SkieWhat happens to a managed device if the SIM is removed or the network is lost?
The rules keep working, because they are cached and signed on the device. What stops is reporting: location pauses and the dashboard stops hearing from it until it reconnects. If that gap passes your thresholds, the device moves through Due and Overdue and may appear in the breach centre.
Skie does not rely on a SIM. It does not include a mobile plan, and Wi-Fi-only tablets work for most features. So taking a SIM out of a phone changes connectivity, not management. Android keeps enforcing the restrictions, the schedules keep switching app sets, and the filtering DNS stays locked on the device.
What is lost while the device has no route to the server is information. Live location cannot be reported, a fresh location request cannot be answered, and the last-seen time stops moving. Location resumes when the device reconnects. If the device can reach Wi-Fi, it can still report even without a SIM.
The dashboard reflects that quietly. After the Due limit the device is Due, then Overdue, then Offline unusual and finally Breach if a missing check-in is raised, using thresholds that you set. A device that has simply lost data coverage looks the same as one that was switched off, which is why checking power and Wi-Fi comes first.
On unlock, a device past the Due limit tries to sync first through the gate overlay, and only blocks if it cannot. Offline mode, if you use it, gives a planned fallback with its own allowed apps and a maximum duration.
For a device that is suspected stolen, lost mode locks it, shows a contact message and starts tracking when it next connects. It also gathers evidence for a police report, including IMEI, serial, SIM details and the location trail.
Practical tip: record the SIM in your own asset list when you hand out phones, so a swapped SIM is easy to spot later.