SkieDoes location tracking still work when the screen is off or the phone is in a bag?
Yes. Skie reports location from a protected background service, so it keeps working with the screen off, the device locked or the phone in a school bag. It needs the device to be switched on and to have mobile data or Wi-Fi to send the position to you.
Many tracking apps stop when Android decides they are not needed. Skie is installed as the device owner, which lets it ask for background location permission automatically at setup and ask for battery optimisation to be waived. A watchdog worker also brings the service back if the system ever stops it.
In practice, this means the position keeps being reported when the child is not looking at the phone. The screen can be off and the device can sit in a bag all day. You will still see the latest position and its time on the dashboard.
There are limits that no software can change. A phone that is switched off, has a flat battery or has no signal cannot report. A Wi-Fi-only tablet can report only while it is connected to Wi-Fi. When the device reconnects or the screen turns on, Skie syncs straight away and the dashboard catches up.
If the device has been quiet for longer than expected, the dashboard marks it as overdue or offline, so you do not have to guess whether silence is normal. That is covered in the entry on offline and last seen.
Tip: for younger children who carry a tablet rather than a phone, tell them to leave it on Wi-Fi at school if the school allows it, so you still get regular positions.