Hidden Work Mode tile found in Android Auto code
A teardown of Android Auto version 18.0.664204 uncovered a Work Mode tile, suggesting Google may be testing Work Profile support in the car display. The feature does not work yet, and no release date is known.
A hidden Work Mode tile has turned up in the latest version of Android Auto, Google's system that shows smartphone apps on a car's dashboard display. The team at tech site Android Authority found it while taking apart version 18.0.664204 and managed to make it appear. The tile showed a briefcase icon over the app drawer, but tapping it did nothing. This suggests Google may be testing new Work Profile controls, although the company has not announced anything and there is no word on when the feature might launch.
Why work apps are missing today
An Android Work Profile is a separate space on a phone where employer-managed apps are kept apart from personal ones and marked with briefcase badges. Personal apps and data stay outside the company's management. To see whether you have one, look for separate Personal and Work tabs in the app drawer, or apps with small briefcase icons. You can also check under Settings > Passwords and accounts.
The restrictions are most noticeable with video conferencing apps. Microsoft says Teams supports audio calls and meetings through Android Auto, but the integration does not work when the app is installed inside a managed Work Profile. With Google Meet, an active call from a Work Profile can show on the dashboard, but upcoming meetings and call history from that profile do not.
What a work toggle could do
In theory, a Work Mode switch could silence work alerts on the drive home while leaving personal calls and navigation alone. For now, users with a Work Profile can pause work apps from 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 touching personal ones. Google has not said whether the experimental Android Auto tile will offer such controls; it has not been shown to pause notifications or launch work apps.
Even if the feature arrives, drivers may not get every company app. Android Auto limits app capabilities while driving, and employers decide which apps are available inside Work Profiles.
