Devices running Android 10 or iOS 14 and above use a feature called media access control (MAC) address randomization. MAC address randomization is a security feature that changes your device’s MAC address each time it joins a WiFi network. This feature is enabled by default.
Why is Circle finding unknown devices?
Circle uses MAC addresses to identify your connected devices. Because MAC address randomization changes a device’s MAC address, your device might appear as an unknown device in the device list.
This issue might also occur for Windows 10 devices with the Random Hardware Address feature enabled.
How does this issue affect the Circle app?
Duplicate or unknown devices might get assigned to the wrong Circle profile or get categorized as unmanaged. When a device is unmanaged, parental control features like usage history, off times, and content filters are not active for that device.
Follow these high-level steps to resolve this issue:
- Disable MAC address randomization on Android 10 or iOS 14.
- Remove the unknown devices from Circle.
To disable MAC address randomization on Android 10:
- Launch the Android Settings app.
- Tap Network and Internet.
- Select Wi-Fi.
- Tap the gear icon next to your home WiFi connection.
- Select Advanced > Privacy > Use device MAC.
To disable MAC address randomization (private addresses) on iOS 14:
- Launch the iOS Settings app.
- Tap Wi-Fi.
- Tap the information icon next to your home WiFi connection.
- Toggle the Use Private Address feature on.
To remove the unknown devices from Circle:
- Launch the Circle app.
- Tap the devices icon in the top right of your screen.
- Tap the unknown device to be removed.
- Tap Remove from Circle > OK.