Skip to content
← Back to the guide

How to remote wipe a lost device with Intune

8slides. Screenshot a slide, download it as a PNG, or use your browser's Print → Save as PDF for a LinkedIn-ready multi-page carousel — each slide becomes one page.

M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
1 / 8

How to remote wipe a lost device with Intune

How to remote wipe a lost device with Intune: Wipe vs Retire vs selective wipe, triggering the action, what happens while offline, and BitLocker recovery keys.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 1Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
2 / 8
01

What is the difference between Wipe and Retire in Intune?

Wipe resets the device to factory state, removing everything — user data, apps, the OS configuration — and is the lost-or-stolen action. Retire removes company data, apps, and policies Intune deployed but leaves persona…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 2Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
3 / 8
02

What happens if the lost device is switched off or offline?

The wipe is queued and executes the next time the device checks in with Intune, which requires it to be powered on and connected. Until then, the data is protected only by the device's own controls — BitLocker or FileVa…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 3Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
4 / 8
03

Can I wipe a personal phone that only has Outlook and Teams?

If the device is enrolled (MDM), Retire removes work data. If it is unenrolled and only managed through app protection policies, use App selective wipe: it removes data from the Microsoft 365 apps for that user without…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 4Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
5 / 8
04

Step 1: Revoke sessions and note the time

In Entra, on the user, Revoke sessions. Tokens on the lost device stop refreshing; Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams cut off within minutes. Record the time the loss was reported in the ticket — it bounds any later invest…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 5Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
6 / 8
05

Step 2: Confirm encryption status

Intune → Devices → the device → Hardware shows Encrypted: Yes/No; Recovery keys lists escrowed BitLocker keys. For macOS, Recovery keys likewise. If the device was encrypted with a TPM-backed BitLocker and a PIN or Wind…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 6Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
7 / 8
06

Step 3: For supervised iOS: enable Lost mode first

Devices → the device → Lost mode → Turn on, with a message and a phone number for the lock screen. Then Locate device to get a location. Lost mode locks the device without wiping, which is preferable if there is a real…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 7Download PNG
M
solvingmicrosoft365.com
8 / 8
07

Step 4: Trigger the right action

Devices → the device → (top bar):

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/how-to-remote-wipe-a-lost-device-with-intune

Slide 8Download PNG

Auto-generated from How to remote wipe a lost device with Intune. This page is not indexed and isn't part of the guide itself.