Stop managing mobile devices for your organization (2024)

This article is for administrators. To learn how to manage your work account on your mobile device, go here instead.

If you decide not to manage mobile devices, you can turn off mobile management. With a separate setting, you can also prevent users from synchronizing work data to their mobile device.

If you want to turn off password requirements for mobile devices without turning off mobile management, go here instead.

Understand the impact of turning off mobile management

If you turn off mobile management and prevent devices from syncing work data:

• Users can't use their work accounts to sign in to apps on their mobile devices. They can still sign in to web versions of Gmail and other services through a browser app.

If you turn off mobile management, but still allow devices to sync work data:

• You can’t wipe work data from a device if it’s lost or stolen.
• You can’t apply policies or manage devices from the Google Admin console.
• You can still get information about devices that were previously managed in the Admin console.
• (Google Workspace only) New devices are listed if they sync data using Google Sync.
• You can't review and approve devices before they can access work data, even when you require admin approval for device access.
• Android users who were under advanced mobile management can't download or install apps. Only apps installed before you turned off mobile management or that are approved in your EMM will work. To avoid this problem, use one of the following workarounds:
  • Enable basic mobile management for those users.
  • Remove the work profile from the device then set up the work account again.
  • Factory reset the device.
• We can't ask users to verify their identity on a managed mobile device when we detect a suspicious sign-in attempt. However, we might use other mobile device challenges. For details, see Verify a user’s identity with extra security.

Prevent devices from syncing work data

You can prevent all mobile devices in your organization or only certain device types or organizational units from syncing work data.

Before you begin: To apply the setting for certain users, put their accounts in an organizational unit.

1. Sign in to your GoogleAdminconsole.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. In the Admin console, go to MenuDevicesMobile & endpointsSettingsUniversal.

3. Click Data access.
4. To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
5. To prevent Android devices from syncing work data, click Android Sync and uncheck the box.
6. To prevent iPhones and iPads from syncing work data, click iOS Sync and uncheck the box.
7. (Google Workspace only) To prevent Google Sync devices (such as Microsoft Windows Phone, iOS, and BlackBerry) from syncing work data, click Google Sync and uncheck the Allow work data to sync via ActiveSync box.
8. Click Save. If you configured a childorganizational unit, you might be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings.

Turn off management (not recommended)

You can turn off mobile management for all mobile devices in your organization or only for certain device types. If you turn off management, we recommend that you also prevent devices from syncing work data.

Before you begin: To apply the setting for certain users, put their accounts in an organizational unit.

1. Sign in to your GoogleAdminconsole.

   See Also

   Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) VS. Corporate-Owned: Which Policy Is Better for Your Needs? - ModeOne

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. In the Admin console, go to MenuDevicesMobile & endpointsSettingsUniversal.

3. Click GeneralMobile management.
4. To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
5. Choose an option:
   • To turn off management for all mobile devices, select Turn off mobile management.
   • To turn it off only for certain device types, select Custom. Then, for the devices you don’t want to manage, select Unmanaged.
6. Click Save. If you configured a childorganizational unit, you might be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings.
7. (Recommended) Prevent devices from syncing work data.

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