Set Tracking Mode

What

Tracking Mode controls whether FileWave requests location information from a managed device. Location availability depends on the device platform, enrollment type, operating-system privacy controls, and user choices on the device, so results can vary.

When/Why

Some organizations use tracking for ongoing device-location visibility, but the most common practical use is Missing mode for supervised iOS and iPadOS devices that have been misplaced. FileWave Missing mode uses Apple's Lost Mode functionality to lock the device and help locate it.

How

Before changing a device's tracking mode, confirm its identity, the approved purpose, required notice and consent, and the platform-specific prerequisites in Location Tracking Setup below. From the device actions menu, choose Set tracking mode, then select one of these modes:

• Untracked: The default mode. FileWave does not request ongoing location data. Stopping new collection does not delete previously stored location data; follow your organization's retention process.
• Tracked: FileWave performs occasional location lookups when the platform and device settings allow it.
• Missing: FileWave uses Apple Managed Lost Mode on supervised iPhone and iPad devices, locking normal use after the command is received. This is not the macOS workflow or a way to troubleshoot passive tracking. See Apple MDM Lost Mode for eligibility, recovery, and the network connection needed to enable and exit the mode.

Location data is treated as personally identifying information by operating systems and may require specific permissions, supervision, enrollment types, and end-user consent. Review Location Tracking Setup before relying on tracking for a workflow.

After selecting the intended mode, coordinate the required Model Update with the other administrators: it publishes shared pending model changes, not just this device action. A saved or committed change does not prove the device has received it.

When FileWave receives location data from the device, the device appears on the map in the Location tab of Device Detail. Check the report's timestamp and accuracy where available; a map pin is not proof of the device's present position. When an approved tracking task ends, use the stop or recovery steps in Location Tracking Setup and verify device receipt rather than assuming the menu change alone completed the task.