Hi there. I need to use my phone for work, but want to isolate anything that is work related. What’s the recommended way of doing so these days? Found the Foss app called Shelter, but found it to be a bit buggy and seems to have been a while since previous update. Let me know about any tips or recommendations regarding this! 🙌
With Graphene, the recommended way is to use separate profiles, not Shelter or similar apps. Check out the official Graphene account on their forum:
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/12503-shelter-versus-native-gos-app-isolation-tradeoffs/10
I use it daily, it works wihtout issues for me, I don’t know what these dudes are talking about.
whenever i install an app from normal profile to work profile the installer just get stuck and i need to relaunch the app…
Short answer: No
Can you elaborate?
A different user profile would be better on GOS.
May not be best for privacy but very convenient. I have few apps which require google play services. I had them installed in work profile along with play services. When I am not using them, I simply turn off work profile. My main profile does not have play services installed.
You realize even if its isolated that if anything ever goes wrong at work, they have every right to take your phone yeah?
Never put work things on a personal phone. I don’t know if im just lucky, or if you have every right to do this but; if work requires putting something on your phone, make them buy you a new phone, a work specific phone. I’ve had to sign a few contracts ensuring the phone lives, but I’ve atleast never had to hand over a personal phone for work.
(With the added benefit of being able to turn off my work phone and being fully free from work)
I dont see it being legal (at least in the US) that work can take your personal property. I had a whole battle with my previous employer over this with the Union being on my side. If you installed a program that belongs to them it can be uninstalled and then it is gone.
With at-will employment, it could be grounds for termination in many instances if you refuse
As a person who cares deeply about my own personal privacy and property I’d rather be terminated. I’d rather make my life harder and possibly go homeless than give up my rights or property. I know thats not what most people would prefer to do though.
If your phone contains company material they absolutely can and will. Including the US. You were only lucky because you had a union that was on your side. The vast majority of Americans are not in a union and would not be afforded this luxury.
Speaking of, it was actually my Union jobs that allowed me to demand a work specific phone. If I was in your position I would have demanded they give me a work phone if it required a work app
You realize even if its isolated that if anything ever goes Wrong at work, they have every right to take your phone yeah?
I’m sure you have a law to point, right? Because it sure sounds made up.
There is no law, because its not illegal to do. Or maybe I’m wrong and their is a law specifically saying its okay to do this.
Bottom line? Any time work has told me to get a work related app, or whenever it was hinted at, you can bet your ass that they’ll have some you sign something as well.
I’ve also heard plenty of stories that this has happened. Don’t learn the hard way by installing work related apps on your personal phone.
Not to mention the few times I’ve told work that I simply will not install a work related app, and have gotten work phones.
There is no law, because its not illegal to do. Or maybe I’m wrong and their is a law specifically saying its okay to do this.
They have the right to take your property but that law isn’t written anywhere? I agree you’re wrong, but not on what you think
Yes, that is how contracts work, similar to how Terms and Conditions generally allow websites to take any data they’d like from you, and sign away rights like class action law suits. Contracts can also say that if you have work property on your phone, they have every right to take your phone.
You clearly have never worked somewhere where said company requires you to have a work app, and it shows.
Oooh, so now it’s a contract thing… Still BS and made up, but I like how you backtrack.
And yes, I’ve worked in companies that require a work app. Some gave a phone, others allow to install in your. Current is a fortune 50 that allows installing on your own using Intune.
And you can be sure they are smart enough to not try to take away employee property because contracts with illegal terms are not enforceable, so they don’t even try.
I guess you’re used to being treated badly, in which case I’m sorry for you.
Island, Shelter and Insular all do pretty much the same thing giving you a “work” profile. I use CalyxOS but I use my work profile to isolate proprietary apps. If you just need it to log into an app to log work hours or something any of the three should be fine, although you might want to look into the slight differences in how they work. (don’t remember off the top of my head
A second user profile
Not sure why i didnt think of using the stock option for this tbh. But isnt that what shelter and these apps do anyway? What are the differences?
I’m just an average user, I don’t think I can give an accurate answer… But check this out…
Super helpful community. Tons of info available.
You dont need shelter. Just create another user profile.
Would love to but switching profiles crashes my 6a and restarts the phone every time. Wish this problem would be fixed as it makes switching profiles so annoying and using a a service like shelter more convenient.
I would probably focus on getting that fixed and tell your employer that they need to provide you a work phone or pay you a stipen.
Profiles are a pretty big feature to not having working on Android in general but, especially on Graphene.
I have a Pixel 8 pro (with stock OS) and use Shelter to isolate my work apps. I have not had any issues. Super nice being able to just pause the whole suite of apps when I’m on PTO / away and don’t want to be bothered.
I’ve used Island in the past and it worked fine
Island doesnt block main profile contact snooping by an app in the work profile. I recommend shelter for anyone who isnt set on either.
Interesting, could you share the fdroid link to that? Not seeing it on fdroid/droidify
Looks like it’s only on the play store and GitHub, you could use obtainium. But it’s not been updated since 2023 apparently.
There is a maintained fork of Island on F-Droid, called Insular:
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.oasisfeng.island.fdroid/
