Recognition: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Android phones will ask you to sign in to a Google account to install apps and download updates. However, some OEMs also offer their own accounts and services. Typically, users can avoid logging into them fully at the expense of some additional functionality. But often these features are quite useful.
To that end, we recently conducted a survey asking readers how they felt about OEM accounts and whether they even use them. Here is what they told us.
Are you signed in to an OEM / manufacturer account on your phone?
Results
The readers were pretty torn. The survey published on our website received more than 2,800 responses. A solid 56.7% of readers are signed into an OEM account on their devices. This trend continues Twitterwhere 52.1% of readers voted “yes”. However, the results on YouTube turned the other way around. Approximately 52% of the ~ 24,000 voters say they are not signed into an OEM account on their devices.
In our original survey article, an OEM account was defined as a secondary account offered by third party manufacturers. In addition to Google, Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi also offer their own login options for accounts. Judging by the comments, multiple users on all three platforms are using custom ROMs, pixel devices, or iOS. On the devices from Google and Apple, users have to sign in with their respective accounts. Note that those who vote with Pixels or iPhones may have skewed the results.
Those signed into OEM accounts can access third-party themes, promotions, and services. Some users, however, who disagree that there is nothing to be gained by logging in.
Here’s what you told us:
- Abhiram Akula: I’m on iOS so it’s a breeze. But even when I was using Samsung, I used the Samsung account just because I was able to use the Samsung apps to sync with Microsoft apps.
- Luis R. Rodriguez: Yes, signed into my Samsung account. Use the OEM software.
- v3xman: Signed into my mi account so I can download themes and prevent thieves from resetting my device in case it is stolen.
- Reetu Ilmari: I use Xiaomi Cloud, so yes.
- Takagi: Yeah. I have a Samsung account and it is very useful as a cloud backup for some of my personal data (contacts, messages, notes, calendar) and to seamlessly transfer them from my Galaxy S4 to my Galaxy Note 4 to my new Samsung phones . Up to my current daily Galaxy Note 9 driver. You don’t have to resort to third-party apps. It also allows me to find my devices, just like Google does, but Samsung seems to have the ability to keep accessing or backing up important data that Google doesn’t have.
- The Oracle: Definitely on my Samsung tablet. Samsung Internet, Pass and Cloud make life a lot easier. On my Huawei for their very good app store. On my Vivo No.
- Albin: I never signed up for Lenovo and Moto devices, but while researching and after purchasing the discussions in the OEM user forum, I learned useful things about both and signed up there. I’ve disabled most of the pre-installed OEM branded software, some of which required some sort of OEM account.
- Joe Black: No, because I don’t see any advantage in that.
That’s it for this poll. Thank you for your votes and comments. If you have any other thoughts on the topic or the survey results, please drop them below.
