Where Are Android Work Profile Files Stored?
How Android isolates work profile files by user ID, and how to recognize them in Files apps.
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Android gives the work profile its own user ID (usually 10, while your personal side is 0) and mounts separate storage for it: /storage/emulated/10/... backed by its own data area, versus /storage/emulated/0/... for personal files. App data splits the same way, so a file reference valid in one profile is meaningless in the other.
In daily use you rarely see those numbers. Launchers show Personal and Work tabs, work apps carry a briefcase badge, and Files apps reveal work files only in a work aware view. Removing the profile wipes its side completely, which an admin can also trigger remotely without touching anything personal.
Where Android stores this, by platform
/storage/emulated/10/...
Pattern, not a fixed path: the work profile is usually user 10 but can be 11 or higher (personal side is /storage/emulated/0). Confirm IDs with adb shell pm list users. Scoped storage rules apply separately per profile since Android 10, and raw paths vary by OEM.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to work files when the work profile is removed?
They are permanently deleted with the profile: work apps, work app data and the work storage area all go. An admin wipe removes only the work side and leaves personal files alone, so keep anything you need in the personal profile.
Why can't my personal apps open a file from a work app?
Isolation is enforced per profile at the OS level, so sharing a raw path across the boundary never works. Share through the system share sheet or copy the file into personal storage first, if your admin policy allows it.
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