# Devices and access

> Academium SMS Help › Devices & Access
> For: School Owner, School Admin
> Web page: https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-devices-and-access
> Last updated: 2026-10-06

**Devices & Access** shows every computer that uses Academium with your school, and lets you control who can use them. It is for the School Owner and School Admins.

## Active devices

The list shows each computer with the person who last used it, the Academium edition, the operating system, the version, and when it last signed in. Computers that have **not synced in over a week** are marked.

Give a computer a name people recognise, such as *Reception PC* or *Bursar laptop*.

### Sign out, lock or wipe a computer

From a computer's **Action** menu:

| Action | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| **Sign out** | Whoever is signed in returns to the sign-in screen. The computer stays registered. |
| **Lock** | The computer refuses to open Academium until you unlock it. Anything unsaved on it may be lost. |
| **Wipe** | The school's records and sign-in details are deleted from the computer. It has to be set up again. |

Use **Lock** or **Wipe** if a computer is lost or stolen.

> **Note:** A computer that is offline carries out the action **the next time it reaches the school**. You cannot send actions to the computer you are using, or to shared computers on the school network that run the Client Edition.

### Barring a person from one computer

You can stop one person from using a particular computer, without affecting their access anywhere else.

## Staff access and sign-in codes

The **Staff Access** list shows your staff, their devices and their sign-in codes.

- The **School code** at the top is what every member of staff types first when signing in with a code. Choose **Copy** to copy it.
- **Issue** a sign-in code for a person. The code has eight characters, works **once on one computer**, and expires after 24 hours. **Give it to them straight away. It cannot be shown again.**
- **Withdraw** a code that has not been used yet.

See [Signing in with a staff sign-in code](https://helpcenter.academium.com.ng/academium-sms/article/sms-signing-in-with-a-staff-sign-in-code.md).

## Device policy

For each staff role, choose:

- **Access expires**: how long a computer may go without reaching the school before it stops opening that account. Choose 5, 10 or 15 days, or never. Academium still starts, and explains how to reconnect.
- **Wipe after**: how long after that before the school's records are removed from the computer. Choose 24 hours, 48 hours, or never.

**Apply to every role** sets the same policy for all roles. A role with nothing set uses the default: access expires after **5 days**, and records are **never** wiped. The School Owner is not listed: they work offline without a limit.

## Common issues

**I locked a computer but it still works.** It has not reached the school since. The lock takes effect the next time it connects.

**"Could not issue a code."** Check your connection to the school and try again.

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