MS Exchange Email Account forces passcode?

[Sheza]

Hi,

I hate passcode lock. I have never used it nor needed to use it really. I lock my phone way too many times every hour for it to become worthwhile.

Today I added my college's email account to the Mail app. It then asked me for a passcode! Okay then, I said, this must be for the mail. Turns it it needs that passcode every time I unlock the phone!

And it gets worse, I can't turn it off! The option is greyed out.

Why does Mail from a certain email account force a passcode? Is there any solution to this or do I have to give up my dream of having a unified and stock-Apple-based system fro all my email accounts?

 

[bhattsan]

This was a rule that was set up by your college email admin in Microsoft Exchange to prevent unauthorized access to your email. They typically do this in corporations, never heard of colleges doing this. Your best bet would be either: talk to your college IT admin to remove this requirement or wait for the jailbreak for your device, because there is a cydia tweak to remove this passcode requirement.

 

[hp51089]

It's a restriction put in place by your school. My girlfriend's school is the same way. I've got Exchange for my work email and they don't force me to use a passcode.

 

[Sheza]

Seriously it's not like we share a campus with the military or anything, god!

Sigh, okay thanks for explaining the situation!

 

[chriscl]

Talk to your local Exchange Admins; but this is a Global setting in Exchange (my company does the same thing).

There are two levels; in addition to enforcing the Passcode Lock, the Exchange Admin can also specify the use of a complex passcode (i.e. meaning you have to put in a "proper" passcode, rather than the simple four-digit PIN).

 

[MrGimper]

Also note that the Exchange Admin can also force a remote wipe of your device should they wish. That's part of ActiveSync policies too....

 

[aham23]

Also note that the Exchange Admin can also force a remote wipe of your device should they wish. That's part of ActiveSync policies too....

my company as a 12 page agreement form one must sign before they can hook up a personal smart phone to the work exchange account. all a guy wants to do is be able to work nights and weekends. geesh.

 

[MrGimper]

my company as a 12 page agreement form one must sign before they can hook up a personal smart phone to the work exchange account. all a guy wants to do is be able to work nights and weekends. geesh.

It's a ballache, but understandable ... a lost iphone with company emails or client lists in contacts is a very dangerous thing.

 

[RandomKamikaze]

Talk to your local Exchange Admins; but this is a Global setting in Exchange (my company does the same thing).

There are two levels; in addition to enforcing the Passcode Lock, the Exchange Admin can also specify the use of a complex passcode (i.e. meaning you have to put in a "proper" passcode, rather than the simple four-digit PIN).

It's not global depending on Exchange version.. Exchange 2010 allows for different ActiveSync policies.

And OP, this is an Enterprise feature, just as ActiveSync is classed as an Enterprise/Corporate feature.

Apple had to incorporate this feature to get into the Enterprise/Corporate space and a lot of people were happy when this became supported.

If you aren't happy with it, remove it and just use OWA (if its allowed)