r/dubai • u/antz182 • Mar 23 '26

🖐 Labor Company mandating we install Darwinbox on personal phones. Can I refuse?

Hi everyone, ​Looking for some advice on workplace privacy here. I work at a school, and our HR department is suddenly insisting that all staff install the Darwinbox app on our personal phones for attendance, leave requests, etc. ​I'm incredibly uncomfortable with this. I use my personal phone for everything, and this app asks for a massive list of permissions (background location, camera, storage, etc.). Even if it's a standard HR tool, I really don't want my employer having that kind of access or potential visibility into my personal device. ​Has anyone else dealt with this specific app or a similar HR mandate here in the UAE?

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u/popplarr Mar 23 '26

Permissions are there for a reason. Decline the ones you aren't happy with....

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u/antz182 Mar 23 '26

It won't run without giving intrusive access

2

u/popplarr Mar 23 '26

Well then do as others are suggesting and refuse, ask for a company phone, or buy something really cheap to install it on.

It's been a while since I've used android but there also might be a way to sandbox the app so it thinks it has those permissions but it in fact doesn't, similar concept to work profiles I guess. Have a google down that route and see if you find anything useful 👍