Force Location for EMM Android Devices

Description

This article configures location reporting for fully managed Android EMM devices by combining the FileWave Server setting, an Android Policy, device permission, and a Deployment.

After the complete workflow is active, the FileWave Client normally reports coordinates about every 15 minutes. The Position Map remains empty until the device has returned its first location.

Privacy and server prerequisite: Location reporting is disabled by default. Confirm that tracking complies with your organization's policy and acceptable-use requirements, and notify users before enabling it. On a self-managed FileWave Server, add settings.EMM['FWCLIENT_FORCE_ALL_DEVICES_TRACKING_ENABLED'] = True to /usr/local/filewave/django/filewave/settings_custom.py, restart FileWave Apache, and Update Model. Hosted FileWave customers must ask FileWave Technical Support to make the hosted-server change. See Location Tracking Setup for the complete tracking workflow.

Ingredients

• FileWave Central
• A fully managed Android EMM device that is enrolled and checking in
• Background location permission for the FileWave Client
• FileWave Client 15.5.3 or later on Android 14 and later
• The FileWave Server prerequisite above completed before policy deployment

If an Android 14 or later device has an older FileWave Client, update the app before troubleshooting policy or location reporting.

Directions 

Android Policy

In FileWave Central, create a Fileset from Google > Android > Policy and give it a clear name, such as Android - Enable Location Reporting.

Device Restrictions

1. Highlight "Device Restrictions" and select "Configure..."
2. Alter Location Mode and Sharing to Enabled and Allowed respectively, as per the screenshot: 

   

Assignment

Save the Policy, add it to a Deployment for the intended fully managed Android devices, and Update Model. If your environment still uses legacy Fileset Associations, the same Policy can be associated with the target devices there.

Verify location reporting

Confirm the Policy is active in Fileset Status, then open Device Info for a targeted device. The Position Map tab appears after assignment, but the map remains empty until the device returns its first coordinates.

If Device Info is already open, Position Map may remain this way until the Device Info window is closed and re-opened.

The Status of the Policy may be observed from the Fileset Status view:

On the device, open Settings > Location > App permissions and confirm that FileWave Client is listed under Allowed all the time. If the Policy is active but no coordinates arrive, check client version, device connectivity, the server setting, and this permission before redeploying the Policy.

The map should then display the device location once reported.