SkieWhat does it mean when my child's phone shows offline or last seen?
Offline means the device has not reported to Skie for longer than expected. Last seen is the time of its most recent contact. The usual cause is no mobile data or Wi-Fi, a flat battery, or the device switched off, and the dashboard shows the last known position.
Skie's device checks in regularly and also syncs the moment the internet returns or the screen is turned on. If it stops checking in, the dashboard shows when it was last seen and moves it through states such as due, overdue and offline, depending on how long the silence has lasted.
A device that shows offline but is switched on is, most of the time, simply without data or Wi-Fi. A tablet in a school bag with Wi-Fi off, a phone in a basement, or a data pack that has run out all look the same from the dashboard. The device does not need constant internet to follow its rules. Those are saved on the device and keep working offline.
A missing check-in is treated as an alert in its own right, so you do not have to notice silence yourself. The dashboard flags devices that have been quiet for longer than the thresholds, and you see the last position and the time of that position.
What the dashboard cannot tell you is why. It cannot separate a flat battery from a switched-off phone, or a dead zone from a child who put the device in airplane mode. Airplane mode and mobile network settings are locked by policy, but power and distance remain.
Tip: if a device is offline at the time you expect it to be on, call the child first and check the last seen time before you worry.