You're already on your way home after work  when you answer a message or take a call and your company smartphone is forgotten on the train because your mind is already somewhere else. So what should you do if your company smartphone has been lost or even stolen? In this article, you will find out how a mobile device management (MDM) system can help you and what else you need to consider.

Report the loss in good time

If the smartphone is a regularly used work device, important data such as contacts or company files are stored on it. The smartphone is also the central point of communication; without a smartphone, you are quickly cut off from the outside world.

In order to protect the data from being compromised and to recover the device as quickly as possible, it should be reported immediately if the company mobile phone has been lost.

As the first point of contact, the company's IT admin can either lock the device remotely or set it to lost mode.

Lost mode is a function that is available as standard for Android devices and is applied via the MDM. In contrast to pure locking, the device can also be found again.

Lost company smartphone: Find it again with the Lost mode!

As a user of our Mobile Device Management (MDM), you have the option of activating Lost Mode. If the device has an internet connection, lost mode is switched on immediately, if not, its enabled as soon as the device is reconnected to the internet.

This can be done individually for each device. With MobiVisor MDM, the GPS data of the device is automatically recorded when Lost Mode is activated in order to localise the current location. However, this data is not saved and is no longer accessible once Lost Mode is deactivated.

Imagine the following scenario: It's 8am and you're on your way to work on the train. When you arrive at the office, you realise that your company smartphone is lost! A similar incident occurred recently for an employee of one of our clients. As the IT administrator was on holiday, the employee contacted our MobiVisor MDM team directly. The device was put into Lost Mode and a contact phone number was left for an honest finder to reach the owner.

Our team was able to locate the device using the GPS data. It turned out that the device was still on the train and had been left at a railway station. The question now was: had it been handed in to the lost and found or had someone else taken it?

In the latter case, the device is protected by Lost Mode, which prevents the screen or side buttons from responding. It is also not possible to connect to the PC with a USB cable and debugging is not possible, so the company data is secure. This was particularly important as a lot of sensitive information was stored on the device.

A call to the local police confirmed that the device had been handed in to the lost and found. The officer in charge informed the owner by phone and the device could be collected. Within a day, the employee was able to pick up his device again. After removing the Lost Mode, the device could be used as usual.

Making theft unattractive with Lost Mode and MDM

The faster the loss or theft of the smartphone is reported, the better the MDM can help to avert damage. As long as the device is connected to the MDM, i.e. has an internet connection via Wi-Fi or mobile data, Lost Mode can be activated.

A thief needs at least 10 minutes to get to a protected location to inspect the device in peace. This time can be used to thoroughly spoil the theft. Mobile devices can be labelled as a deterrent so that it is clear that they are secured by MDM.

If the company mobile phone is reported lost, Lost Mode can be activated immediately. Even if a thief removes the battery and SIM card, the lost mode immediately reappears on the device when the battery is reinserted. The theft of a device secured with MDM is therefore not worthwhile, as the device cannot be reset and resold.

What else you should do if your company smartphone is lost 

Regardless of whether you are not sure if the company smartphone is lost or stolen: don't search for it for too long, but inform your company's IT admin immediately. As the IT admin, you should first activate Lost Mode and then inform the police. Have the IMEI number, by which the device can be clearly identified, to hand. If possible, also state where the company smartphone was lost.

The use of a mobile device management system to manage all devices often seems like a nice-to-have. However, cases such as a lost company mobile phone from our customer show that it can do more than just install apps and provide an overview of devices.

Security-relevant functions such as lost mode make MDM an important tool for securing the device and protecting all important data. In order to be able to react quickly in an emergency, all employees should of course be trained in what an MDM is and can do and who they should contact in the event of loss. This is the only way to act quickly and avert damage.