Android Auto could upset your work-life balance with its next update

A hidden toggle buried in the Android Auto app’s code isn’t functional yet. Here’s what it could do, what it might not, and what Google hasn’t said so far. Android Auto could upset your work-life balance with its next update.

Big Tech Google Android Auto could upset your work-life balance with its next update A hidden Work Mode tile hints at support for employer-managed apps, but no word on when it might arrive. An teardown of Android Auto version 18.0.664204 revealed a Work Mode tile, suggesting Google may be testing new Work Profile controls. The site’s team managed to bring up the tile, which lit up a briefcase icon over the app drawer, but tapping the tile didn’t do anything.

Supporting Work Profiles could make it easier to join work calls between appointments. Then again, it could also give the office another way to follow you into the car, which isn’t exactly everyone’s idea of a peaceful drive. Why work apps are missing from Android Auto Husain Parvez/ Using an Android Work Profile isn’t the same as signing in to a second Gmail account.

A Work Profile keeps employer-managed apps in a separate space and marks them with briefcase badges, while personal apps and data remain outside the company’s management on employee-owned phones. To check if you have a Work Profile set up, look for separate Personal and Work tabs or apps with small briefcase icons in your app drawer.