How does Private Spaces isolation compare to secondary user profile?

DeletedUser370

ryrona The information I have is that apps cannot communicate between private space and main profile at all, like for separate user profiles, except for three things:

In order to check whether an app in Private Space can see an app installed in Owner and vice versa, I did a small experiment by using the following app: https://github.com/trustdecision/trustdevice-android

I installed the app in both Owner and Private Space.

In Private Space, the app reported a total of 326 installed apps. This included system apps, and a total of 9 non-system apps. All 9 non-system apps were apps that I had manually installed in Private Space.
In Owner, the app reported a total of 417 apps. This included system apps, and a total of 56 non-system apps. All 56 non-system apps were apps that I had manually installed in Owner. 8 of them I had already installed in Private Space as well, but they did not show up as duplicates in Trustdevice run from Owner. One app I had only installed in Private Space and not in Owner. This app did not show up in Trustdevice run from Owner.

Note this being a highly non-academic investigation.

r134a

DeletedUser370 did u test this with both private spaces locked and unlocked?

Probably9857

DeletedUser370

Thank you for testing this.

A couple additional observations / questions:

The default launcher can see apps in the Private Space (must be able to actually). The developer docs specifically point out how to modify a launcher app to do this.

The docs also mention app stores, but I don't know what (if any) data an app store would be able to see regarding already installed apps when installing into a Private Space.

So if you're relying on Private Spaces to isolate apps, make sure you trust your launcher.

DeletedUser370

r134a did u test this with both private spaces locked and unlocked?

Private Space was unlocked and active during the whole testing.

r134a

DeletedUser370
Nice, thank u

[deleted]

I'm on stock and tried PS for my banking apps until I found out that apps in the PS do not show notifications on the main user profile. So unless you login into PS regularly you won't know of any app notifications. I suppose that's obvious, so its only for apps you don't expect notifications. Even app updates.

DeletedUser370

[deleted] I'm on stock and tried PS for my banking apps until I found out that apps in the PS do not show notifications on the main user profile.

They do. Unless you lock the Private Space profile. Then apps presumably won't be running, and naturally can't send notifications. You can disable the automatic locking of the Private Space profile. But will have to be unlocked after next device boot, yes.

[deleted]

DeletedUser370 But will have to be unlocked after next device boot, yes.

I've not tried that

[deleted]

Also didn't work with lawnchair launcher only pixel launcher. Access in main user is to pull up app drawer pull down to bottom of apps and sign in to reveal private spaces apps. Install apps from play store, only option, I tried install aurora and f-droid but they dont appear in play store. Not tried install through Brave yet.

Probably9857

[deleted] didn't work with lawnchair launcher

Launchers need to be updated to support Private Spaces. Lawnchair probably hasn't been yet.

[deleted] Install apps from play store, only option, I tried install aurora and f-droid but they dont appear in play store. Not tried install through Brave yet.

The app store side of this will be interesting to hear how these things work. App stores in the main profile need to be updated to support installing to a private space. What about an app store running in a private space? Where will it install to?

Someone mentioned in another thread that if you install a download from a browser that is installed in a private space, that app will also be installed in the private space. It isn't obvious to me that it would work that way, but if someone has personal experience doing that, I would be interested in hearing it.

[deleted]

I dragged 2 apps from upper app drawer to screen not realising the desktop is not a private space, you only run apps from the PS app drawer. And when on the pixel screen I deleted them only to find when went back to lawnchair they were also deleted from there.

blackrose

Probably9857
I can confirm. Installed aurora and droidify in the Private Space, then a few app from these source without issue

[deleted]

I opened PS Brave app searched aurora apk and downloaded from auroross to download.
Used files to locate apk and held to install and got a sorry something went wrong error.

[deleted]

As PS doesn't work with lawnchair I'm back with pixel launcher at least til lawnchair updates.
I found the way to install aurora, f-droid and droid-ify
So I'm setting my banking apps.
I have go at multiple PS aswell

[deleted]

Ive got PS working except I thought read somewhere when apps are install in PS that icon in the main app drawer is hidden.
I also found rather than installing using PS play store if I hold the App drawer icon there's a install to PS which I used. So at the moment the PS is pointless.
Please advise can I uninstall from App drawer

Upstate1618

I think PS is more like work profile than a secondary profile. In another words, it's less isolated than a secondary profile. Apps in the main profile can still know if you have installed an app in PS (just like work profile)

ryrona

Upstate1618 Apps in the main profile can still know if you have installed an app in PS (just like work profile)

Are you certain? I was under the impression apps in main profile cannot see what is installed in private space, and certainly can't communicate with apps in private space. And same other way around.

Graphene1

Eagerly awaiting GOS response on how isolated things are.

[deleted]

I've raised a query with Google support, now told its a hardware fault possibly and waiting for that team response. Been on chat for 45 mins now

[deleted]

Now waiting for email, Private Space , Wasted Space at the moment.

[deleted]

Got fed up waiting for Google so deleted Private Space.

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