MC219414 – Controlling Outlook data on Android and Tizen wearable devices (archived)

Product:

Exchange, Intune, Outlook

Platform:

Android, iOS, mobile, Online, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact, Feature update, User impact

Links:

Details:

Beginning the week of August 31st, 2020, Outlook for Android will be extending its support of mobile device mailbox policy settings to include the AllowBluetooth setting which will be used to disable wearable sync for those customers that do not have Microsoft Intune.
Outlook for Android supports Android and Tizen wearable technology. When the Outlook app is installed on the wearable, the user can receive message notifications and event reminders, interact with messages, and view daily calendars. For data to synchronize to the Outlook app installed on Android or Tizen wearable devices, the wearable must be connected to the Android device via Bluetooth.
By default, Outlook for Android supports a model where wearable sync is enabled.
For more information on what Outlook scenarios are specifically supported on Tizen wearables, see "https://galaxystore.samsung.com/geardetail/com.microsoft.office.outlook.tizen" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://galaxystore.samsung.com/geardetail/com.microsoft.office.outlook.tizen" https://galaxystore.samsung.com/geardetail/com.microsoft.office.outlook.tizen" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://galaxystore.samsung.com/geardetail/com.microsoft.office.outlook.tizen.
Microsoft offers an in-market solution where Intune customers can leverage Intune App Protection Policies to disable wearable technology. This solution prevents any data from being synchronized to the wearable device from the work or school account when protected by an Intune App Protection Policy. For more information, see "https://docs.microsoft.com/exchange/clients-and-mobile-in-exchange-online/outlook-for-ios-and-android/outlook-for-ios-and-android-configuration-with-microsoft-intune#data-protection-scenarios" Deploying Outlook for iOS and Android app configuration settings.
Outlook for Android does support Exchange Online’s mobile device mailbox policy framework. Outlook for Android consumes the "https://docs.microsoft.com/exchange/clients-and-mobile-in-exchange-online/exchange-activesync/mobile-device-mailbox-policies" mobile device mailbox policy and acts based on what policy settings are configured. The mobile device mailbox policy is evaluated when Outlook for Android connects to Exchange Online. Today, Outlook for Android only supports the PIN and encryption client policy settings (see "https://docs.microsoft.com/exchange/clients-and-mobile-in-exchange-online/outlook-for-ios-and-android/manage-outlook-for-ios-and-android#using-mobile-device-access-and-mobile-device-mailbox-policies" Managing Outlook for iOS and Android for more information).
With the change at the end of August, when Outlook consumes the Exchange mobile device mailbox policy, Outlook will act on the AllowBluetooth setting’s value when an Intune App Protection Policy is not applied to the work or school account:
When AllowBluetooth is enabled (default behavior) or configured for HandsfreeOnly, wearable synchronization between Outlook on the Android device and Outlook on the wearable is allowed for the work or school account.
When AllowBluetooth is disabled, Outlook for Android will disable synchronization between Outlook on the Android device and Outlook on the wearable for the specified work or school account (and delete any data previously synced for the account). Disabling the synchronization is controlled entirely within Outlook itself; Bluetooth is not disabled on the device or wearable nor is any other wearable app affected.

Change Category:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2020-07-29

updated:
2020-09-18