Lock

In the unfortunate event that your device goes missing, Lock is your first line of defense. If supported by the device's license, you should also report the device missing.

A Lock prevents an individual from accessing your data, even if your PIN or password has been compromised. It takes only a few taps to submit a Lock, and after you find the device, you can easily unlock it.It takes only a few clicks to submit a Lock, and after you find the device, you can easily unlock it.

Also see Submitting Lock and Wipe actions in the FAQs.

When a device is locked:

  • A full screen version of the Lock message shows on the device.

    If someone is logged in to your device when the Lock is applied, they are immediately logged out and the message shows instead of the device login page. If the device is powered off or in sleep mode, the Lock is applied immediately after the device restarts or awakes.

  • A user can't dismiss, minimize, or bypass the full screen message to get to the device login page.
  • The device's peripheral displays are disabled.
  • Remote login to the device is disabled.
  • The device's file system is inaccessible via network file sharing (for example, AFP, NFS, or SMB).
  • If an individual restarts the device, the device remains locked, even if it's restarted in safe mode.
  • If an individual reinstalls the operating system, the device locks again when the Absolute Agent self-heals.

You can't submit a Lock if the device has an open Recovery request. In this case, the icon is grayed out.

To submit a Lock:

  1. Tap and tap the device. Click and click the device.
  2. Tap . Click .
  3. The default Lock message shows in the text field. To change the message text, type up to 500 characters in the field.

    In the current release, you can't add images or formatting. Similarly, numbered and bulleted lists are not currently supported.

  4. Select the acknowledgment checkbox and tap Lock. Select the acknowledgment checkbox and click Lock. Lock Pending is added to the device's Details page.

The Lock request is sent to the device when it calls in, which is typically within the next 15 minutes. After the Lock is processed, the status is updated to Locked and the device's data is protected.

You will receive an email notification when the status of a Lock request changes.

You can cancel a Lock when its status is Lock Pending. If the status is Locked, you'll need to unlock the device.

To cancel a Lock:

  1. Tap and tap the device. Click and click the device.
  2. Confirm that the status is Lock Pending.
  3. Tap . Click .
  4. Tap Cancel Lock. Click Cancel Lock. The icon and the Lock status are removed from the device's Details page.

You can unlock a device in two ways:

To submit an Unlock request from the portal:

  1. Sign in to the portal from another device, such as your phone.
  2. Tap and tap the device. Click and click the device.
  3. Tap Unlock. Click Unlock.

    The Unlock request is sent to the device when it calls in, which is typically within the next 15 minutes. After the device unlocks, the status is updated to Unlocked and the icon is removed from the device's Details page.

To enter an unlock code on the locked device:

  1. Sign in to the portal from another device, such as your phone.
  2. Tap and tap the device. Click and click the device.
  3. Tap . Click .
  4. Record the 6-digit Unlock code that shows under the device name.
  5. Start the locked device. The full screen Lock message shows.

  6. Depending on the device platform, do one of the following:

    • Windows:
      1. Type the unlock code you recorded in step 4. You can use the keyboard's numeric keypad, if it exists. If you make a mistake, press esc to clear your input and start again.

        Your typed code is not displayed on the screen.

      2. Press enter on your keyboard. The device is unlocked.
    • Mac:
      1. To allow the device to accept an unlock code, press the esc key on the keyboard. Note that no new page or field will open. This is the expected behavior.
      2. Type the unlock code you recorded in step 4. If you make a mistake, press esc to clear your input and start again.

        Your typed code is not displayed on the screen.

      3. Press enter or return on your keyboard. The device is unlocked.