Android Auto teardown finds hidden Work Mode tile in version 18.0

A teardown of Android Auto version 18.0.664204 has turned up a Work Mode tile, according to Engadget, suggesting Google may be experimenting with controls for employer-managed apps on the car display. The Android Authority team behind the discovery got the tile to appear, showing a briefcase icon above the app drawer, but tapping it produced no response.

Engadget reports that Google has not said when, or whether, such a feature might reach drivers.

An Android Work Profile is not the same thing as adding a second Gmail account. It places apps controlled by an employer in a walled-off area, tagged with briefcase badges, while personal apps and data on an employee-owned handset stay beyond the company's reach. You can check whether one exists on your phone by looking for separate Personal and Work tabs, or for apps carrying small briefcase marks in the app drawer. If neither shows up, you likely do not have one, though Settings > Passwords and accounts is worth a look to confirm.

Video meeting tools show the limits most clearly. Microsoft says Teams handles audio calls and meetings through Android Auto, yet that support breaks down when the app sits inside a managed Work Profile. Google Meet behaves a little differently: a call already running in a Work Profile can surface on the dashboard, but scheduled meetings and past call history from that profile stay out of view. That is awkward for anyone hopping between appointments who wants to dial into the next meeting from the car screen.

Not every absent app points to a Work Profile. You may simply have removed it from the Android Auto launcher, and a connection fault can explain a total failure to load. Neither case involves managed profiles.

If your employer has already configured a Work Profile, you can currently halt work apps through the Work tab in your app drawer or, where the device supports it, a work tile in Quick Settings. Pausing stops those apps and their alerts while personal apps keep running. Some Android phones also allow work hour scheduling via Digital Wellbeing, though Samsung's variant has not offered it. Google says scheduling cannot hold work apps paused across consecutive days, such as a full weekend, so the manual switch retains value.

Google has not disclosed whether the experimental tile will deliver any of these controls. It has not been shown pausing notifications or opening work apps, and existing Android Auto customization cannot sidestep Work Profile limits. Even if the tile ships, drivers may not see every company app, since Android Auto curbs app abilities while driving and employers decide what a Work Profile contains. On company-owned devices, IT administrators can cap how long a profile stays paused, and going past that cap may cut off access to personal apps and data.