Delete Application Data from a Device
When an app has the Data Wipe policy applied, you can delete all user data from the application on a selected device. This allows you to remotely remove proprietary data from a device that has been misplaced or stolen, or is in the hands of a user no longer with your organization.
When VAR::COMPANYNAME App Management deletes application data from a device, it quits the app (which clears any in-memory data associated with the app) and permanently deletes application data from _local storage on disk. VAR::COMPANYNAME App Management does not delete application data from _external storage, such as an SD card.
| Data Deleted from an iOS Device | Data Deleted from an Android Device |
|---|---|
| - Preferences stored in the user defaults system - Keychain items associated with the app - HTTP cookies associated with the app _ Contents of the Documents folder for the app _ The Cache folder for the app | - Contents of the application's directory - Shared preferences associated with the app - Databases created for the app - The Cache folder for the app Digital.ai App Management does not delete Native Development Kit (NDK) linkage files. Note that most users are not aware of these files. |
When you select a specific application on a device (via a user's Device Details page in the Admin Portal) and choose to "Clear Data," Digital.ai App Management deletes the application data and quits the app the next time the user: opens the app, brings the backgrounded app to the foreground, or returns to the app from the lock screen.
Before You Begin
Apply the Data Wipe application policy to all the iOS and Android native apps you want to protect with the ability to remotely delete application data. If you are prompted to sign the app after you apply the policy to it, you will need to deploy a new version to your users before the policy will be effective on devices where the app is already installed. For instructions, see Apply Policies to an App.
To delete application data from a device
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On the Admin Portal navigation bar, click Users.
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Click the View link next to the user's name to display details about the user.
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In the Devices table, click the device from which you want to delete the application data.
This displays the Device Details page, which includes an Applications table listing all the native apps currently installed from the App Catalog.
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In the Applications table, select the check box of the app(s) for which you want to delete data, and then click the Clear Data button in the top right corner of the Applications box. If you select a check box and the Clear Data button is disabled, it means the Data Wipe policy has not been applied to the app so you can therefore not delete its data. If you select multiple apps, the Clear Data button will be enabled only when the Data Wipe policy is applied to all of the selected apps. Note that you should not select the App Catalog (you cannot apply application policies to the App Catalog).
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On the Clear Data message box, click Clear Data to confirm that you want to permanently delete the data from the selected application(s). In the Applications table, the Data Status for the application changes to "Marked for Clear Data." Digital.ai App Management deletes the data the next time it evaluates policies for the app. Digital.ai App Management evaluates policies for an app when the user opens the app, brings the backgrounded app to the foreground, or returns to the app from the lock screen. When the data is deleted, the Data Status changes to "Clear Data Successful."