If You Use Your Personal Phone For Work, Try This Feature Out

There's a growing trend towards people having two phones. This isn't about elicit or secretive activity, but a way to enjoy a better work-life balance, disconnecting from work during off hours by putting away the "work" phone, and using the "personal phone" instead until the next workday resumes. For some, this is also essential for security reasons if a work phone has access to sensitive and confidential material that shouldn't be housed on the same device you use to post TikToks and order Uber Eats. But not everyone gets a work-provided phone nor has the budget to buy two devices. However, you don't have to if you want to get that separation. You can still use your personal phone for work (or your work phone for personal) while enjoying two separate and distinct experiences.

This is accomplished on the best Android devices using the Work Profile feature. As the name implies, this is basically a second secure and private section on your personal phone that can house work-related apps, files, photos, and other data. It can't be accessed when using your device in "personal" mode and your personal accounts can't be accessed when the phone is in "work" mode.

Android Work Profile works on virtually any Android smartphone running Android 5 or later, but you may have to speak to your IT admin to get it set up. Once done, go to Settings, Passwords and accounts, and find the Work Profile there. Another option is to use a third-party app like Shelter that allows for adding a Work Profile yourself without needing to go through your company. This is ideal for those who work for small businesses versus large corporations and have more autonomy to handle this on their own. Once installed on an Android phone with OS 7.0 and above, you can create a separate profile without having to deal with corporate rigmarole.

To access your Work Profile, swipe up from the bottom of the phone's screen, select the Work tab, and the essential productivity app you'd like to open. You can also choose to lock the Work profile with Android phones running OS 7.0 and higher so a passcode is needed to access it. If the phone is owned by your company, they can see and access apps under the Work Profile, but cannot view your personal apps and data. You can also customize Work Profile notifications to receive them on the home screen but with sensitive details hidden. While you'll typically have to switch to the personal profile to access calls, text messages, and contacts, you should be able to use data-based messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal for work purposes if needed.

Work Profiles are great in two separate scenarios. First, if your workplace provides a phone and you don't want to maintain a second one, especially if you work from home, you can talk to your company about setting it up. The advantage is double-edged: their sensitive data is protected during your off hours, weekends, and vacations, while your personal and private data remains as such as well. The second scenario is if your workplace does not provide a phone and you're using yours for business purposes during work hours. In this case, set up a Work Profile so you can still access pertinent files and apps if needed outside of work hours, but you're not operating in work mode the whole time. This leans into another reason, which is to help you disconnect and focus on what's most important: work during working hours, and family and personal time outside of them.

It's worth noting that a simpler option is to set up a separate user on the device. Add your work account there, and only a selection of apps you need, tied to that account. You can then flip back and forth between logins, just as you would on a family computer or tablet with multiple users. It's not as seamless an idea, but it's an option worth considering. In either case, it's a great way to support a healthier work-life balance.