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  • How does Private Spaces isolation compare to secondary user profile?

Probably9857

U are right actually, documentation is actually written pretty ambigious. I was under the impression that private space would be an isolated environment. I still assume it is.

I've read https://developer.android.com/about/versions/15/features#private-space.

The private space uses a separate user profile

I assume that apps can't communicate between user profiles, at least not how user profiles are currently implemented in GOS.

The system sharesheet and the photo picker can be used to give apps access to content across spaces when the private space is unlocked.

This is written ambigious in my opinion, is it only system sharesheet and photopicker which can give apps acces to content across spaces? I assume this is only possible after user interaction first? At least i hope so. So can apps communicate, or can they access content after user interaction first. I hope and assume the latter.

Apps in the private space show up in a separate container in the launcher, and are hidden from the recents view, notifications, settings, and from other apps when the private space is locked.

Hmm, only when locked?

When a user locks the private space, the profile is stopped. While the profile is stopped, apps in the private space are no longer active and can't perform foreground or background activities, including showing notifications.

I guess its safe to assume that in a locked state, apps can't communicate between spaces. However i'm not so sure anymore what is actually the case in a unlocked state.

This is based on AOSP, and the implementation in GOS might be slighty different, i.e. more secured.

@Graphene1 Apologies, i should take back that 'no'. I hope a developer can chime in and give a definitive answer.

      r134a 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:

      1. Clipboard is shared between private space and main profile.
      2. There is some means of granting apps access to files in the other profile, in a secure and private fashion, using file picker and similar. Meaning you as user must approve it before the app gets any access at all.
      3. Files can be transferred between profiles in some manner by you as the user, but not by apps.

          Apps in the private space show up in a separate container in the launcher, and are hidden from the recents view, notifications, settings, and from other apps when the private space is locked.

          r134a Hmm, only when locked?

          I feel like this might be an important distinction.

          Thinking about this from Google's perspective, they would probably want apps in the private space to be able to communicate with Play Services in the owner profile. If that is the only exception, that is probably prevented on GrapheneOS by running Play Services in the sandbox.

          Or would they design the feature in a way that communication is enabled with any app in the owner profile when the Private Space is unlocked?

          The developer docs seem to emphasize the use-case of keeping apps hidden from shoulder surfers, snoopers, or someone borrowing your phone, which is probably not the primary concern of GrapheneOS users.

            r134a

            The description sounds the same as the existing "work profile" feature. So: apps can't see each other across profiles and all data (e.g. files, contacts) are separate, but it is possible to manually share some data (e.g. you can make a screenshot and then "share" it with an app in the private space)

                Viewpoint0232

                Apps in the private space show up in a separate container in the launcher, and are hidden from the recents view, notifications, settings, and from other apps when the private space is locked.

                Do u know if apps in main profile can 'see' apps in private space when private space is unlocked?

                    Viewpoint0232
                    That's what i assumed beforehand aswell, however after reading the developer docs, i'm not 100% certain anymore. Most likely this is the case, however i find the writing in developer docs ambigious on that specific point.

                      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.

                      1. 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.

                      2. 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.

                          fid02 did u test this with both private spaces locked and unlocked?

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

                              Private Space was unlocked and active during the whole testing.

                                  fid02

                                  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.

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                                    • Post #73

                                    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.

                                      [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.

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                                          • Post #75
                                          • Edited

                                          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.

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                                            • Post #76
                                            • Edited

                                            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.

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                                            • Post #77

                                            fid02 But will have to be unlocked after next device boot, yes.

                                            I've not tried that

                                              [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.

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                                                    • Post #79

                                                    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.