MainActivity.java** ``` package com.example.switchuser; import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyManager; import android.content.BroadcastReceiver; import android.content.ComponentName; import android.content.Context; import android.content.Intent; import android.os.Build; import android.os.Bundle; import com.google.android.material.floatingactionbutton.FloatingActionButton; import com.google.android.material.snackbar.Snackbar; import androidx.annotation.RequiresApi; import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity; import androidx.appcompat.widget.Toolbar; import android.os.UserHandle; import android.view.View; import android.view.Menu; import android.view.MenuItem; import java.util.List; public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity { public static final int RESULT_ENABLE = 11; private ComponentName compName; private DevicePolicyManager manager; @RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.P) @Override protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) { super.onCreate(savedInstanceState); setContentView(R.layout.activity_main); Toolbar toolbar = findViewById(R.id.toolbar); setSupportActionBar(toolbar); FloatingActionButton fab = findViewById(R.id.fab); fab.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() { @Override public void onClick(View view) { Snackbar.make(view, "Replace with your own action", Snackbar.LENGTH_LONG) .setAction("Action", null).show(); } }); compName = new ComponentName(this, AppAdminReceiver.class); Intent intent = new Intent(DevicePolicyManager.ACTION_ADD_DEVICE_ADMIN); intent.putExtra(DevicePolicyManager.EXTRA_DEVICE_ADMIN, compName); intent.putExtra(DevicePolicyManager.EXTRA_ADD_EXPLANATION, "Explain why we need this permission"); startActivityForResult(intent, RESULT_ENABLE); manager = (DevicePolicyManager) getSystemService(Context.DEVICE_POLICY_SERVICE); # Get list of secondary users List<UserHandle> listUsers = manager.getSecondaryUsers(compName); #Switch to the first secondary user in the list manager.switchUser(compName, listUsers.get(0)); } @Override public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) { // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present. getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.menu_main, menu); return true; } @Override public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) { // Handle action bar item clicks here. The action bar will // automatically handle clicks on the Home/Up button, so long // as you specify a parent activity in AndroidManifest.xml. int id = item.getItemId(); //noinspection SimplifiableIfStatement if (id == R.id.action_settings) { return true; } return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item); } } ``` **AppAdminReceiver.java** ``` package com.example.switchuser; import android.app.admin.DeviceAdminReceiver; import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyManager; import android.content.ComponentName; import android.content.Context; import android.content.Intent; import android.os.Build;; import android.widget.Toast; import androidx.annotation.RequiresApi; public class AppAdminReceiver extends DeviceAdminReceiver { private static final String TAG = "AppAdminReceiver"; @RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) @Override public void onProfileProvisioningComplete(Context context, Intent intent) { // Enable the profile DevicePolicyManager manager = (DevicePolicyManager) context.getSystemService(Context.DEVICE_POLICY_SERVICE); ComponentName componentName = this.getComponentName(context); manager.setProfileName(componentName, "SwitchUser"); manager.setLockTaskPackages(componentName, new String[]{"com.example.switchuser"}); } /** * @return A newly instantiated {@link ComponentName} for this * DeviceAdminReceiver. */ public static ComponentName getComponentName(Context context) { return new ComponentName(context.getApplicationContext(), AppAdminReceiver.class); } @Override public void onEnabled(Context context, Intent intent) { Toast.makeText(context, "Device Admin : enabled", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); } @Override public void onDisabled(Context context, Intent intent) { Toast.makeText(context, "Device Admin : disabled", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show(); } } ``` **BootReceiver.java** ``` package com.example.switchuser; import android.app.admin.DevicePolicyManager; import android.content.BroadcastReceiver; import android.content.ComponentName; import android.content.Context; import android.content.Intent; import android.os.Build; import android.os.UserHandle; import androidx.annotation.RequiresApi; import java.util.List; public class BootReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver { private static final String TAG = "Boot Receiver"; private ComponentName compName; private DevicePolicyManager manager; @RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.P) @Override public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) { if (intent != null) { if (intent.getAction().equalsIgnoreCase( Intent.ACTION_BOOT_COMPLETED)) { compName = new ComponentName(context, AppAdminReceiver.class); manager = (DevicePolicyManager) context.getSystemService(Context.DEVICE_POLICY_SERVICE); List<UserHandle> listUsers = manager.getSecondaryUsers(compName); manager.switchUser(compName, listUsers.get(0)); } } } } ``` To enable the application as Device Owner in order have permissions to change the user, we need to use ADB: ``` adb root adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.example.switchuser/.AppAdminReceiver ``` # To restrict the user from some functionalities In order to harden the user you can: 1. Dump `/data/system/users/10.xml` where 10 is the id of the user. The file looks like this: ``` <?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8' standalone='yes' ?> <user id="10" serialNumber="10" flags="16" created="1598034338552" lastLoggedIn="1598035769294" lastLoggedInFingerprint="Android/sdk_phone_x86_64/generic_x86_64:10/QPP6.190730.005.B1/5775370:userdebug/test-keys" icon="/data/system/users/10/photo.png" profileBadge="0"> <name>New user</name> <restrictions no_sms="true" no_outgoing_calls="true" /> </user> ``` 2. Add more restrictions. The list of restrictions can be founded on [UserManager Documentation][1] 3. push the changes ``` adb push 10.xml /data/system/users/10.xml ``` # Reboot Once the device start the application switch the user to the secondary user. # Tests The app was tested on AVD (Android Virtual Device) If needed I can upload the App code to a Github repository. [1]: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/UserManager