Back in December 2017, I wrote a blog post about how I use the work profile on my Android phone to separate work and personal data. If you’re new to the work profile, I’d recommend giving the blog a read for a few helpful tips and tricks to get the most out of your work profile. The screenshots may be a bit dated, but the concepts are the same on newer versions of Android as well.
Over the last two years, Google has introduced new features (including a cosmetic refresh) for the work profile, so I thought I’d give you an updated perspective on how I use the work profile on my Pixel 4 XL. I’ve also outlined a few more tips and tricks that could help you get even more out of your device.
Removing the clutter with tabs
Android 9 introduced a new look for the work profile. Instead of a cluttered list of all your work and personal apps in the same app launcher view, you now get both a ‘Personal’ and a ‘Work’ tab. This seems like a small improvement at first, but you quickly realize how much it helps with organizing. Before Android 9, I had to manually drag and drop newly installed work apps into my work app folder. It’s great to see the OS take care of that organization for me.
You also now have easy access to turn off your work profile from the ‘Work’ tab when you’re on vacation or simply need a night off from work notifications.
Separate ringtones and alerts for work
You can customize the work phone ringtone and the work notification sound to easily identify when you receive a work call or work app notification. There is also an option to choose a separate alarm tone for work. The feature I find most useful here is the work call ringtone, which helps me easily identify if I’m receiving a call from work that I need to prioritize picking up, especially when I’m on the go.
Creating a work dictionary
Like me, I’m sure you find yourself typing out the same group of words again and again. Instead of having your jargon auto corrected, you can create a ‘work dictionary’ where you can add shortcuts for words. When you’re typing in a work app, you’ll see the recommendation pop up. One of my personal favorites is ‘ae’ as the shortcut for Android Enterprise, which I’ve illustrated in the screenshot below.
Combine your Work and Personal passcodes with One Lock
In my previous post, I spoke about how you can create a separate passcode for work apps. New with Android 9, Google released a way to use your device passcode to also unlock your work profile. If your organization allows it, using a single passcode to unlock your device and work profile can be a big convenience.
This of course depends on how complex your organization requires your device and work profile passcodes to be. If you don’t mind using a passcode that meets both work and personal criteria, it can be one less thing you have to remember day-to-day. Go into your lock screen settings and search for ‘One Lock’ to enable this feature.
Got any other helpful tips or favorite work profile features to share? Add them in the comments below or let us know on Twitter!
