Is having an Outdoors Profile actually useful?

nandohyphen1

Curious to know your thoughts on an "Outdoors Profile", which I would use when I'm out and about. I'm thinking it would consist of a nice wallpaper (so it looks like a "normal" phone), all of my contacts and text messages, phone, and some FOSS apps that I'd normally use when out. My idea is to make it a more "minimal" profile so if I lost my phone then someone couldn't directly access my Owner Profile. What are your thoughts on this? I'm sure it varies on my threat model, which is low to minimally moderate.

Oggyo

nandohyphen1 so if I lost my phone then someone couldn't directly access my Owner Profile.

If you lost your phone, then the profile will be already in locked state, unless you don't lock it manually and set something like 10 min. timeout.
If someone found it after the auto-reboot time was set, then it will be even in the BFU state.

I think the profile you mentioned makes more sense if your phone is snatched when unlocked (in that profile). But what really you will do in that profile if there always is fake? Dialing a number maybe, or using a navigation app?

mmobder

nandohyphen1 no

traveller

The main "outdoors" threat model is the phone being stolen when unlocked (according to YouTube these activities are becoming quite popular in large European cities). For that it makes sense, but also can become inconvenient to use.

nandohyphen1

Oggyo yeah I was kinda thinking that too. Thats why I was debating if it would be useful to me or not. I guess I'm thinking too if I was at a store with a lot of security cameras, it can be hard to enter my PIN in privacy. But that isn't too often that that happens anyway.

traveller

nandohyphen1 I guess I'm thinking too if I was at a store with a lot of security cameras, it can be hard to enter my PIN in privacy

In such cases I cover the display from cameras with my left hand, and enter the pin with the other hand using muscle memory (not using "pin shuffle" for that reason).