Once a user of a Backendless-powered app logs in, a session is established. For a variety of reasons, including application security, it is best not to allow users to remain logged in indefinitely. Therefore, every session has an inactivity timeout timer that is reset with every new API call made within the session. When the…

In another post, we wrote about how to create developer-defined security roles and how to secure data table access for a security role. Ultimately when a client application makes API requests, the security evolves around users, since it is a user who authenticates themselves against the system.

In another post, we described how to obtain a file’s public URL using Backendless Console. Even though anyone can obtain a public URL for a file or directory, it is very easy to change the permissions to restrict file download for anonymous (not authenticated) users.

The ability to update a user account is a common use-case for user management in applications. Either the users themselves or the admin may need to update user properties. Backendless provides the API for updating user accounts, although app admins/developers can do so using Backendless Console as well.

It has happened to a lot of people, especially with the online banking applications – you try logging in a couple of times and get your password wrong. Then the screen changes saying the account is locked out and you need to try again in XX minutes.

Your application can use the Backendless API to access data, run searches, and store, update and delete objects in the database. When users authenticate themselves with the backend, all subsequent API calls are executed on the behalf of the logged-in user.

In a Backendless backend, you can restrict access to API operations and/or application data. A restriction may apply either to specific users or to roles. When a restriction applies to a role, it automatically applies to the users in that role.

In another post, we covered user registration API, delivery of the welcome email upon the registration, login API, and the ability to enable/disable user accounts. The user management feature highlighted in this post focuses on changing a user’s password in Backendless Console.

Now that you know how to register and login users for your application, you might be wondering what degree of control over user accounts you have with Backendless. As a developer of a Backendless-powered app, the Console is the ultimate tool where you can control all aspects of your app, including user management.