To reset a device in Microsoft Intune, choose the action that matches what should happen to its data and enrollment: Wipe factory-resets a supported device, Autopilot Reset prepares an eligible Windows device for reuse while keeping it managed, and Fresh Start removes Windows apps with an optional user-data retention path. They are not interchangeable. Intune’s Wipe documentation describes factory reset and data removal, but does not establish that the action meets a named media-sanitization standard or guarantees forensic irrecoverability.
Choose the action by the device’s next destination
| Goal | Action to consider | What distinguishes it |
|---|---|---|
| Return a supported device to factory settings | Wipe | Removes data and settings; behavior and options vary by platform. |
| Reassign an eligible, Microsoft Entra-joined Windows device while keeping it managed | Autopilot Reset | Removes user content and reapplies configuration while preserving enrollment. |
| Remove managed or preinstalled apps from a Windows device, with a possible user-data retention path | Fresh Start | Windows-only; the retention choice changes the outcome. |
| Remove company data from a personally owned device while preserving personal content | Retire | Removes managed content and unenrolls the device; processing occurs at its next check-in. |
| Remove a device permanently from organizational inventory | Wipe if possible, then clean up applicable records | Resetting the device and removing its Intune, Autopilot, or Entra records are separate tasks. |
How to submit an Intune device action
- In the Intune admin center, open Devices > All devices.
- Select the target device and verify its platform, ownership, and enrollment type before choosing an action.
- Choose the action that fits the intended result. For Fresh Start, Microsoft documents the route as Remove data > Fresh Start.
- Review any platform-specific options, such as whether to remove an eSIM data plan, before submitting.
- For a permanent departure from the tenant, handle directory and provisioning records separately from the device reset.
Microsoft’s Intune documentation, updated September 25, 2026, says a tenant can submit up to 500 Wipe actions per day. The total includes individual device actions, bulk actions, and Microsoft Graph requests. Microsoft Intune: Wipe devices
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Wipe: factory-reset a supported device
Wipe restores a supported device to factory settings and removes data and settings, including personal and organizational data, apps, and configurations as applicable to the platform. The precise behavior varies by device type, so do not assume that every platform exposes the same choices or handles every component identically. Microsoft Intune: Wipe devices
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Check platform-specific consequences
- iOS/iPadOS: eSIM plans are preserved by default unless the administrator selects the option to remove the device data plan.
- Corporate-owned Android Enterprise: supported eSIM plans are also preserved by default unless removal is selected.
- ChromeOS: Microsoft describes options to remove user profiles or perform a full factory reset, called Powerwash. Deprovisioning first is required to avoid automatic re-enrollment after the device reconnects to Wi-Fi.
For a lost or stolen iOS device, Wipe is not automatically the only relevant response; Microsoft’s Education guidance notes Lost Mode as a possible consideration. Microsoft Intune for Education: Reset devices
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Although Wipe is a factory-reset action, the reviewed Microsoft documentation does not say it performs a named standards-based media-sanitization procedure or guarantees that data is forensically irrecoverable. If a disposal or compliance policy requires verified sanitization, follow the organization’s applicable process rather than treating the Intune action alone as proof.
Autopilot Reset: prepare an eligible Windows device for reuse
Autopilot Reset removes user data, settings, and apps, reapplies the original device configuration, and retains Microsoft Entra ID and Intune enrollment. Microsoft says Wi-Fi profiles and credentials, as well as region, language, and keyboard settings, are retained. That makes it a reuse-oriented reset rather than a full departure from management. Microsoft Intune: Autopilot Reset
Eligibility and remote-reset requirements
- Autopilot Reset is for Windows devices and does not support Microsoft Entra hybrid-joined devices or Surface Hub devices; Microsoft says those cases require a full device wipe.
- Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) must be correctly configured and enabled.
- For a remote reset, the device must be MDM-managed and Microsoft Entra-joined. The Windows Autopilot guidance names the Intune Service Administrator role for remote reset.
After a remote reset, the previous primary user and Microsoft Entra device owner are removed. The next person to sign in becomes the primary user and owner; shared devices remain shared. Windows Autopilot: Reset a device with Windows Autopilot
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Fresh Start applies to Windows and is intended to remove apps from managed devices, including preinstalled OEM apps. The result depends on whether the administrator selects Retain user data on this device. Microsoft Intune: Fresh Start
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- With retention: the device remains Microsoft Entra-joined, the user’s Home folder is preserved while apps and settings are removed, and MDM enrollment occurs automatically when an Entra-enabled user signs in.
- Without retention: the device follows a different out-of-box experience; Microsoft notes that BYOD devices are removed from Microsoft Entra ID and MDM.
Retire: remove managed content without factory-resetting
Retire removes company data without a full wipe or factory reset. It unenrolls the device and removes managed apps, settings, and MDM profiles while preserving personal data. The action takes effect when the device next checks in, so it is suited to situations such as a personally owned device leaving organizational control. Microsoft Intune: Retire devices
There is an important BitLocker consequence for Microsoft Entra-joined devices: retiring or deleting an Intune object for a device protected by BitLocker triggers a sync that removes key protectors and suspends BitLocker on the OS volume. Microsoft advises backing up critical data, including the recovery key and local administrator credentials, before retiring such a device. Microsoft Intune: Retire devices
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For permanent removal, reset and record cleanup are separate
A successful device reset does not necessarily remove every organizational record associated with the device. Before treating a device as fully removed from the tenant, check whether its Windows Autopilot registration and Microsoft Entra ID record also need deletion. Microsoft’s Education guidance describes tenant removal as a sequence that includes wiping if possible and separately deleting applicable Autopilot and Entra records. Microsoft Intune for Education: Reset devices
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