# Alert when a company device leaves the office

Geofencing lets you draw a boundary around a site and automatically get notified — or trigger a policy — the moment a managed device crosses it.

![A geofence around a job site with a device crossing the boundary](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/mobile-device-management/images/geofence-alerts.png)

## The problem

Expensive, data-carrying devices are meant to stay on-site, but there's no easy way to know when one walks out the door until it's already gone. By the time a missing device is noticed and reported, the window to protect it has closed.

## The feature

**Quick answer:** define a geofence around a location and attach actions that fire on entry or exit.

You set a location and radius in the console, then bind policies to the boundary — send an alert, mark the device non-compliant, lock it, or apply a stricter profile when it leaves the approved area.

## The unique advantage

Instead of location tracking as a passive map, geofencing is active — it turns "where is this device" into "do something automatically when it shouldn't be there." Combined with lock/wipe, it shrinks the exposure window from hours to seconds.

## How it looks in the console and device

In the console you place the fence on a map and choose the trigger actions. On the device it's silent; the user only notices if a policy (like a lock) is applied on exit. Admins see location and boundary-crossing events in reports.

![](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/mobile-device-management/images/mobile-device-geofencing-alerts.png)

## Use cases in different industries

### Warehouse & logistics

Keep scanners and rugged tablets inside the facility.

### Healthcare

Alert when infusion-pump tablets or ward devices leave the floor.

### Education

Notify when a loaned device leaves campus.

### Construction

Confirm site tablets stay on the correct job site.

## Tips and troubleshooting

1. Geofencing depends on location services and connectivity — a device that's off or offline reports its crossing once it reconnects.
2. Set a sensible radius; too tight and normal movement triggers false alerts near the boundary.
3. Pair exit actions with lock/wipe for genuinely sensitive fleets rather than alerts alone.

## Related use cases

![A missing device locked remotely from the console](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/mobile-device-management/images/remote-lock-and-wipe.png)

### [Remotely lock or wipe a lost or stolen phone](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/mdm-use-cases/remote-lock-wipe-lost-phone.html?utm_source=mobile-device-geofencing-alerts)

iOS, Android, Windows

![A live hardware, app, and policy inventory ready for export](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/mobile-device-management/images/device-inventory-and-audit-reports.png)

### [Track device inventory and audit reports](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/mdm-use-cases/mobile-device-inventory-audit-reports.html?utm_source=mobile-device-geofencing-alerts)

iOS, Android, Windows, Chrome OS

![Devices checked against one passcode and encryption policy](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/mobile-device-management/images/enforce-passcode-and-encryption.png)

### [Enforce passcodes and encryption](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/mdm-use-cases/enforce-mobile-device-passcode.html?utm_source=mobile-device-geofencing-alerts)

iOS, Android, Windows