I enrolled my personal Android phone in a work profile and set a PIN during setup. The next day, the phone asked for a PIN instead of my usual pattern, and that PIN unlocked it. Android then showed the screen lock as PIN, though I changed it back to a pattern.
Can a work profile require a PIN for the whole phone, or could this have been a separate work profile PIN?
Yes, a work profile policy can require a device lock and set rules for its complexity. Depending on the policy, a pattern may not satisfy those rules and you may be prompted to set a PIN or another permitted lock.
That doesn't establish exactly what happened here. Check with your IT administrator about the policy assigned to your phone and whether it applies to the device lock, the work profile lock, or both.
There are two different locks to untangle here. Android can have a device screen lock and a separate challenge for the work profile. A PIN created during enrollment could be for either, depending on what the setup asked you to do.
If Android's security settings showed the device screen lock as PIN, that points to the device lock being set to a PIN at that moment. It doesn't tell you whether a policy required the change or how it was made.
If you would rather keep work management off your personal phone, a separate device is an option. Ask IT about enrollment and removal first. They can explain what they require and whether the other phone will be supported.
731seeds_to_sort:
Policies can change after enrollment too, so it's worth asking what applies now rather than assuming the original setup will stay the same.
Answers are reviewed before publication.
!untie~the+apron:
If I changed it back to a pattern, will the phone ask for that pattern after a restart, or the PIN from work setup?
!mostly~made+of_foam:
The phone should ask for its current device screen lock after a restart. A separate work profile PIN may also be needed to unlock work apps, depending on the setup.