The biggest addition to Android 4.3 is the Multi-User Restricted Profiles feature, which lets you control the usage of apps and other content on a user level. Multiple user profiles were already available in 4.2.2, but the ability to create restrictions has long been requested, so it’s sure to be a big hit.

The people most obviously to benefit from the new profile controls are parents. We saw this in Google’s demo; being logged into a restricted user profile caused an app to behave differently. Specifically, a freemium game showed up without all of the in-app purchasing functionality, which is clearly going to be useful for parents with young children who use the device.

The ability to create restricted user profiles can be useful for businesses and families that share devices.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jaymar Cabebe/CNET)

As well, retail kiosks that use tablets for customer service or as POS systems will be able to make use of the feature. By enabling multiple user profiles, businesses will be able to take advantage of the versatility of tablets by using them in different contexts.

- CNET, Google Android 4.3 is here, and it tastes like Jelly Bean

Tablets are really a social device, meant to be handed between users. Its surprised me its taken this long for multi-user OSes to catch on for tablets. Depending on execution, this could be a killer feature for families sharing tablets. It looks pretty cleanly executed, and yet another feature my iPad lacks…. for now.