What is “Island”

“Island” is a sandbox environment to clone selected apps and isolate them from accessing your personal data outside the sandbox (including call logs, contacts, photos and etc) even if related permissions are granted. Device-bound data (SMS, IMEI and etc) is still accessible.

Isolated app can be frozen on demand, with launcher icon vanish and its background behaviors completely blocked.

How does it work

Island takes advantage of the “managed profile” feature on Android 5.0+, which is also the base of “Android for Work”, to create an isolated sandbox for apps with their data.

App needs to be cloned in Island first. Afterwards, the clone can run parallel aside from the original one. (even with different accounts signed-in) It can be frozen on demand by Island. (NO ROOT REQUIRED)

If Greenify is also installed, apps can be frozen automatically by “Auto-freeze with Greenify” action (in the overflow menu), just like normal app hibernation in Greenify.

Common use cases

Manual setup

On most middle to high end Android devices released after 2016, Island can be setup straightforward without hassle. But still on some devices, you may got “incompatible with your device” message on Google Play Store, or be notified during the setup with error message “Sorry, your device (or ROM) is incompatible with Island”. In both cases, Island could still work on your device if setup manually.

If you are prompted to encrypt your device first during the setup and you don’t want device decription (which may significantly degrade overall I/O performance on low-end devices), this prerequisite could also be skipped if setup manually.

Please refer to Manual setup for prerequisites and detailed steps.

Managed Mainland

In normal mode, Island only takes care of apps inside the Island space. The “Managed Mainland” is an advanced mode, in which Island also takes control of apps outside Island space. For example, you can freeze any app without cloning it to Island space. At present Managed Mainland is only recommended for advanced users.

The limitations of “Managed Mainland”:

Managed Mainland could only be setup manually at present.

DISCLAIMER

This beta version may be dangerous on some Android devices, it may cause boot-loop and even brick your device. The purpose of closed beta exclusive for advanced users is to widely test and improve the device compatibility. Don’t install it on your daily device and remember to BACKUP FIRST.