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Sophos Mobile Control is being renamed Sophos Mobile Device Management, and Sophos Intercept X for Mobile is being renamed Sophos Mobile Threat Defense. The iOS apps are already available with the new names. The Android apps will be available in early 2027. In this help, Sophos Mobile Device Management and Sophos Mobile Threat Defense refer to both the Android and iOS apps. Select this banner for more information.

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Device synchronization

Devices synchronize with Sophos Mobile at regular intervals, which depend on the device type.

There are three types of synchronization:

  • Regular synchronization at a fixed interval, typically every 24 hours.
  • Synchronization when specific events occur, for example when Sophos Mobile Threat Defense identifies a threat.
  • Manual synchronization started by the user or the administrator.

See the sections below for details on regular synchronization.

Note

Every synchronization restarts the synchronization interval. Suppose the synchronization interval is 24 hours, and the next scheduled synchronization is at 11 PM. If you start a synchronization at 3 PM, the next scheduled synchronization will be at 3 PM the next day.

Android devices

Android devices on which Sophos Mobile manages Sophos Mobile Device Management synchronize as follows:

  • Server-initiated: At the interval you set in the Maximum interval between Sophos MDM syncs compliance rule, Sophos Mobile sends a synchronization request to the device. If you don't set a value, the interval is 24 hours.
  • Device-initiated: To make sure devices synchronize even if they don't receive notifications, they also synchronize at the interval you set on the Android tab of the Google setup page. See Set synchronization interval (Android).

Android devices on which Sophos Mobile manages Sophos Mobile Threat Defense synchronize at the interval you set in the Maximum interval between Sophos MTD syncs compliance rule.

iPhones and iPads

iPhones and iPads on which Sophos Mobile manages Sophos Mobile Device Management synchronize at the interval you set in the Maximum interval between Sophos MDM syncs compliance rule. If you don't set a value, the interval is 24 hours.

iPhones and iPads on which Sophos Mobile manages Sophos Mobile Threat Defense synchronize at the interval you set in the Maximum interval between Sophos MTD syncs compliance rule.

iPhones and iPads that don't have a Sophos Mobile app installed synchronize at the interval you set in the Maximum interval between native MDM agent synchronizations compliance rule. If you don't set a value, the interval is 24 hours.

Macs

Macs synchronize every 24 hours.

Windows computers

Windows computers synchronize as follows:

  • Server-initiated: At the interval you set in the Maximum interval between native MDM agent synchronizations compliance rule, Sophos Mobile sends a synchronization request to the device. If you don't set a value, the interval is 24 hours.

  • Device-initiated: To make sure devices synchronize even if they don't receive notifications, they also synchronize at the interval you set on the MDM polling interval tab of the Microsoft setup page. See Set synchronization interval (Windows).

    Changing the MDM polling interval value doesn't affect devices that are already enrolled.

Chrome devices

  • Server-initiated: At the interval you set in the Maximum interval between Sophos Chrome Security synchronizations compliance rule, Sophos Mobile sends a synchronization request to the device. If you don't set a value, the interval is 24 hours.
  • Device-initiated: To make sure devices synchronize even if they don't receive notifications, they synchronize every 24 hours.