Google Chrome Helps iPhone Users Balance Work And Play

Unless you work for a government agency or handle highly sensitive corporate information, it’s likely that your organization permits the use of personal phones for work-related tasks. Some companies, however, do mandate the use of an internal VPN or a distinct work profile to access online resources.

On desktop, switching between different user profiles in Chrome is fairly straightforward. Android users have the option to set up a work profile that keeps their professional data private and secure. Unfortunately, iPhone users haven’t had similar functionality until now. Starting in 2025, Google is set to make strides in this area for iOS users.

What’s on the horizon?

In the near future, Chrome on iOS will enable users to easily toggle between personal and professional profiles. This transition will be smooth, ensuring that all browsing activities and saved data remain distinct and organized for each profile.

Users will have their login details, tabs, groups, and browsing history kept separate. “When users log in or switch to their managed account in Chrome, browsing linked to their organization will be isolated from their other activities on the device,” the company states.

Upon first activating the profile switching feature in Chrome, users will be educated about the data retention policies set forth by their organizations. Every time they switch to the work profile in Chrome, they will receive a notification to this effect.

Better protections for mobile users

Moreover, a new URL filtering feature is coming that will stop employees logged into a work profile from accessing potentially harmful websites on iOS. Google is also enhancing its reporting tools for Chrome Enterprise on both Android and iOS, allowing IT administrators to better monitor security vulnerabilities and incidents.

These features will be integrated into Chrome Enterprise bundles, covering both the Premium and Core tiers. For those unfamiliar, Chrome Enterprise Core enables companies to manage extensions, applications, and settings from a single dashboard, while the Premium package includes added security measures like deep malware scans, data loss prevention, website filtering, and more.

As AI technology continues to grow, Google is further upgrading security measures for enterprise users. “Organizations can restrict employees from accessing unauthorized GenAI sites at a category level and direct them to sanctioned corporate services to mitigate ShadowAI risks,” the company announced in a press release.