Apple uses data and device management policies -- instead of the Android work profile model -- to split work and personal information on iPhones and support BYOD deployments.
Apple does not offer work profiles for its mobile devices, but the vendor employs MDM protocols and management controls to keep personal and corporate data separate and secure.
For enterprise IT leaders, the distinction between Android work profiles and Apple's managed data system is not just a technical one. It affects how organizations define mobile governance, enforce compliance controls and balance user experience with centralized oversight. Understanding this difference early helps teams design BYOD and corporate mobile strategies that align with security, audit and support requirements.
A work profile is a distinct area of an Android device solely dedicated to saving work data and apps, differentiating them from users' personal information. These are clear-cut domains that enable platform-level separation of work data and applications, enabling organizations to administer control over professional apps, data and security policies within a work profile.
Apple handles corporate mobile applications and data for its iOS devices somewhat differently. Through Apple's MDM protocol and data management framework, IT teams can separate corporate data into a managed environment. The environment enforces policies that control data movement across business-approved applications, accounts and unregulated apps.
How does Apple's managed device system work?
Since Apple introduced its MDM protocol in 2010, iOS has been at the forefront of mobile OSes for enterprise use. The MDM protocol lets IT send administration commands to managed iOS and macOS devices. This enables Apple to run its enterprise data management system on iPhones and work with third-party MDM software providers.
The goal of an enterprise data separation system is to prevent employees from moving data from a work program into an unregulated app. Before Apple, many enterprise software companies created independent container applications that sat above OSes and prevented users from sharing corporate data.
The goal of an enterprise data separation system is to prevent employees from moving data from a work program into an unregulated app.
Because Apple owns the operating system for iOS devices, the company has built its native managed data system right into its baseline code. This system uses policies to control managed apps and data rather than creating a strictly separate "container" UI like Android's work profile. The system allows users to share data using native and other trusted third-party programs that an organization's IT team has vetted. This means that the IT department can select a group of apps, as well as approved content downloaded through email and the web, that the iOS managed data system can access.
IT departments can also work with security teams and users to select preferred apps and data for the iOS management policies to support and trust. IT can push out applications to users, or users can select them from a dedicated enterprise app catalog, which delivers a protected environment for users to work in.
With Apple's iOS framework, IT teams can secure corporate data with either Apple or third-party MDM software.
Capabilities of Apple device management
Apple's system of MDM-enforced data controls enables IT teams to manage BYOD units that employees bring into the corporate sphere or use remotely in work-from-home scenarios.
To secure the most vulnerable and valuable corporate data, IT departments can apply restrictions available through the managed data system. Some useful restrictions IT might implement include the following:
Prevent unmanaged apps from reading managed contacts.
Prevent unregulated sources from opening work documents.
Stop managed documents from being shared through Apple's AirDrop wireless file-sharing system, which runs over Bluetooth and can be a security risk.
Prevent work data from synchronizing with Apple's iCloud software.
Enabling or disabling Touch ID in an enterprise environment is possible with managed profiles and MDM software as well. Apple says that its Face ID facial recognition feature is even safer than Touch ID for security, and this biometric authentication option can also be enabled or disabled by an organization's MDM policies.
Android work profiles vs. Apple managed devices
The work profile software on Android smartphones differs from Apple's corporate data management system in a few major ways. The Android Enterprise platform looks different, marking work items on a user's device with blue suitcase icons to distinguish them from personal apps. Users can also turn off the Android work profile at the end of the business day.
In iOS, however, the managed environment is active in the background at all times. So if Microsoft Word is designated as a business app, for example, users must always comply with managed policies, no matter how they want to use the application. Users do not get separate personal and work instances of the same app like on Android. They would need to download another word processing application -- such as Google Docs or Apple Pages -- if they wanted to use their device for personal writing purposes, free of any corporate policies.
For greater separation of corporate and personal data, organizations can enroll devices with Apple User Enrollment. This MDM option further ensures that user information is secure on BYOD iPhones, limiting IT's supervision of personal apps and data on enrolled devices.
While Android work profiles have been available since 2014 and might appear more straightforward to users, Apple's managed data system is considered more secure overall than the Android alternative. This is because Apple holds tighter control over its OS, app store and devices.
According to 2025 market data, Android continues to dominate globally, holding about 72% of the mobile operating system market, while iOS accounts for roughly 28%. In the United States, iOS leads with roughly 58% to 60% market share compared with around 40% to 42% for Android, reflecting the regional preference differences that often shape enterprise device portfolios.
Both Android and Apple provide effective options to separate work and personal data. While Apple devices might offer security benefits, IT teams must understand how to use native tools, deploy configuration profiles and integrate MDM software into a mobile strategy in order to successfully meet corporate and end-user needs.
Editor's note:This article was written by Dan Jones in February 2023. It was updated in January 2026 to improve the reader experience.
Dan Jones is a tech journalist with 20 years of experience. His specialties include 5G, IoT, 4G small cells and enterprise Wi-Fi. He previously worked for Light Reading and ComputerWire.
