What Is Google’s Managed Account Browsing and How Does It Work?
For years, iPhone users had to juggle multiple accounts, like a company Gmail and a personal one, iOS users had to sign out of one account and log in to another each time they needed to switch, as per a TechCrunch report. Now, Google is finally solving that problem as the tech giant announced a new feature for Chrome on iOS that supports seamless switching between accounts, along with what it calls “managed account browsing,” according to the report. This means your work and personal browsing data, such as tabs, passwords, and history, stay completely separate.
Google said in a blog post published on Monday that, “Many of us use our mobile devices for both work and personal tasks, often juggling multiple Google Accounts,” as quoted in the report. The tech giant pointed out that, “This can mean constantly signing in and out. Chrome is now offering support for managed account browsing that creates strict data separation from other browsing and seamless switching between accounts,” as quoted by TechCrunch report.
According to the report, while users sign in or switch to their work Google account in Chrome, only browsing related to their organization will be visible and other browsing on the device like the local data and content, including tabs, history, and passwords, will stay only within the managed account browsing experience, as reported by TechCrunch. Google said that this new feature is ideal for both end users and IT admins, reported TechCrunch.
Why Is Google’s New Update Especially Relevant for Today’s Workforce?
The move is aimed at today’s increasingly hybrid workforce as more companies move away from issuing separate work phones, employees often access company resources from their personal devices, according to the report. With this new update, the firm highlighted that the improved account switching experience and data separation “better enables businesses to allow employees to use their device of choice,” as per the TechCrunch report.
What Happens When You Sign Into a Work Account on Chrome?
When users sign in or switch to a managed account for the first time, they will see an onboarding screen that would explain the separation of managed account browsing and how their organization is handling their data, according to the report.Google has revealed that organizations can maintain control and decide how existing browsing data is handled when a user initially signs in or switches to a managed account and once users switch to their managed account, they are notified that they’re entering a managed experience, as reported by TechCrunch.
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Can IT Teams Track Security Events on Mobile Devices?
The company also updated more advanced controls for IT admins, as the Chrome Enterprise reporting now works on both Android and iOS, giving organizations better visibility into security events, according to the report. IT teams can send this data to the security investigation tool in the Google Admin console, Chrome logs, or the SIEM of their choice, which will allow IT teams to make more informed decisions about overall security, as reported by TechCrunch.
URL Filtering Now Available on iOS
Google also revealed that it is introducing URL filtering to iOS, which will let organizations to block employees from using prohibited GenAI sites at a category level and redirect them to the approved corporate services, according to the report.
FAQs
Can I use both work and personal Google accounts on my iPhone now?
Yes. You can switch between accounts without signing out or losing your data, as per TechCrunch report.
Will my boss be able to see my personal Chrome browsing history?
No. Personal browsing stays separate and private. Only data from your managed (work) account is controlled by your employer.
