Wiping Devices

Before you begin

The following restrictions apply when wiping a device:
  • You cannot completely wipe devices when SOTI MobiControl manages only a part of the device (for example, Android devices with managed profiles).
  • You cannot wipe Supervised iOS devices until you first disable or bypass the Activation Lock.

Procedure

  1. Select the devices you want to wipe.
  2. In the Device Actions menu bar, select More > Wipe.
  3. In the Wipe dialog box, enable the appropriate options.
    Note: Pay attention to warnings highlighted by the Wipe dialog box. Only options compatible with the selected devices are available.
    Wipe dialog options
    Attempt revocation of externally issued client certificates Select to invalidate externally issued client certificates.
    Bypass factory reset protection Select to suppress the requirement to enter a username and password after the wipe.
    Note: Supported by Android Enterprise.
    Wipe External Storage Select to include external storage.
    Note: Supported by Samsung Knox, Android Enterprise, and Android Plus.
    Corporate Personal Device Reset Select to factory reset the Corporated-Owned, Personally Enabled (COPE) device.
    Note: Supported by Android OS 11 or later.
    Wipe Type
    Select the type of wipe to invoke:
    • Protected Wipe—Returns to a factory default configuration, retaining all user data.
      Note: Supported from Windows 10 Desktop 1703.
    • Wipe—Returns to a factory default configuration, purging all user data.
    • Wipe and Persist Provisioned Data—Protects and restores provisioning data such as PPKGs after the wipe.
      Note: Supported from Windows 10 Desktop and Mobile devices.
    • Wipe and Persist User Data—Returns to a factory default configuration and restores user accounts and data.
      Note: Supported from Windows 10 Desktop 1709.
    Preserve Data Plan Select to keep the device's data plan intact.
    Note: Supported by iOS devices.
    Return to Service Select to choose an existing Wi-Fi (iOS) profile configuration from the Available Wi-Fi Profiles. After the wipe, the device automatically connects to the selected WiFi profile, returning to the specified WiFi service configuration.
    Important: Supported by iOS 17 or later and Shared iPads. You must satisfy the following prerequisites:
    1. Enroll the device using Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) (formerly known as Device Enrollment Program (DEP)).
    2. If the device is an iOS device, you must disable the Activation Lock.
    Skip Proximity Setup in Setup Assistant Select to disable and skip Proximity Setup in the Setup Assistant.
    Note: Supported by iOS devices.
    PIN for Find My Enter a six-digit key.
    Note: Required for macOS 10.8 or higher.
    Restriction: Intel-based macOS devices require this key, while Apple Silicon macOS devices do not.
    You cannot wipe the device when you specify keys on more than one device.
    Requires Network Tether Devices must connect to a device such as a tablet or a laptop for network access during this process.
    Note: Supported by macOS 10.8 or later.
    Erase All Content and Settings This option wipes devices using Erase All Content and Settings (EACS). Most options below invoke obliterate if EACS fails.
    Choose from:
    • Default—Returns an error or no status before attempting an obliteration.
    • Always Obliterate—Omits EACS and attempts an obliteration.
    • Obliterate With Warning—Returns an acknowledgement or warning status before attempting an obliteration.
    • Do Not Obliterate—(Default) Returns an error status and does not try an obliteration.
    Note: Supported by macOS 12.0.1 or later computers with the following chips:
    • Apple M1
    • Apple T2 security
    Delivery Select how to deliver the wipe command to the device.
    Choose from:
    • SOTI MobiControl Device Agent—sends the message directly to the SOTI MobiControl Device Agent.
    • Platform Notification Service—uses the device's native messaging service.
    Note: Supported by Samsung Knox, Android Enterprise and Android Plus.
  4. If applicable, expand the warning message at the bottom of the dialog box to see which devices you cannot wipe and why.
  5. Select Wipe.

Results

SOTI MobiControl restores wiped devices to factory default settings and remain enrolled in SOTI MobiControl.