Can several people use the same mobile device?¶

Yes. Shared household, workplace and borrowed devices may contain activity from several people even when the operating system exposes only one primary profile.

Shared use mixes evidence¶

Several users may know the passcode or use the same browser, camera, messages and apps. Some devices offer guest or multiple-user profiles; apps can hold separate accounts. Background synchronisation, scheduled events and notifications also create records without an active user.

A saved name, photograph or account may identify a relationship to the handset but not the person responsible for every artefact.

Distinguish users around the event¶

Build a relevant-time picture from possession, passcode or biometric access, account switching, language and typing, communications, location, paired devices, personal content and witnesses. Identify what supports each plausible user rather than forcing all records into a single-user story.

Where alternatives remain, state them and the evidence that could discriminate between them. Conversely, one person may distribute activity across several devices, so attribution should not assume one-to-one relationships in either direction.