SkieSkie for Enterprise
Hardening and tamper protection
Every protection Skie applies to a managed device, and what each one stops. 72 questions answered.
- What does hardening mean in Skie device management?Hardening is the set of Android restrictions Skie applies so that students cannot step around the rules on a managed tablet or phone. Each protection is its own policy switch, such as...
- Which Skie hardening protections are on by default and which are optional?Most Skie protections are on by default, including blocks on factory reset, safe mode, developer options, uninstalling Skie, adding users, VPN setup and USB file transfer. The optional ones...
- Can hardening settings differ by school, branch or group in Skie?Yes. Every hardening switch can be set at organisation, school, branch or group level, and the most specific level applies last. A trust can keep one baseline across all campuses while the...
- What does the Skie compliance score confirm about hardening?After every policy apply, the device reads each protection back from Android and reports whether it is actually in force. The compliance score is built from that read-back, so it confirms...
- How does Skie re-apply a protection if a setting is changed?Skie checks each protection against the policy and puts it back if it has drifted. Rules are cached on the device and signed, so this works offline too. For example, if a user runs Reset...
- How does Skie block factory reset on school tablets?Skie switches on Android's factory reset restriction, so the Reset option in Settings is unavailable on a managed tablet. It is on by default. Behind it, Android's Factory Reset Protection...
- What is Factory Reset Protection in Skie and how is it tied to the admin account?Factory Reset Protection is an Android feature that asks for the previously registered Google sign-in after a device is wiped. Skie ties it to the Skie organisation's Google account, which...
- Can students use safe mode to get around Skie?No. Skie turns on Android's safe boot restriction, so a managed device cannot be restarted into safe mode. It is on by default. Safe mode normally disables third-party apps, which would...
- Why does Skie block developer options on student devices?Developer options expose switches that change how Android behaves, such as USB debugging, mock locations and animation scales, which can interfere with managed rules. Skie blocks them...
- Why does Skie block adb and USB debugging on managed tablets?Android Debug Bridge, or adb, lets a computer send commands to a tablet over USB, which could change settings or install apps outside Skie's rules. Skie blocks USB debugging on managed...
- What does the lock accounts option do in Skie?Lock accounts is an optional protection that stops anyone adding, removing or changing accounts such as Google accounts on a managed device. It uses Android's modify accounts restriction....
- How does Skie block installing apps from unknown sources?Skie turns on Android's install-unknown-apps restriction, so no app can be installed from a browser download, a file manager or a messaging app. It is on by default. Apps come from Google...
- What is the global unknown sources block in Skie?The global block applies Android's unknown sources restriction to the whole device, not just to the current user or profile. It is on by default in Skie. That way an install from a file, a...
- Can a student uninstall the Skie app from a managed device?No. Skie blocks uninstalling itself on managed devices, and the protection is on by default. Because Skie is the Android device owner, the normal uninstall and disable routes are not...
- Can students force stop, clear data or disable apps that Skie manages?No. Skie blocks force stop, clear data and disable on managed apps, and it is on by default. Android's own control is switched off for those apps, so the buttons in App info do nothing....
- Can a student stop the Skie app from running in the background?No. The Skie app cannot be stopped by the user, and a watchdog restarts the background service if it ever ends. The device also reports presence about every four minutes and is exempt from...
- Can students add a new user on a managed tablet?No. Skie blocks adding users with Android's add-user restriction, and it is on by default. A new user would start with its own apps, settings and accounts, outside the rules of the...
- Can students create a work profile on a managed tablet?No. Skie blocks creating a work profile with Android's add-managed-profile restriction, and it is on by default. A work profile is a separate space with its own apps and accounts, so...
- Can students use clone apps or a second copy of an app on managed Android?No. On Android 14 and newer, Skie blocks clone profiles, and it is on by default. A clone profile is a second copy of an app running side by side with the first. Blocking it means the app...
- Can students hide apps in Android's private space on a managed device?No. On Android 15 and newer, Skie blocks private profiles, and it is on by default. Private space is an Android feature that tucks apps away behind a lock, which would let a student keep...
- Why does Skie block switching users on managed devices?Skie blocks user switching with Android's user switch restriction, and it is on by default. Even if another user existed on the device, nobody could move into it. It keeps the managed space...
- Why does Skie block removing users on a managed device?Skie blocks removing users with Android's remove-user restriction, and it is on by default. It stops anyone deleting a user space, including the managed one, as a way of disturbing the...
- Can students use airplane mode to avoid Skie on a school tablet?No. Skie locks airplane mode with Android's airplane mode restriction, and it is on by default. The toggle cannot be turned on, so a student cannot cut the radios to hide a tablet from...
- Why does Skie lock mobile network settings on managed devices?Skie locks mobile network settings with Android's mobile networks restriction, and it is on by default. Students cannot change access point names, preferred network type or roaming. That...
- Why does Skie block the Private DNS setting on managed devices?Android's Private DNS setting lets a user pick a different encrypted DNS provider, which would send lookups around the school filter. Skie blocks it with the config private DNS restriction...
- Can students set up a VPN on a managed tablet?No. Skie blocks VPN setup with Android's configure-VPN restriction, and it is on by default. A student cannot add a VPN profile in Settings or let an app create one. VPN apps, proxy apps...
- Why does Skie lock date and time to automatic?Skie forces automatic date, time and time zone on, and blocks changing them, using Android's date and time restriction. It is on by default. A student who sets the clock back or forward...
- How does Skie block network reset on managed tablets?Skie blocks Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth with Android's network reset restriction, and it is on by default. Without it, a student could wipe saved networks and network settings in one...
- Can a student undo Skie with Reset all settings?No. If a person runs Reset all settings, Skie re-applies the protections within seconds. Skie keeps the signed policy cached on the device, so it knows what to restore. The admin sees the...
- Why does Skie block third-party accessibility apps?Accessibility services can read the screen, tap on a user's behalf and watch what is typed, so a rogue one could automate around the rules. Skie blocks third-party accessibility apps on...