[SOLVED] iOS 8.1.2 and 8.1.3 Microsoft Exchange mail sync issues

Background:

As a testament to Apple’s QA process in testing things not Apple and running in a real enterprise environment, “something” apparently breaks when an end user updates their software to ios 8.1.3 or 8.1.2. I say end user because I have an Android that does not have this problem (Kit Kat 4.4), nor any of the other Androids running default mail app or touchdown. My failure rate is maybe 90 percent of all phones running ios 8.1.2 and 8.1.3.

That “something”, is most likely a “flag” that is set internally in the network stack that reports back to the Activesync server on whether or not a phone password “PIN” is enabled to unlock your phone. Forgive me for not using the right Apple terminology

Environment:

Mail environment: Exchange 2003 SP2, updated multiple front ends and back ends. Enabled mobile device security policy, specifically password requirement in Activesync.

Phone environment : iphone 5 and 6 and Androids

Misc PC Environment and some Macs

SOLUTION :

With your non-syncing Exchange account intact on your idevice, change your PIN on your phone, even if you already have a PIN. Changing the pin probably resets the stack flag of whether or not you have a password enabled on your phone, which enables syncing again. This worked on two phones and am awaiting feedback from others.

See if your mail syncs. If it does, please post here so we know it’s a successful solution. I wasted a good 4 days on this and hope this post will help others have a better weekend than i had week.