# Devices

## Why this matters

Every sign-in records the device it came from against your user profile. That list is the record of
where your sign-in has been used, and revoking a device is the immediate remedy when a phone or
laptop is lost, stolen, handed to someone else, or simply no longer in use.

For a service, it is the practical end of access control. When a staff member leaves or a device
goes missing, revoking closes off that route into the account without waiting for a password change
to propagate.

## Before you start

There is nothing to set up. Devices appear in the list automatically as people sign in, and they
cannot be added, renamed or edited by hand. Revoking is the only action available.

To revoke a device for **another** user you need **Account Owner** or **Account Administrator**
privileges, because that is done from the Users area. See
[revoking a device for another user](#revoking-a-device-for-another-user) below.

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## Finding your devices

1. Open **Settings** from the portal navigation.
2. Select **My Profile**.
3. Select **Devices** in the profile menu.

The profile menu holds four sections. **General Details** opens by default, followed by **Work
Hours**, **Notifications** and **Devices**.

> [!NOTE]
> **Work Hours** appears in the profile menu on Diarybook only. It is not shown on other services.

You can also go straight there with the direct link `#/settings/profile/devices`, which opens the
profile screen with the Devices section already showing.

## What the list shows

One row for each recorded device.

| Column | Content |
|---|---|
| Device | The device name |
| Id | The device identifier. Hidden on narrow screens |
| Last Used | The date and time the device was last used, for example `2026-09-04 14:30` |
| | The red revoke button at the end of the row |
{.table}

Rows are not selectable and clicking a row does nothing. The revoke button is the only thing on the
row you can interact with.

If nothing has been recorded yet, the table is replaced by a **No devices found** message
explaining that devices are recorded when the user signs in.

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## Revoking a device

1. Find the device in the list. Use the **Last Used** column to tell similar devices apart.
2. Select the red revoke button at the end of that device's row.
3. Read the confirmation panel. It is headed **Revoke Device** and asks whether you want to revoke
   access for the device you selected, naming it so you can check you have the right one. It also
   warns: *"If you revoke the device you are currently using you will be signed out"*.
4. Select **Revoke** to go ahead, or close the panel to back out.

Nothing changes until you confirm. Closing or cancelling the panel leaves the device untouched.

A **Revoking device...** message appears while the request is sent.

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## What happens next

| Which device you revoked | What you see |
|---|---|
| Any device other than the one you are using | The row disappears and **Device revoked** appears briefly. You stay signed in and can carry on revoking others. |
| The device you are using right now | You are signed out immediately and taken to the sign-in page. This is expected, and it is what the warning in the confirmation panel is about. Sign in again to return to the portal. |
| The revoke did not succeed | **Could not revoke device** appears and the device stays in the list. Try again. |
{.table}

Signing in again after revoking your current device records that device afresh, so it reappears in
the list as a new entry.

## Revoking a device for another user

Administrators can do the same thing on behalf of someone else, which is what you want when a
member of staff loses a device or leaves.

1. Open **Users** and select the user from the list.
2. Select **Devices** in the user's side menu.
3. Revoke the device exactly as described above.

It is the same section behaving the same way, acting on the selected user rather than on you.
Revoking another user's device does not sign you out.

## Common problems

**The list says "No devices found"**
Nothing has been recorded against this user profile yet. Devices are only added when someone signs in, so
a newly created user shows this until their first sign-in.

**"Could not revoke device" appears and the device is still listed**
The request did not reach the server or did not complete. Try again. If it keeps failing, check
that you are still signed in, then contact support.

**I revoked a device and was signed out**
The device you revoked was the one you were using. Sign in again as normal. Nothing is wrong with
your user profile, and the confirmation panel warns about this before you confirm.

**A device I revoked is back in the list**
Revoking withdraws the device's current access. It does not block the device permanently. Anyone
who signs in again from it, with a valid password, records it again. If you are revoking because a
device is lost or stolen, change your password as well.

**Two rows look like the same device**
Each recorded sign-in device is separate, so the same physical machine can appear more than once if
it has been used from different browsers. Use the **Last Used** column to decide which to keep, or
revoke both and sign in again.

## Related

- [Users and permissions](/docs/setting-up/users-and-permissions/)
- [Account setup](/docs/setting-up/account-setup/)
- [Policies](/docs/setting-up/policies/)

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Source: https://diarybook.com/docs/your-user-profile/devices/
