Company-owned Android devices can be tracked through Google Find Hub, Android Enterprise features, an MDM, or a dedicated tracking and recovery platform such as Senturo.
The right method depends on the device’s enrollment mode, whether you need live location tracking, security automations, or a longer location history, and what actions IT must take when a device is lost.
Can Company-Owned Android Devices Be Tracked?
Yes, provided the device is enrolled correctly, location permissions are enabled, and the selected platform supports location reporting.
A company-owned, fully managed Android device generally gives IT more control than an employee-owned device with only a work profile. The exact location, lock, wipe, and recovery options depend on the management platform being used.
Four Ways to Track Company-Owned Android Devices
1. Google Find Hub
Google Find Hub can locate, ring, secure, mark lost, or erase an Android device connected to a Google Account.
It works well for individual devices, but it is not designed for centralized business fleets. It does not provide company-wide inventory, delegated IT access, enterprise geofencing, long-term reporting, or a unified recovery workflow.
2. Android Enterprise Lost Mode
Android Enterprise supports Lost Mode only on eligible company-owned devices.
It can lock the device, display return information, sound an alert, and report location. However, the organization’s EMM must implement and expose the feature in its own console.
3. Native MDM or EMM Tracking
Some MDM platforms provide Android location features.
Microsoft Intune offers an administrator-initiated location request for eligible corporate-owned Android Enterprise devices. The requested location is retained for 24 hours, while dedicated-device last-known information may be available for up to seven days. If a device is not reported missing immediately or remains offline for an extended period, IT may have little historical location data to support recovery.
Cisco Meraki Systems Manager supports Android GPS reporting, IP-based fallback location, geofencing, and recovery actions.
Native MDM capabilities vary considerably. Some provide only an on-demand location, while others offer geofencing or additional recovery controls.
4. Senturo
Senturo is a dedicated device-tracking, security, and recovery platform. It can operate as a standalone platform or work alongside an existing MDM such as Google Admin Console, Incident IQ, Intune, or Meraki.
Individual Android devices can be enrolled directly through the Senturo app, while larger fleets can be deployed through a CSV file or an existing MDM.
Senturo provides standard location reporting, configurable as frequently as every 10 minutes, real-time reporting in Missing Mode, network and IP context, geofencing, broadcasts, and up to 24 months of location history, depending on the configured retention policy.
What Must Be Configured Before Tracking Works?
Before issuing Android devices, IT should:
- Record the serial number, IMEI, assigned user, and department.
- Select the correct Android enrollment mode.
- Install the MDM or tracking application.
- Approve location, notification, and background permissions.
- Confirm that the device reports its location and status.
- Test locate, lock, sound, and wipe actions.
- Document who may access employee-device location data.
Senturo Android devices require the current app version, location access, push notifications, and the necessary permissions to report correctly.
What Happens If the Android Device Is Offline?
No platform can receive a new cloud location from a device that is powered off or completely disconnected.
The last reported location and network information may still help establish where the device was before it went offline.
With Senturo, the Android app remains enrolled, and its permissions remain active. When the device reconnects, location and network reporting resume, allowing the administrator to see its updated position.
Administrators can also mark the device as missing and issue supported security actions. When a lock or wipe command is issued through Senturo while the device is offline, the connected MDM executes the command when the device comes back online.
What Should Businesses Look for in an Android Tracking Solution?
Senturo is most useful when a business needs more than a single locate request. It adds ongoing visibility, FERPA- conscious privacy controls, a longer history, geofencing, security automation, and a single recovery workflow across a mixed device fleet.
What Should IT Do When an Android Device Goes Missing?
- Confirm the device, assigned user, serial number, and IMEI.
- Check its current or last-known location.
- Review available location and network history.
- Mark the device as missing.
- Lock it and display return instructions.
- Revoke access to corporate accounts if necessary.
- Export a PDF for insurance and autorities with Senturp
- Contact the carrier, security team, or law enforcement.
- Wipe the device if protecting its data becomes more important than recovering the hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an employer track a company-owned Android phone?
Yes, when the device is enrolled in a supported management or tracking platform and the required permissions are enabled.
Can Android devices be tracked without an MDM?
Yes. Google Find Hub can locate individual devices, while Senturo can be installed and enrolled directly as a standalone business tracking platform.
Does Senturo require Intune or another MDM?
No. Senturo can operate independently. An MDM can still be connected to simplify fleet deployment and provide additional security actions.
Can a company track an Android device when it is turned off?
No platform can receive a new location while the device is powered off. IT can review its last-known information and receive new data when it reconnects.
How much location history does Senturo provide?
Senturo supports configurable location-history retention of up to 24 months.
Can Senturo track Android devices in real time?
Senturo can report location every 10 minutes during normal use and switches to real-time reporting when Missing Mode is activated.
Is tracking a company phone an employee-privacy issue?
It can be. Businesses should explain why location is collected, restrict access to authorized roles, define retention periods, and document when Missing Mode may be activated.
Björn Hall, Co-Founder & CEO @ Senturo
Björn Hall is an experienced software entrepreneur in mobile security fleet management. As Co-Founder & CEO, he has led Senturo’s evolution into a powerful enterprise solution, delivering advanced geo-tracking, compliance automation, and security enforcement across macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS. More about Björn