Can you switch users on PS4 while downloading?

Can You Switch Users on PS4 While Downloading?

One of the most commonly asked questions by PS4 owners is whether they can switch users on their console while downloading games. In this article, we will dive deep into this topic and provide you with all the information you need to know.

Answering the Question

According to multiple sources, the answer to this question is yes. You can switch users on your PS4 while downloading games. However, this can depend on the specific situation you’re in and the settings you have chosen for your account.

Passive Users and Primary Accounts

Let’s define a few terms that will be crucial in understanding this topic.

Passive users are those who use someone else’s account on the same PS4 console. They do not have full control of the technology and are limited by the primary user’s settings and permissions.

Primary accounts are those that are linked to the console itself. They are considered "activated" and are allowed to make full use of the console’s capabilities, including downloads, game sharing, and other features.

Now, when you are using your primary account on your PS4 and your friend wants to try a game they own, you can give them control of the console by activating their account as the primary account for the moment. This is known as a "hot swap" and it allows multiple people to use the same PS4 console simultaneously.

Switching Users

Now that we have cleared up some terms, let’s discuss switching users on your PS4 while downloading.

As long as the system is in a usable state (i.e. the download is in progress), you can switch to another user account on your PS4 console without disrupting the download. This can be a very convenient feature if you need to switch between accounts, perhaps because you have multiple accounts on different servers.

To switch users while a download is in progress, you’ll need to do the following:

1. From the main PS4 menu, select your friend’s account.
2. Ensure their account is the active one by choosing System Settings -> Account Management -> User Selection -> Set User as Active.
3. After making your friend’s account active, restart your console. This will ensure a proper activation of their account on your console.
4. Once you restart, ensure the download is not stuck at 0 bytes.
5. Now, Pause and Resume or stop and restart the download in Download Management.

The downloading should continue without any significant problems once you switch back to the other account.