Mobile Device Management

Device Security Features

In order to comply with UTS 165, all employees connecting to university email using a personal mobile device are required to have the device encrypted and PIN enabled.

Before Getting Started

Before enabling a PIN on your mobile device, please make sure you have a current backup of your data. If you enable a PIN and forget it, or if encrypting your phone or tablet causes the device to fail, UT Tyler's IT support will not be able to help you unlock your device. If you forget your PIN and do not have a backup of your data, UT Tyler's IT support will not be able to help you recover your data. 

If you are concerned you may forget the pin code, be sure to document it and keep it somewhere safe.

Who this affects:

All full-time, part-time, and student workers connecting their personal devices to university e-mail accounts. This is not required for student email accounts. 

How this affects you:

If your personal device already has a PIN code and is encrypted, you will be able to send and receive university e-mails using your mail app. Personal devices not configured with PIN codes and encryption will be prohibited from accessing university e-mail from that device using the mail app.  

What you should do before enabling a PIN code or encrypting your device:

If you do not have a PIN already enabled on your device, it is very important that you back up your files and settings using the method recommended by your device's manufacturer.   

What you should do you do if you’ve forgotten your PIN code:

If you forget your PIN, UT Tyler’s IT Support will not be able to assist you in recovering your data. If you do not have a backup of your data, you will not be able to restore it when resetting your device. It is strongly recommended that you store a copy of your PIN code in a safe place in the event that you forget it. 

Should you enable a PIN, encrypt your device, or both?

iPhones and iPad are automatically encrypted when a PIN is enabled, so you will only need to enable a PIN on your device. Newer versions of Android come encrypted out of the box, whereas older versions of Android will have two separate settings, one for enabling a PIN and another for encrypting the device. You can check here to see what will need to be enabled on your phone based on the version that was factory installed on your device. 

How to access university e-mail without enabling a PIN or encryption:

If you do not want to enable a PIN or encryption on your mobile device, you may still use a web browser to access your university e-mail by navigating here from your device’s web browser. 

Additional things to note regarding encrypting your Android:

• Make sure you backup your device before attempting encryption.
• If you interfere with the process or end it before it’s finished, you will likely lose all your data. Once the process has started, it’s best to just leave the device alone and let the encryption process complete.
• Encrypting your device could take an hour or longer.
• Your device’s battery must be at least 80% charged.
• Your device must be plugged in through the entire process.
• Encryption is a one-way process. To disable encryption on an Android, you will need reset your device back to its factory settings.
• Because data has to be decrypted on-the-fly every time you access it, you may see a bit of a performance drop once it’s enabled, though it’s generally not noticeable for most users (especially if you have a newer, more powerful phone)
• If your device is rooted, you will temporarily need to unroot it to encrypt the phone, and then re-root it afterwards.
  
  

Where you should go for support:

Due to the countless versions that Android and iOS have, UT Tyler’s IT Support is unable to provide support for non-university owned devices. Links to the different manufacturer support pages can be found here. If you are running an older model phone or tablet and are concerned about encryption causing any issues, we recommend checking your email through your device’s web browser by logging on here as a way to avoid having to encrypt your device.