How to remove a device from Circle management
Whether it's due to friends or family visiting, old devices being sold or given away, or some other reason, there may come a time when the device list in your Circle app has one or more entries in it that you would like to remove. To do this:
Step 1: Remove the device from your Circle Parental Controls parent app:
- Open your Circle parent app
- Tap the devices icon in the upper right hand of the parent app
- Find the device and tap on its name
- Tap "Remove from Circle" and confirm (repeat the process if your device is listed more than once)
Step 2 (if necessary): Remove Circle Parental Control kid app management
- Remove the Circle app from the device by uninstalling the app from the device.
- You can remove the device from the device list by tapping on it and then "Remove from Circle" as noted above.
- Note: This is only for devices that are managed directly by an installation of the Circle Parental Controls app.
How do I add back a device that I've removed?
If the device is a mobile iOS or Android device, you can add a device to Circle by setting it up with the kid app (Circle Parental Controls only).
If you have Circle Home Plus set up on your home network, the device will return to the device list the next time it connects to your network.
- To speed up the device reconnecting you can reboot the device and open a couple of websites while it's connected to your home network that Circle is managing. Afterwards, the device will appear in your Circle app's device list.
- If the device still doesn't appear rebooting your router by powering it on and off, and rebooting Circle then waiting 15 minutes.
After the device appears again you can tap on it and then "Assigned to..." to change what profile it is assigned to. (Note: For the Circle 1st generation device all devices will be assigned to the Home profile. For Circle Parental Controls you can control where devices are assigned by default: whether in the home profile or as unmanaged.)
Removing "mystery" or intrusive devices
If you are a Circle Home Plus user, you may find an entry in your device list that you don't recognize and cannot account for among the devices in your home. This is likely due to that device having access to your Wi-Fi network. We strongly recommend removing unknown devices from your Wi-Fi to maintain your security and privacy.
What to do if an unwanted device keeps being discovered by Circle
Devices that have your home Wi-Fi network information will often connect to your Wi-Fi automatically when they come within range unless the device's settings prevent this from happening. To remove these devices from your network:- Remove the device again. Use the steps outlined above to remove the device again.
- Remove your Wi-Fi information from that device. If possible, take the unwanted device and have it forget your Wi-Fi credentials so that it cannot auto-connect any longer.
- Change your Wi-Fi information. This is the most dramatic step you can take. If you are still seeing devices joining your network without your permission and they continue to rejoin after being removed, it may be necessary to change your Wi-Fi information. Use the documentation for your router to work through steps needed in order to do this. After your security settings are changed, you can decide who can join the network and have better clarity around who is using your Internet access.
NOTE: If you've paired to Wi-Fi as backup or are currently using Circle Home Plus over Wi-Fi, you will need to re-pair Circle Home Plus.