How to keep data separate on personally own personal and work phones

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Level 1

12 points

How to keep data separate on personally own personal and work phones

I just bought a new iPhone 17pro to use only for work purposes. My company does not supply a phone. I want to keep my work phone information separate. I plan on creating a new apple id (account). I don't want to use my work email as if change jobs, the access to the email goes away. Any advice on if I should create a new email using gmail? or another email system. Should I add to family sharing so I can find my phone or someone else can?

Posted on Dec 5, 2025 2:12 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 5, 2025 2:20 PM in response to athinkshrink

You SHOULD set it up with a unique Apple ID. Doing so, will keep your personal phone and work phone completely separate. As to what you do with email, that's up to you. Since your company has email, if you don't add your work email to your phone, you won't be able to see your work emails. Is that what you want? If yes, I'm not sure why you'd want a work iPhone if you can't use it for one of the most often used features, which is getting work email. You don't need to add the phone to family sharing as long as you have Find My enabled on the new phone. You can track it using Find My, just as you can track your personal iPhone using Find my.

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Answer 2

Limnos

Level 10

426,689 points

Dec 5, 2025 3:07 PM in response to athinkshrink

Still create two accounts. Since this is apparently not a work-issued Apple account that "belongs" to the company, if you leave that job and need a "work" account at your new job, simply change the email address you use for that account.

The support article Change your Apple Account primary email address - Apple Support outlines various methods for changing the email address (Apple ID) you use for your Apple Account while retaining everything in your account.

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Answer 3

athinkshrink Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 5, 2025 2:59 PM in response to lobsterghost1

I would download the appropriate microsoft app to use the email at work. In past when leaving a position, I have lost access to that specific work email and sometimes certain overlapping work apps or information requires verification and I cannot do it if no access to the email. If I change companies in the future, I will still want to use a separate phone for work. In that case, I would need to change apple accounts, which I see from this community forum, is very difficult if need to keep some information. I hope that makes sense. I think the answer is create a new email to use as the apple account id for my new personal phone that I will use for work only.

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Answer 4

sberman

Level 10

272,220 points

Dec 5, 2025 2:21 PM in response to athinkshrink

athinkshrink wrote:

I want to keep my work phone information separate.

Great! This is exactly the right approach.

I don't want to use my work email as if change jobs, the access to the email goes away.

But your work identity would also go away if you change jobs!

Simply use your work email to establish your new work-related Apple Account. If you change jobs, leave that Apple Account behind (or delete it).

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