Interesting! I wish Apple would expand on "Assistive Access" mode. - https://support.apple.com/guide/assistive-access-iphone/set-...

They made this for people with cognitive disabilities, but it also works great for older people. It just wouldn't work for me. I need Jira, Slack, and GitHub during work hours for example. But I don't want them during non-work hours. I realize I'm describing something actually doable in the interface now with focus modes and just holding myself accountable by deleting apps like Tiktok, but I do like the idea of having a way to enforce it.

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bornfreddy 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

> It just wouldn't work for me. I need Jira, Slack, and GitHub during work hours for example. But I don't want them during non-work hours.

Not an iPhone, but my solution to this is LineageOS + microG, where I just disable push notifications when I'm not working, or enable them for just the few select apps if I am expecting some messages there. The price for this is that I don't always receive the social app message when it is sent, but that's fine by me.

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simscitizen 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

That’s exactly what he meant by using Focus Modes, which is the iOS feature that lets you do just that.

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alternatex 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Plain Android has work profiles that will allow the user to enable/disable a "work profile" at will. This is what I use because we have on-call duties and on most weeks I don't need to be available on my work accounts.

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zeckalpha 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I use an old iPhone for work stuff.

	▲	teeeeeegz 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		Using a spare phone is super underrated, I keep mine in the drawer when I need it, and it goes back in there right after when i'm done.

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em500 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> I need Jira, Slack, and GitHub during work hours for example.

So do I, but I certainly don't need them on my phone. For the longest time the only work app I had on my phone was some 2FA thing. Then asked them to either buy me a phone or a yubikey. I got a yubikey (and my phone complete free from anything work related).

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dkenyser 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

To quote someone else in this thread: People live different lives.

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at-fates-hands 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I tried this for a bunch of work apps that require 2FA. They pushed back hard enough where I was threatened with getting written up. I relented and installed MS Authenticator on my personal phone.

I'm still bitter about the intrusion of work stuff on my personal phone.

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mcny 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

I absolutely hate Microsoft authenticator. Why does it need its own app? Google Authenticator, Auth Apple Passwords, freaking Aegis, everything works with TOTP and piece of shit Microsoft has to go off and do its own thing like that nonsense Duo.

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jlokier 5 days ago | parent [-]

You can actually use an alternative authenticator app for Microsoft logins. I use Aegis on my phone for it.

They don't make it clear in the messaging during the sign-up flow, which just says Microsoft Authenticator everywhere. But when you proceed through the steps to get a TOTP code for Microsoft Authenticator, there's a step with a link to something like "I want to use an another authenticor app", which presents a QR code for any generic TOTP app.

	▲	jonbiggums22 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		I've done this as well. My employers setup guide was super long winded and tried hard to suggest MS Authenticator was the only one that would work without outright saying it. However, I've gathered that this is a setting that is up to the organization so your YMMV. Since some employees work at secure sites without wifi/mobile connections they aren't able to turn off TOTP.

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andrewSC 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Have you considered https://authenticator.cc/ ?

I realize it is amusing to even consider offloading OTP generation to a web browser extension however, if `$work` doesn’t want to provide you with the correct hardware (e.g. Yubikey, NitroKey, etc.) there are boundary-respecting alternatives

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mixmastamyk 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

No one tells you because they want you to use their app but most can be replaced by floss apps running on your laptop.

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setopt 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I don’t know if this would work for you, but I’m personally using 1Password on my laptop to generate 2FA codes. It worked even on Microsoft services, after clicking through lots of alternative settings, although some employers might disable that if they insist on push 2FA not just TOTP.

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jonbiggums22 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

If this happens to me I'm buying the cheapest android I can find and just attaching it to my work laptop with adhesive.

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that_guy_iain 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> I need Jira, Slack, and GitHub during work hours for example.

My question, why do you need them on your phone during work hours? Why aren't you using a desktop/laptop/something else?

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swiftcoder 5 days ago | parent [-]

If your work-style is butt-in-seat for 8 hours having everything on your laptop probably works. For folks with a more meeting-heavy workload, having at least your work calendar/email/messenger on your phone is pretty hard to go without

	▲	that_guy_iain 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Why are you on your phone during meetings and not paying attention to the meeting? We ban phones/laptops for the specific reason of people attending and not paying attention.

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idolofdust 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

As of iOS 18 you can add any app you want into assistive access now! It has been going pretty well with Beeper on my end.

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al_borland 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I tried Assistive Access and I don’t think I even made it a day.

Most of these attempts to simplify things are putting idealism at odds with reality.

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ismokedoinks 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I like Assistive Access, but my biggest issue is that you have to click like 100 times to read any notification. No option to just be able to read a text from the home screen. I found it was even more friction (for my use) to unlock my phone constantly than the regular format.

	▲	teeeeeegz 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		This. The I feel the significant nerfing of important functionality in the Camera app (as an example) suggests assistive access isn't geared toward the general folk like myself.

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xattt 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> people with cognitive disabilities

Does… does my phone addiction and inability for self-control qualify as this?

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Barbing 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Huge, thanks, somehow missed it. Smart TV UIs are begging for this mode too, for users to whom aesthetic is irrelevant.

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wer232essf 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]