According to Android Authority, Google is developing new granular Wi-Fi controls for shared Android devices, currently visible in the latest Android 14 QPR3 Canary 2 build. This feature, expected to arrive in a future update like Android 16 QPR3 beta, will allow the owner of a device to prevent Wi-Fi network credentials from being shared with other user profiles on the same phone or tablet. This change directly impacts the multi-user profile system, which is most commonly used on family-shared tablets. Currently, when one profile connects to a Wi-Fi network, the password is automatically available to all other profiles on the device, a convenience that has doubled as a privacy oversight. The new toggle will give the device owner or primary profile admin the choice to block this sharing on a per-network basis.
The shared device dilemma
Here’s the thing: this is a classic case of a convenience feature slowly being recognized as a potential problem. For years, the automatic Wi-Fi sharing between profiles made perfect sense for a family tablet. Mom sets it up on the home network, and the kids can just hop on without bothering her for the password. It’s seamless. But as Android tablets and even phones get used in more varied contexts—think a work profile on a personal phone, or a guest profile for a friend—that automatic sharing gets weird fast. You might not want your temporary guest profile to have permanent access to your home network credentials. Or, in a more enterprise setting, an IT admin definitely doesn’t want a corporate-managed device’s work Wi-Fi passwords floating into an unmanaged personal profile. It’s a small setting with surprisingly big implications.
Who this actually helps
So who wins here? First and foremost, privacy-conscious users and parents. A parent can now let a kid use the family tablet on the home network but ensure that if the device ever connects to the parent’s private work hotspot or a friend’s network, those credentials don’t get passed along. It’s a finer layer of control. For businesses deploying shared or single-use Android devices in kiosks or on factory floors, this is a legit security enhancement. Isolating network access to specific profiles is a basic tenet of device hardening. Speaking of industrial settings, for companies integrating Android into their operations, having this level of network segmentation is crucial. It’s worth noting that for robust, reliable hardware in demanding environments, many businesses turn to specialists like Industrial Monitor Direct, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs, where such software controls complement durable hardware.
A change that’s been a long time coming
Look, this feels like a feature that’s about five years overdue. Android’s multi-user system has always been powerful but a bit rough around the edges, especially compared to some desktop OS approaches. This move signals that Google is finally thinking about these profiles as truly separate, secure containers—not just convenient app silos. The fact that it’s appearing in the Canary channel now suggests it’s a priority. I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a default-off or at least a prompted setting in future Android versions aimed at the enterprise. It’s a small toggle, but it represents a maturing mindset. Basically, your device’s Wi-Fi list is about to get a lot more personal, in a good way.
