# Soft-delete devices

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Tags:** balenacloud, open\
**Created:** [January 18, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312 "2023-01-18T15:52:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/6/60e5c11e1222480d38bea45d7ab9ea57bbe86d53.png) [@system](https://forums.balena.io/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312/1 "2023-01-18T15:52:53Z")

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When a device is deleted, provide some functionality or means to restore it if there is a requirement to restore it.

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**Author:** ![anonymizeduser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/anonymizeduser/32/10188_2.png) [@anonymizeduser](https://forums.balena.io/u/anonymizeduser)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312/2 "2023-04-13T13:56:51Z")

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This would be VERY helpful for us. The problem with deactivating a device is that we have a large number of devices deployed in the field and they could be inadvertently turned back on. It would be helpful if there was a soft-delete, or an option to prevent deactivated devices from reactivating unless they are marked as active in the dashboard.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/6/60e5c11e1222480d38bea45d7ab9ea57bbe86d53.png) [@system](https://forums.balena.io/u/system)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 9:03am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312/3 "2023-04-18T09:03:59Z")

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Chris Crocker-White: I think your request there would be answered by [Enable suspend and unsuspend functionality for devices](https://forums.balena.io/t/enable-suspend-and-unsuspend-functionality-for-devices/373343)

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**Author:** ![anonymizeduser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/anonymizeduser/32/10188_2.png) [@anonymizeduser](https://forums.balena.io/u/anonymizeduser)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312/4 "2024-05-07T20:04:19Z")

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This would be great, but for me it is because we have had two incidents where we have deleted devices through a poorly written script using the balena sdk.

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**Author:** ![anonymizeduser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/anonymizeduser/32/10188_2.png) [@anonymizeduser](https://forums.balena.io/u/anonymizeduser)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 6:46am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/soft-delete-devices/373312/5 "2024-07-09T06:46:42Z")

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We have run into this issue several times before. so yes this would be incredibly helpfull