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Door staff@engadget.com (Husain Parvez) - 02 Nov 2026
On the drive home, a dashboard Work Mode switch could eventually silence work alerts while leaving personal calls and navigation untouched. For now, if your employer has set up a Work Profile on your phone, you can pause work apps using the Work tab in the app drawer or, on supported devices, a work tile in Quick Settings. Pausing stops work apps and their notifications without affecting personal apps.
Some Android phones with a Work Profile let you schedule work hours through Digital Wellbeing, but Samsung's version has lacked this option. Here's the interesting part: Google says that scheduling can't keep work apps paused for consecutive days, such as an entire weekend. The manual switch still has its uses.
Google hasn't said whether Android Auto's experimental tile will offer those controls. It hasn't been shown to pause notifications or launch work apps. Meanwhile, current Android Auto customization options won't get around the Work Profile restrictions.
Even if the feature arrives, drivers won't necessarily get access to every company app. Android Auto restricts app capabilities while driving, and employers control which apps are available inside Work Profiles. On company-owned Android devices, IT admins can also limit how long a Work Profile stays paused. Exceeding that limit may suspend access to personal apps and data.
Some Android phones with a Work Profile let you schedule work hours through Digital Wellbeing, but Samsung's version has lacked this option. Here's the interesting part: Google says that scheduling can't keep work apps paused for consecutive days, such as an entire weekend. The manual switch still has its uses.
Google hasn't said whether Android Auto's experimental tile will offer those controls. It hasn't been shown to pause notifications or launch work apps. Meanwhile, current Android Auto customization options won't get around the Work Profile restrictions.
Even if the feature arrives, drivers won't necessarily get access to every company app. Android Auto restricts app capabilities while driving, and employers control which apps are available inside Work Profiles. On company-owned Android devices, IT admins can also limit how long a Work Profile stays paused. Exceeding that limit may suspend access to personal apps and data.