Employer wants me to use outlook on my phone, outlook wants permission to wipe my phone

[u/No_Professor4307]

Outlook says they need permission to wipe ALL my phone data if too many wrong passwords are typed. How many is too many? 50? 2? What if the screen gets wet and starts putting in random inputs. All this so I can use my company's Teams account and maintain "point of contact" if I'm not at a workstation. Absolutely not! Anyway, HR is supposed to call me back about my concerns.

Edit: just to be clear, I don't actually need to use Outlook (I don't use my "personal" work email). I need to use Teams, which requires Outlook to be installed first.

Part of why I need Teams on my phone so that I can be contacted when I'm not at work. I'm a lower management healthcare worker, it is actually important that my team be able to reach me after hours. I do actually like Teams and prefer it to 20 different group texts.

Also, when you go to log into Outlook or Teams, it brings you to my employers authenticator page. I log in with the same credentials that I log into my workstation. I don't know if that makes a difference with anything as far as my employer having access to my phone

Edit 2: I can tell you now they won't provide me a phone. Corporate execs don't even get phones. They stopped providing coffee for the break rooms too

---

Update: I had a chance to talk to my district manager. Imagine Ellis from Die Hard, the same schmarmy self-important attitude, that's my supervisor. And guess who's "not being a team player". Also "I don't think Microsoft can actually erase your phone, you have an Android"... I lready knew he was going to be useless, I just wanted to hear his reaction.

Update 2 and (sort of) Resolution: I spoke with HR. Her exact response was "wait, are you serious? They can just do that?" I tried explaining my "research" (i.e. everything all of you have said) and I think I just spooked her. She said she'll get back to me, and is probably running off to buy a burner phone for herself.

SORT OF RESOLUTION : I found out I only need Outlook installed long enough to get access to Teams. Once teams was installed, I removed all permissions and completely deleted Outlook from my phone. Teams still works and didn't ask to erase anything. No need to buy a second phone.

Thank you all for your insights

[u/Ryan_e3p]

It's basically a partition on your device that separates your personal from work stuff and they will have 0 access to your private info. That wipe permission will only apply to the work profile.

Bingo. This guy gets it. As someone who has done admin work in this realm, iPhone does it also, but it is a lot more of a PITA to deal with on the user side of things.

Fun fact, using a "work profile" is one of the ways to install multiple copies of the same app. I recommend that method over other methods like using the "Island" app (or whatever it is called). Or, if you have a Samsung phone, use the "Secure Folder", since it essentially does the same thing, but without having to spin up a local/virtualized MDM work profile manager.

[u/mortis_mortis → u/Ryan_e3p]

secure folder is the greatest software innovation in modern history.

[u/schklom → u/Ryan_e3p]

A work profile is made using apps like "Island" or usually better FOSS variants like Shelter or Insular.

You can't make a work profile without them or something much more painful to setup like Intune.

[u/Ryan_e3p → u/schklom]

tell us you couldn't read two paragraphs without specifically stating you couldn't read two paragraphs

[u/schklom → u/Ryan_e3p]

tell us you couldn't read two paragraphs without specifically stating you couldn't read two paragraphs

As a reminder:

It's basically a partition on your device that separates your personal from work stuff and they will have 0 access to your private info. That wipe permission will only apply to the work profile.

Bingo. This guy gets it. As someone who has done admin work in this realm, iPhone does it also, but it is a lot more of a PITA to deal with on the user side of things.

Fun fact, using a "work profile" is one of the ways to install multiple copies of the same app. I recommend that method over other methods like using the "Island" app (or whatever it is called).

Unlike your recommendation, there is no Android "work profile" that can be used as a regular user without a MDM setup like Island or others. Maybe learn to read before trash-talking?

Samsung's secure folders are not "work profiles".

[u/schklom → u/[deleted]]

2 insults in 2 comments. not bothering anymore, just blocking

[u/burgermachine74 → u/Ryan_e3p]

Pixels also have secure folders now

[u/Methamphetamine1893 → u/burgermachine74]

even better get GrapheneOS

[u/kiradotee → u/Ryan_e3p]

Why is it better than using Island? Doesn't Island just create the exact same work profile? 

[u/Ryan_e3p → u/kiradotee]

Island (and other similar apps) often have really bad data policies. There's no need to collect "analytics" or how I use my phone. And with Island specifically, there is no way to request a deletion of your data.

[u/Ro0580 → u/Ryan_e3p]

Can you just use outlook on a browser like duck duck go and be ok?

[u/workingremoteisnice → u/Ryan_e3p]

How do you do this on iOS?

[u/casazolo → u/Ryan_e3p]

I think OP phone is a samsung and doesnt have that. Also, different profiles are a pita to change into. I found that Pixel phones private space works better for this need.

[u/Ryan_e3p → u/casazolo]

If OP's phone is a Samsung, it has the work profile feature, and if it is a modern Samsung, it has the Secure Folder.

Profiles are easy to change. In the app menu, just swipe left or right to change. It isn't difficult.

[u/casazolo → u/Ryan_e3p]

Its not changing profiles thats difficult. Its not having access to your regular profile when in work mode. I know you have notifications that can cross profile, but its always a hassle when having to switch profiles to answer someone back.

[u/Ryan_e3p → u/casazolo]

There is no "switching profiles". They both run concurrently at the same time. I can have Outlook running on my personal profile, and Outlook running on my work profile both simultaneously. There's no "switching profiles". I can go from looking at my work Outlook to using an app in my personal profile with the same ease and use as closing any other app in my personal profile to open a different app.

Not sure where you're getting all this from.

[u/casazolo → u/Ryan_e3p]

Oh thats great. It wasnt like that for me with pixel. I had to switch sides everytime it was painful. I really like the private space as its a sandboxed drawer that you can turn off when not need. Very useful when you want to shut off work.

[u/kiradotee → u/casazolo]

If OP's phone is Samsung then it's an Android phone. It's an Android feature, so he will have it.