Android commands
A command is a one-time action sent through Google. Lasting restrictions live on the policy. You do not type them again in the command box.
When to use thisThe Android phone is already on Devices. You need to lock it, restart it, clear data, or try one policy on that phone.
Open the device and click Send command. The command group is Android (AMAPI). A command the phone does not qualify for is hidden, with a line such as “N commands hidden”.
Commands in the dialog
| Command | What the phone does | When it is available |
|---|---|---|
| Lock Device | Locks the screen. | An enrolled phone, both company-owned and work profile. |
| Reboot Device | Restarts. | A company-owned phone or a kiosk. A work profile does not have it. |
| Reset Password | Sets or clears the screen passcode. | An enrolled phone. |
| Apply Android Policy | Attaches one policy to this phone now. It does not record an assignment target. | When you want to try it, and do not yet want to change Assign. |
| Start Lost Mode | The lost screen. At least one of message, phone, email, or address is required. | A company-owned phone or a kiosk, Android 11 or later. A work profile does not have it. Android 10 hides it. |
| Stop Lost Mode | Turns the lost screen off. | The same kind of phone as Start. |
| Clear App Data | Clears one app’s data by package name. | The app must be in the managed part. A personal app on a BYOD phone returns an error that the app was not found. |
| Wipe Device | Erases the phone’s data. | The device row on Devices stays. To remove the row, use Delete from MDM. |
| Relinquish Ownership (remove work profile) | Removes the work profile. It does not erase the whole personal phone. | Only a company-owned phone that is in work-profile mode. A purely personal phone does not have this command. |
Wipe Device erases data on the phone. Delete from MDM removes the phone from the list and from Google. It does not send a wipe. Do not choose Delete when you want to keep the phone and only look at it.
Common questions
- Start Lost Mode is missing?
- The phone is a work profile, or it is company-owned but below Android 11. Enroll Fully managed or Dedicated on Android 11 or later.
- The command sits still?
- Android does not use Apple’s push certificate. Open the device’s command tab: did Google accept it, or return an error? The phone needs a network.
- Location while it is lost?
- The phone does not always send coordinates immediately. Lost Mode on Android is not the same as the Device Location command on an iPhone.