Using My Personal Number on My Work Phone (via Dual Sims) ?

L[Deactivated] on 03/06/2024 - 08:28

I'm in a new job and they've given me a phone with a work number. It's an iPhone 15, so I believe it can do dual sim, which makes me think I can probably just use it as my only phone and ditch the personal phone and my old prepaid plan. I'm wondering first whether that's true / workable.

And second - I'm on Belong prepaid, and the work phone has unlimited data, so I don't really need data on my personal sim/plan. Can I just port that number over to a provider with a plan that doesn't have data? And if so - any recommendations?

Mobile

Comments

  • soan papdi on 03/06/2024 - 09:22
    +26

    Having personal messages on your MDM work mobile means a total loss of privacy. If you're into naughty pictures, you will 100% get in trouble. Not worth it.

    • jv on 03/06/2024 - 09:32
      +9

      If you're into naughty pictures

      😲

    • picklewizard on 03/06/2024 - 23:40
      +9

      MDM cannot view web traffic you browse (unless they force some proprietary third party browser on you). Manufacturers don't make this functionality available by API. Your company really can't monitor your activity in this way.

      There are exceptions with forced VPN connections and tunneling, but 99.9% of people don't use this functionality and the 0.1% that do aren't using it to monitor you.

      Source: Designed and deployed MDM solutions for many years.

      • lachhelix on 04/06/2024 - 02:06
        -1

        Plenty of other ways NSFW content can get onto your phone and is then viewable by an employer

        • banana365 on 04/06/2024 - 22:50

          For example?

          • lachhelix on 05/06/2024 - 14:21
            -1

            @banana365: Literally any recieved media you save to your phone haha (ie someone sends you an MMS, or you download an image/video off a website)

            • banana365 on 05/06/2024 - 15:14

              @lachhelix: That's an example of how content can get onto your phone, that's obvious. The question was more how an employer can access the content.

      • soan papdi on 04/06/2024 - 06:53
        +3

        I've worked at a company which employed MITM to observe web traffic on the managed laptop.. Also, Apple explicitly stores SMS and MMS unencrypted on disk, so that's wide open for any MDM to observe.

        • picklewizard on 04/06/2024 - 11:27

          Laptops are an entirely different ball game with MDM, assume everything you do on a laptop is visible to those who administer it.

          Regarding encrypted vs unencrypted - still not how MDM works unless it's stored on part of the filesystem which is accessible to all apps.

        • Randolph Duke on 04/06/2024 - 15:03

          That doesn’t say how it’s stored, and seems deliberately Apple vague. More like its encrypted end to end for iMessage, and transported unencrypted for normal SMS/MMS, because encryption isn’t part of the standard. It’ll be stored on the device encrypted.

    • HeWhoKnows on 04/06/2024 - 13:08

      Also mixing personal and work phone calls and messages is a nightmare.
      And no privacy or time out from work.
      You would surely want to turn your work phone off as soon as you clock off work each day.

      Or at least turn the work sim off.

      Note the second SIM on an iPhone is not a physical SIM.
      It’s an e-SIM.
      And every plan now comes with data. (Except PAYG)
      So you would just need a very basic low GB plan

      • banana365 on 04/06/2024 - 22:55

        Or at least turn the work sim off.

        That's what I used to do when I went dual SIM years ago (or a decade before that "Call Select", I think, with Telstra - 1 SIM, 2 numbers). Just turn off/redirect to voice mail out of hours.

        These days I don't bother and just use my personal number for work. Caller ID is good enough that I can ignore the very few numbers that call outwith working hours.

    • OzFrugie on 05/06/2024 - 00:47

      What if using Knox profile on samsung device?
      If intune/mdm is installed in knox container alongside other corp apps/accounts, eg outlook, teams etc, can admin see what i have and do outside knox container?

    • knk on 05/06/2024 - 09:58
      +1

      Yep, as another person in the industry. Buy your own stuff mate, not worth them having the control, ability to remote wipe etc.

      @returntosaturn

      If you really didn't want to carry the phone around could you grab a really cheap voip number (crazytel are dirt cheap for incoming calls, a buck or 2 a month i think) and then forward all calls directly to that number and take them on your personal phone?

  • macamaca on 03/06/2024 - 09:22
    +2

    Amaysim long life plan

  • pegaxs on 03/06/2024 - 09:24
    +16

    the work phone has unlimited data

    The issue here is… what does your work deem you can do with the data. Is it for work related functions only, or are you allowed to use it for personal internet browsing.

    Also, think of the implications of what you do on your own private internet roaming. What do you look at? Is the company going to be able to view this data? Are they going to have an issue with any of this data? Could they take issues with anything you posted? Do they have websites that would be banned internally that you would access on your own time? What apps do they want you to run from the phone and what personal data do these phone apps collect? What apps do you want to run that may even possibly violate company device policies?

    For me, personally, my home life and my work life have a huge stone wall between them. I use my work phone for work stuff, and I have a totally separate phone for personal needs. I dont work for a huge mega conglomerate corporation and I still dont want my boss or IT guy to know what I am doing on my personal time.

    The best person to speak to about this would be your supervisor/manager at work and/or the department responsible for giving you the phone and ask them what your responsibilities are with regards to having your personal number on a work phone, and then also weighing up your own personal data exposure to your employer…

    • [Deactivated] on 03/06/2024 - 09:27
      +1

      Thanks - this is helpful. Maybe not a good idea after all. I guess I just saw an opportunity to not have to upgrade my personal (old) iPhone, and to stop paying for data. But maybe it's not worth it. Also it's a total pain carrying two phones around, and my position requires me to have the work phone with me.

      • Gdsamp on 03/06/2024 - 14:06
        +5

        Also it's a total pain carrying two phones around

        Seems easier than explaining anything to HR and/or in court

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 03/06/2024 - 17:39

        Excellent advice.
        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/15335488/redir

        This should be everything you need to read regarding the work phone.

      • SuperLate on 04/06/2024 - 01:50

        To stop paying for data to an extent, can use work phone hotspot.

      • aelix on 05/06/2024 - 09:29

        Would it be possible for you to forward your work phone to your personal mobile at the end of each workday? That way you can receive calls if you need to, but don't have to carry both phones around in your personal time. Depends if you need SMS/email access at all times too, I guess.

      • knk on 06/06/2024 - 09:18

        My opinion:
        Keep the work phone in your car and turn it off at the end of your work day, don't carry it anytime you're not paid to be on the clock;.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 03/06/2024 - 09:31
      +10

      hr: we don’t know how it’s physically possible but it says you’re on ozbargain 23 hours 58 min 30 seconds a day?

    • jv on 03/06/2024 - 09:34

      Is the company going to be able to view this data?

      Yes

  • Sammy2000 on 03/06/2024 - 09:49
    +2

    Also is nice to be able to switch off and not work when you have clocked off.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/06/2024 - 10:09

      true. but not all jobs allow for that.

      • Muzeeb on 03/06/2024 - 10:13
        +4

        Yes they do.

        • jv on 03/06/2024 - 11:05
          -2

          You must work in the public service.

          • mrvaluepack on 03/06/2024 - 20:09
            +3

            @jv: I switch off my work phone as soon as i leave my office, been doing this for 15 years.

            • jv on 03/06/2024 - 23:02
              +7

              @mrvaluepack: You must work in the public service.

              • Mugsy on 04/06/2024 - 07:17
                +3

                @jv: Nah, public service means you have to use your personal mobile for work. You don't even get a desk phone anymore… you get a phone number in MS Teams. Install ms teams on your personal phone if you want a handset to make calls. Otherwise, supply your own headset to use with laptop if you don't want the whole office hearing your call.

                It's not like there's a choice to not use your personal phone anyway… everyone needs MS Authenticator.

  • sumyungguy on 03/06/2024 - 10:19
    +1

    My employer allowed reasonable personal usage so I ported my number into their corporate plan then ported out when I left. I used MS Outlook for work and iOS Mail for personal stuff.

  • LanceVance on 03/06/2024 - 10:28
    +1

    I do this. I received a work phone and number, put the iPhone SE they gave me in the drawer and installed the work SIM in my 13 Mini. Since its my own device there is no MDM/In Tune installed. I am just signed into Teams and Outlook. Primary data use is on the work SIM as its 5G and my personal plan is a cheapo Woolies one. Work SIM is easily switched off on the weekends or whenever required, I believe you could also automate this using the Shortcuts app.
    It's a great solution as I absolutely hated the idea of carrying around 2 phones.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/06/2024 - 11:39
      +1

      Thanks. Is there a way of telling whether MDM/In tune is installed?

      • LanceVance on 03/06/2024 - 14:03

        Yes, somewhere in Settings, look for VPN & Device Management under General settings. If there's nothing there then it isn't installed. If it's a work device they usually register the serial numbers of these devices upon purchasing so as soon as you connect to the internet it will know that it is a company device and pre-install whatever it is they want to have preconfigured. If it's your own device and you're just putting the SIM in then you have control over this happening.

    • Devastator0 on 03/06/2024 - 16:12
      +1

      Your IT dept isn't doing their job effectively if they aren't actively monitoring this. At my ex workplace, the device needed to be checked in with regularly (Daily) and they would regularly monitor what people were doing and installing (or attempting to install) on them. They'd also compare that with the SIM/Service supplied to ensure it wasn't being abused data wise.

      • LanceVance on 03/06/2024 - 17:48
        -1

        Considering the only thing it's used for work-wise is receiving calls on the work sim, outlook and teams for my use case that is total overkill. Some places I'm sure that may be granted, but theres a bunch of IT departments that lean towards overkill and justifying their own jobs.

  • o53djz7qTPY4der on 03/06/2024 - 10:28
    +1

    I have a work phone.

    I took the physical sim out and put it in my personal phone. I then use an PAYG Amaysim e-sim for personal ($10 py).

    I only sign into work Google via private browser. I use work data as my primary data, I make all calls etc via work number.

    They can't monitor if I don't sign in. Work handset sits on my desk switched off.

    • Devastator0 on 03/06/2024 - 16:07
      +1

      I'm surprised that your IT dept isn't on your case about the work supplied device not talking back, if they do use MDM. I know at my ex workplace they would be onto them about why your device is not in regular communication.

      • o53djz7qTPY4der on 05/06/2024 - 05:09

        "I've supplied my own device."

        There's nothing in our internal policies to prohibit it. And if there's ever any question, I'll feign ignorance. Often it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

  • Devastator0 on 03/06/2024 - 11:55
    +11

    As someone who worked in IT for a large multinational that provided mobile devices to staff, I would strongly, strongly recommend not using your business provided phone for any personal use. Keep/carry a 2nd phone for your own personal use.

    • Devastator0 on 03/06/2024 - 16:22
      +2

      As a follow on from my previous post, even though others have said it, don't put your work supplied SIM in another device and try to use it that way. Workplaces (at least in my own personal experience) also monitor the usage of their mobile devices for signs of abuse etc.

      • LanceVance on 03/06/2024 - 17:50

        How so? Checking with the providers to see if certain sites have been visited?

        • Devastator0 on 03/06/2024 - 18:36
          +3

          Mainly in terms of data utlisation. I.E. there would never be a circumstance where someone should be using their business device and burning through 100's of GB a month. In my last workplace we identified people who were using the work phone and/or sim as their home internet or hotspotting and consuming tons of data through them.

          • sumyungguy on 03/06/2024 - 18:47

            @Devastator0: There was that time I made a $750 work-related phone call while holidaying in Reykjavik…

          • SuperLate on 04/06/2024 - 01:56

            @Devastator0: 100s of GB is quite easy to achieve every month. I used to play YouTube videos on work ipad as part of educating clients. Shouldn't it be same for mobiles ?

            • skillet on 04/06/2024 - 09:56

              @SuperLate: A few Ookla 5G speed test can easily do 5GB.

            • Devastator0 on 04/06/2024 - 11:46

              @SuperLate: yeah so of course if it's justifiable usage then it's no issue, however with my previous employer, who had services via Optus, we were able to obtain detailed reports on how data was being utilised via category and location and we were clearly able to see that they were abusing the service.

          • LanceVance on 04/06/2024 - 10:44

            @Devastator0: Fair enough, I'm connected to wifi most of the time and I'd be suprised if my work SIM usage goes over 20GB a month.

  • FrugalFranky on 03/06/2024 - 12:11
    +4

    I had a similar situation recently, and was about to do the exact same thing.
    However after reading more into it, I'm keeping two separate phones. As others have already said, having intellectual property on your "personal" phone could be a IT violation, and vise versa; having personal information on your work phone.

    Not worth losing a job over.

    Edit: Also worth mentioning even VP's and GM's that have been with the company over a decade kept two phones. I read between the lines (company has MDM on your phones, could track everything you do if they wanted etc)

  • hasher22 on 03/06/2024 - 12:43

    Don't use your work phone with your personal number. Work phones usually have tracking and data sharing options turned on, even if the company says it doesn't. It will have it.

    Keep both phones separately.

    • derrida derider on 03/06/2024 - 15:17
      +1

      Depends. For the great bulk of your personal stuff it really is just not an issue that some HR bozo is capable of tracking it - who cares what takeaway you ordered or when your partner can expect you home or even what you bought on Temu? After all plenty of other people like Mr Google, Mr Facebook and sundry others are already doing that.

      So keep the other phone in the desk drawer and just swap the sim on the rare occasions you do not want that. It is exactly what I did for many years in a job where I was expected to be accessible all hours (and yes, it was the public service). I never had a problem.

  • stralya on 03/06/2024 - 14:06

    I have a company issued iphone. It uses an esim, and they have blocked the use of physical sims in the phone. So, you may want to check if your employer has done the same.

    Again, as everyone has said, I'd recommend keeping your personal phone separate from a privacy perspective. At my company, the terms and conditions of the work mobile state they may even record your calls without your permission.

    Also, there are certain apps you may not be allowed on a work mobile. For us, we're not allowed to use TikTok on work mobiles.

  • Ronney on 03/06/2024 - 18:16

    Is the work phone primarily to receive work related calls or are there other apps etc that need to be used from that phone. If it just calls, can’t you forward all calls from your work phone to your personal phone?

  • bobbieb on 03/06/2024 - 19:36

    Just don't.

    So many downsides.
    Very few upsides.

    Even where I've worked at larger companies where it's encouraged, nobody in HR could give me a definition of what they considered unacceptable use of a company provided phone. Given the shenanigans that passes through the messaging apps on my personal phone (all legal, of course)… it simply wasn't worth the potential hassle.

    Besides, nothing beats being able to do what I just did. Walk in the door at home, power down the work phone and toss it in the work bag so it's there waiting tomorrow when I get to the office. Consider it my own, personal, self-enforced right to disconnect.

  • gromit on 03/06/2024 - 20:37

    First thing to do is go read whatever your corporate policy is around the device you have been issued. Our corporate policy allows us to use the device for "reasonable" personal use as well, They use Intune so the work portion is basically in a bubble and they can't read or see what you are doing in the personal part of the phone (though they do enforce pin and some basics around apps you are not allowed to use as well as not being allowed to root the device).

    • Devastator0 on 04/06/2024 - 12:05

      Yeah my old workplace's policy said that "limited" personal use was allowed (You could make emergency calls from it if needed etc) but also specified that the intent was for it not to be used as your primary, personal device.

      • gromit on 04/06/2024 - 13:01

        Ours was a bit more relaxed, browsing web, games and apps (with some specific limitations) and personal calls (no international) were all ok. use as primary internet connection for personal home use was one of the "thou shalt not do's"

  • Lucille Bluth on 03/06/2024 - 21:08

    I had this setup. I hated it. I went back to having two phones so I can properly disconnect and not blur the lines between work and personal outside business hours.

  • crentist on 03/06/2024 - 22:27

    Android seems like it may handle this a bit better. You can set up a Work profile (eg with an app called Island) and those apps have limited access to anything outside that work profile.
    For example, I've had a second Whatsapp set up this way, and it could not view photos on my device.

    Plus you can go to Island settings and pause all work apps with one click, pretty handy

    • sumyungguy on 03/06/2024 - 22:50

      I was wondering why I've never seen anyone with a work-issue Android phone. So did a shallow dive to find there are some 10 companies in Australia using Android OS; the rest are likely using iOS. Every employer I've worked for is fully & irrevocably committed to PC/Windows (for entirely valid reasons) and somewhat anti-MacOS but they all issued employees with iPhones. Perhaps an IT expert will explain why?

      • Devastator0 on 04/06/2024 - 12:00
        +1

        @sumyungguy So just to chime in on this, my ex employer (who almost exclusively deployed iPhones) quoted device support timelines. The logic is that iDevices get much, much longer software and security support than Android devices and they also quoted the unregulated nature of the Google Play Store as being a factor.

        My workplace was also a fully PC/Windows environment because our Active Directory infrastructure just was not compatible/suitable for use with any MacOS devices so they were banned across the board.

      • gromit on 04/06/2024 - 15:12

        Sadly Android has a horrible record security wise and was actively recommended against for enterprises and government departments. Up until recently most government departments were also iOS only. However that has changed a lot in the last couple of years, Android is almost as common in the enterprise now as iphone.

  • kaleidoscope on 03/06/2024 - 23:39

    it really sucks companies do this kind of stuff than allowing people to use that money for a personal device and give a work sim instead… Sometimes due to heavy limitation of services and data privacy issues (controlled by mdm) the device is unusable for personal matters (hardware limited / software limited/ forced vpns etc..) and yet you're expected to carry this brick everywhere you go during work hours.

    • Devastator0 on 04/06/2024 - 12:03

      In my old workplace, if it was just a phone/no-data sim, then yeah, go for it, but if the user got provisioned a SIM with data, it was always provisioned with a device to be enrolled in our MDM and was expected to be used in that device.

  • adn on 04/06/2024 - 06:06
    +1

    I have always ported my number into the corporate plan and ported back out when I leave the company.

    Yes there are risk involved when using a work device for personal stuff. But haven't had an issue for over 10 years now. Never wanted to carry a second phone.

  • numloxx on 04/06/2024 - 09:58

    Don't use your work phone for ANYTHING personal. You never know what could happen in the future.
    It's a hassle I know but it's not worth the trouble.
    I was using 3 phones at one point in my career.

  • core101 on 04/06/2024 - 10:01

    Avoid the drama in implementing it, breaching policies, and the separation, as no ones' job lasts forever.
    If you are worried about the pocket bulge, spare a thought to the people of the 1980s, that had to carry bricks.

  • trapper on 04/06/2024 - 12:30

    If there is any kind of MDM on the phone then definitely don't do this. Keep it separate.

    If the phone is just setup as a normal device that you can basically use as your own, then it may be ok. Still use caution…

  • bygones on 04/06/2024 - 20:44

    Yes, you can use that phone with dual SIM. I would suggest not to, but IT doesn't care that much unless it gets flagged for security reason.
    What IT Can see - only the applications pushed through MDM, Every details of the phone (from SN, battery level, storage, location)

    In MDM enrolled devices, IT team can't see the apps that staff install with their Apple/Google Account. However, they can remove passcode, wipe it, and lock it, but won't be able to see files, folders and photos.

    However the issue will be your privacy. For example, if your company has given phone as job requirement (not as just facility) - you may need it too often. Imagine you take photos for job, and there are photos of your kids, so while you are showing photos , your staff may see that too. You'll mess up your contacts , i.e, saving business contacts and personal contacts in same account. You'll mess up your photo backup.

    As you are aware, majority of companies are always understaffed and same is for IT. IT department is always overloaded, and no one has time to check individual's profile unless flagged. Senior level - they don't bother, they are busy in planning and other stuffs. Mid Level /Team Leaders - they are overloaded with their role, regular audit and new projects. Level 1/ Level 2: some even may not have access to intune, even if have access, their activity is also monitored - like regular audit of intune/O365 Admin done by Security Team will flag their activity also, so no body want to risk their job.

    So unless you trigger the security - you can use the phone. For SIM, depends upon your usage - if you are under limit, no one cares. But if you exceed the data quota - account will get extra bill and you will be under radar.

  • 91rs on 05/06/2024 - 11:50
    +1

    Possible risk would be loss of anything on it (photos, videos, other data) if you're overnight no longer employed by them and they either remote wipe or lock devices.
    More of an American thing but know plenty of people over there who've had this happen, they do laptops at the same time.

    I run two phones and just deal with it, this way I know what's mine is mine (what I pay for) and what's not is work and is used 100% within their policies so there is zero doubt IF something came up while sharing devices, would suck to be sacked over the cost of a second phone.

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