Missionary Android Phone Specs

I am preparing to return to missionary service in the US, and have heard about/seen missionaries bringing their own android phones to use with special software included. Is there a list of phones that are allowed/compatibility requirements somwwhere? (I've heard rumors that they have to be Samsungs)

It depends on the mission. Your mission call should advise you of the details.

jmjosh90 wrote:I am preparing to return to missionary service in the US,

If you check with your mission office, they should have details. Your ward clerk will be able to provide you with contact information if you do not already have it. Welcome back.

My son is serving in the New Jersey mission (which is a tablet mission) and attend mission-wide training last week referring to the Samsung J2 phone.

This does NOT mean anything other than what I stated. I have no idea what mission policy is on the roll-out, only what he reported as communicated to their mission.

I am going on a mission that requires a phone. Do i put this phone onto my person AT&T plan or dose the church have a plan to wire my phone on?

torifrehner wrote:I am going on a mission that requires a phone. Do i put this phone onto my person AT&T plan or dose the church have a plan to wire my phone on?

When my daughter left on her mission the instruction was to get a phone without a plan (I don't remember the exact terms) and the mission would add the sim card to activate the phone service.

My son recently received a call to serve in the Massachusetts Boston Mission. He had purchased a cellphone about a month ago, a Galaxy S10e, and figured it should meet the requirements for his mission. However, he saw a document yesterday stating that the missionary software cannot be run on Android 10? Only Android 8 or 9 are compatible at this time. I thought that the requirement might be dated, so figured I'd ask here. Does anyone know if a missionary can use a Samsung phone running Android 10? If not, will it be made compatible soon? I would think it would given that Android 11 is being released next month... Would seem counter intuitive to rely on older and outdated versions of software. Thanks.

I am interested in this question as well on if Android 10 is supported.

jeffcrews wrote:I am interested in this question as well on if Android 10 is supported.

the stuff I got said no. not android 10

Weelp, My brother is buying a phone now, so I think that every year the specs go up a bit, so its to understand that when Android 11 is out and its proven not to be a failed attempt of new OS, Operating System, that by the end of the year 2020 after updates and security updates stop interfering with Android 10 core system, the church would start to release a new letter of phone requirements.

Although, I'd like to advise DO NOT buy a phone now even if you are thinking on going in a mission next year 2021, do keep in contact with on duty new missionaries and any update on the house of the mission. Right now, save, save and save.

And I'm sorry about those who have already bought a phone with android 10, but your best choice would buy another one instead of changing. A really cheap one just to text, because its of my understanding that android 10 cellphones would only be bought because of the quality of the camera so the missionary could take awesome photos. So just get another one that the missionary can use to text and call. I don't know what the mission says about carrying a second phone. But that's a case by case basis like working with tablets, phones are still more portable and less attention attractive to ill intentions people.

I contacted Mission Support's Global Service Department and these were the responses I received:

The missionary paperwork states that the Maas360 app is not compatible with Android 10. I wanted to verify whether this information is current and correct?

Thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately, Android 10 (Q) is not currently supported. The device’s operating system has to have Android 8 (Oreo) or 9 (Pie). We apologize for any inconvenience this may bring.

Do you have plans to include compatibility with the newer software versions (Android 10 or Android 11)?

We are unsure of how they are going support the new Operating Systems and when, but we hope that we have it soon.

I'm a fan of the S series of phones from Samsung.. the other problem I see is if they do not update support of newer operating systems, then even buying older versions of the phones will not be possible. For example, many S9's have already been upgraded to Android 10. So, you'd be lucky to find an S9 (unless you buy new if available) without Android 10 already installed. So, that leaves you at the S8 series and older... Of course, receiving the constant "update available" notification is another issue if you don't upgrade your software...

awchan13 wrote:The missionary paperwork states that the Maas360 app is not compatible with Android 10. I wanted to verify whether this information is current and correct?

Maas360 is an IBM app. Looking at Google Play store, various MassS360 apps are available for my Android 10 phone. But looking at the reviews, it appears buggy. It's possible that the church techs have determined it's not reliable on Android 10.

I was on the Mission Portal (https://missionary.churchofjesuschrist. ... smartphone) and noticed this in the FAQ:

WHICH SMART PHONE MODELS ARE APPROVED?

All smartphones (whether previously owned or newly purchased) must meet the following requirements:

Brand: Samsung
Knox version: 2.8 or above. Verify that your phone model has Knox version 2.8 or above here.
Note: Your phone’s model number can be verified in the product description or in the “About phone” section of the phone settings. On the website listed above, the Knox version is listed next to the model code (also known as the model number). If the exact model is not listed, then that phone is not approved. Phones with a Knox version listed as 2.7.1 or below, “N/A (One UI Core device),” or “N/A (Android Go device)” are not approved.

Operating system: Android 8, 9, or 10
Note: The operating system can be verified in the product description or in the “About phone” section of the smartphone’s settings.

Carrier: Unlocked to work with any GSM carrier. What is GSM?
Note: Verizon and Sprint use CDMA networks (not GSM).

Internal storage: Minimum 32 GB
Note: Rooted or jailbroken devices cannot be used.

If you depend on a medical-related app, please email mmnurses@dmba.com as soon as possible to request permission to use the app on your missionary smartphone. (App access cannot be guaranteed, but requests will be accommodated if possible.) Please ensure that the phone model you intend to bring is compatible with the requested app. (Phone compatibility information is available on the Google Play Store or app developer’s website.)

I reached out and this is what they sent me if anyone is interested. It looks like now they allow android 8, 9, and 10.



Thank you for reaching out! The approved Samsung phones include Galaxy A, S, and Note series. Samsung Galaxy "Core" models and M series smartphones are not approved. All smartphones (whether previously owned or newly purchased) must meet the following requirements:

Brand: Samsung
Knox version: 3.2.1 or above. Verify that your phone model has Knox version 3.2.1 or above here.
Note: Your phone’s model number can be verified in the product description or in the “About phone” section of the phone settings. On the website listed above, the Knox version is listed next to the model code (also known as the model number). If the exact model is not listed, then that phone is not approved. Phones with a Knox version listed as 3.2 or below, “N/A (One UI Core device),” or “N/A (Android Go device)” are not approved.

Operating system: Android 8, 9, or 10
Note: The operating system can be verified in the product description or in the “About phone” section of the smartphone’s settings.

Carrier: Unlocked to work with any GSM carrier. What is GSM?
Note: Verizon and Sprint use CDMA networks (not GSM).

Internal storage: Minimum 32 GB


Sister Park

Mission Support

Global Service Department

Echarleshersel wrote:What is GSM?

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communication. CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. Those are just fancy ways of describing two forms of radio technology that phones and phone networks use to transmit voice and data.

One of the biggest differences between these two systems is that GSM phones use SIM cards to link a particular phone with its network, while CDMA phones don’t require a SIM card because the phone itself is linked to the network.

However, with the widespread adoption of 4G LTE networks, this has changed. The GSM vs. CDMA debate was really only about 2G and 3G technology. Now that 4G (and even 5G) are the standards, phone manufacturers like Apple, Google, and Samsung are creating devices that are compatible with all phone technologies: CDMA, GSM, LTE.

my son purchased a phone that was advertised and Android 9, however it happened to be version 10. The phone would not work properly with the church's installed app and so the phone was taken by the mission office and he was given a loaner phone. Thankfully we were able to return the phone for a full refund and got him the proper android version 9
(this took place the end of May 2020)

Hopefully the app in question will work on Android 10 now. The "current" version of Android which entered full production about a month ago is 11.

My son is currently serving in Boston with a Galaxy S10e fully updated with Android 10 and latest Knox. He hasn't had any problems. He also says the other missionaries in his apartment are using A10e's with Android 10.

The church needs to support iPhone and use something like JAMF or JAMF School to manage the devices. Even IBM doesn’t use Android or their own product, MAAS 360 to manage their equipment. Strange.

Aplman wrote:The church needs to support iPhone and use something like JAMF or JAMF School to manage the devices.

I'm taking a wild guess as to the criteria. One would be cost. Android can be cheaper. Another issue is if the device makes the missionary a target for theft. I'd think an iPhone would increase that risk.

Making live "nice" for the developers probably isn't a factor. Not unless the labor hours saved gets close to the cost savings on all the deployed devices.

Curious if the missionary phone app is still not supported with Android version 10. I see here from this older post that earlier in 2020 it was not?

As was mentioned in previous posts, Maas360 is working on Android 10 devices.

I have a daughter just getting ready to leave on mission to washington DC and has a samsung galaxy J3 that her sister was using on her mission that she just got home with it has android 8 operating system will my daughter just leaving be ok to use it?

jessejjohnson wrote:I have a daughter just getting ready to leave on mission to washington DC and has a samsung galaxy J3 that her sister was using on her mission that she just got home with it has android 8 operating system will my daughter just leaving be ok to use it?

That question should be directed to her future mission president.

Would it be ok to take my current phone on my mission to save money even if it is a iPhone

No, it has to be a Samsung approved phone that is unlocked for any network.

What are the latest phone specs that are needed? How do you get ahold of the missionary support department?

Douglasscottclark@yahoo.com wrote: Wed Dec 29, 2021 12:47 pm What are the latest phone specs that are needed? How do you get ahold of the missionary support department?

Information on missionary phones is available in the Missionary Portal. See https://missionary.churchofjesuschrist.org/portal/acquire-a-missionary-smartphone?lang=eng.

I am trying to set up my son's mission phone. It is an approved phone and unlocked. We keep getting an error message. Does anyone know to get past this?

[Moderator note: the screen shot was removed as it exposed a email address in a public forum. It's a screen shot of "Add Device" screen, with a pop-up message "Error in enrolling the device. Try again later."]

What is the phone model?