One of the most highly desired features of iOS by anyone who shares an iPad is the ability to have multiple user accounts. This would allow parents to share iPads with their kids, friends to share with friends, and me to share the iPad with my girlfriend, and everyone could have their own custom springboard, app settings, wallpapers, and settings without interfering with others.

Multi-user accounts won’t be appearing officially in iOS anytime soon – as far as anyone knows – but if you jailbreak your iPad you can get an app from Cydia that does allow you to access and switch between multiple user accounts on the iPad right now.

Side note: if you’re new to jailbreaking but want to try this out, the absolute easiest jailbreak method for iPad and iPad 2 is by using JailbreakMe 3 with iOS 4.3.3, it’s entirely web-based at jailbreakme.com and as simple as it gets, just be sure to backup your iPad before starting.

The app is called iUsers and here’s how to download and use it:

Launch Cydia and add “cydia.iblogeek.com” as a repository

Search for iUsers

After you’ve downloaded iUsers, you add and switch user accounts with:

Tap on Settings > Extensions > iUsers

Tap “Add User” and enter a name, passcode, and choose to give them full admin access or not

To switch user accounts, go to your iPad lock screen and tap on the Accounts button in the corner to bring up the user selector, shown in the screenshot up top

I came across this app on MacStories and they caution that iUsers might not work well with backups because it reboots Springboard to activate, but if you’re cool with that risk then this is a nice add-on. I have to say that of all the new features that iOS 5 introduces that eliminate the need for a jailbreak, this is one that Apple really should include in future iOS versions, it’s just too useful not to.

A demonstration video of iUsers is embedded below:



