How to update devices in Microsoft Entra ID

Admins need clear visibility into available device management actions, required permissions, and device updates for effective governance. As device states and ownership change often, having simple, reliable ways to review and update devices in Microsoft Entra ID is essential.

  • M365 admin center
  • PowerShell
  • ADManager Plus
 

How to update devices in Microsoft Entra ID using Microsoft Entra admin center

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center.
  2. Navigate to Entra ID > Devices.
  3. Select All devices.
  4. Choose the specific device from the list under the All devices tab to view its details.
  5. Find the relevant options and update the changes.
Updating devices in the Microsoft Entra ID using Microsoft Entra admin center.

How to update devices in Microsoft Entra ID using Windows PowerShell

  • Connect to Microsoft Graph PowerShell.
    Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Device.ReadWrite.All"
  • Get the device and note its DeviceId.
    Get-MgDevice
  • Update the device details.
    Update-MgDevice -DeviceId <DeviceId> -DisplayName "NewDeviceName"

Example query:

  • Connect to Microsoft Graph.
    Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Device.ReadWrite.All"
  • Update the device display name.
    Update-MgDevice -DeviceId "d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012" `
    -DisplayName "Updated-Device-Name"

Example output:

Id: d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012
DisplayName: Updated-Device-Name
DeviceId: d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012
AccountEnabled: True
ApproximateLastSignInDateTime: 10/17/2025 09:25:42
DeviceTrustType: AzureADJoined
DeviceOwnership: Company

How to update devices in Microsoft Entra ID using Microsoft Graph PowerShell

The syntax is as follows:

=Update-MgDevice
-DeviceId <string>
[-ResponseHeadersVariable <string>]
[-AccountEnabled]
[-AdditionalProperties <hashtable>]
[-AlternativeSecurityIds <IMicrosoftGraphAlternativeSecurityId[]>]
[-ApproximateLastSignInDateTime <datetime>]
[-ComplianceExpirationDateTime <datetime>]
[-DeletedDateTime <datetime>]
[-DeviceCategory <string>]
[-DeviceId1 <string>]
[-DeviceMetadata <string>]
[-DeviceOwnership <string>]
[-DeviceVersion ]
[-DisplayName <string>]
[-EnrollmentProfileName <string>]
[-EnrollmentType <string>]
[-Extensions <IMicrosoftGraphExtension[]>]
[-Id <string>]
[-IsCompliant]
[-IsManaged]
[-IsManagementRestricted]
[-IsRooted]
[-ManagementType <string>]
[-Manufacturer <string>]
[-MdmAppId <string>]
[-MemberOf <IMicrosoftGraphDirectoryObject[]>]
[-Model <string>]
[-OnPremisesLastSyncDateTime <datetime>]
[-OnPremisesSecurityIdentifier <string>]
[-OnPremisesSyncEnabled]
[-OperatingSystem <string>]
[-OperatingSystemVersion <string>]
[-PhysicalIds <string[]>]
[-ProfileType <string>]
[-RegisteredOwners <IMicrosoftGraphDirectoryObject[]>]
[-RegisteredUsers <IMicrosoftGraphDirectoryObject[]>]
[-RegistrationDateTime <datetime>]
[-SystemLabels <string[]>]
[-TransitiveMemberOf <IMicrosoftGraphDirectoryObject[]>]
[-TrustType <string>]
[-Break]
[-Headers <IDictionary>]
[-HttpPipelineAppend <SendAsyncStep[]>]
[-HttpPipelinePrepend <SendAsyncStep[]>]
[-Proxy <uri>]
[-ProxyCredential <pscredential>]
[-ProxyUseDefaultCredentials]
[-WhatIf]
[-Confirm]
[<CommonParameters>]

Example to update the display name of the device Sales-Laptop-01 in Microsoft Entra ID

Example query:

Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Device.ReadWrite.All"
Update-MgDevice -DeviceId "d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012" `
-DisplayName "Sales-Laptop-01"

Example output:

Id: d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012
DisplayName: Sales-Laptop-01
AccountEnabled: True
DeviceId: d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012
ApproximateLastSignInDateTime: 10/22/2025 09:45:21
DeviceTrustType: AzureADJoined
DeviceOwnership: Company

The device Sales-Laptop-01 is identified by the unique Id d3a4b5c6-7890-4d12-9f34-56a7b8c9d012. It remains active (AccountEnabled: True) and is joined to Azure AD under DeviceTrustType: AzureADJoined. The ownership is set to Company, indicating it's a managed corporate device. The record also shows the last sign-in activity, confirming that the update was applied successfully.

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Important tips

  • Verify compliance and configuration

    Routinely check compliance states through Intune or other device management tools connected to Microsoft Entra ID. Ensure each device meets baseline security requirements—such as encryption, OS version, and conditional access compliance policies—before allowing access to corporate resources.

  • Update device attributes and owners

    Review and update device metadata like display names, ownership (personal vs corporate), and primary users. Correct and up-to-date information helps improve reporting accuracy, access review efficiency, and security visibility.

  • Remove inactive or stale devices

    Identify devices that haven't checked in for a defined period and validate whether they are still in use. Deleting inactive or duplicate entries reduces clutter, minimizes attack surface, and ensures only valid devices retain access to organizational assets.

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FAQ

You can update the device owner in Microsoft Entra ID using both PowerShell and Entra admin center.

Using PowerShell

The Update-MgDevice cmdlet allows you to modify device properties, including registered owners, through the Microsoft Graph API. You can replace or add new owners directly via the RegisteredOwners attribute. This approach updates the ownership metadata directly in Microsoft Entra ID.

You can repeat this command in a loop or script to handle bulk device owner updates from a CSV file.

  • Connect to Microsoft Graph.
    Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Device.ReadWrite.All","Directory.ReadWrite.All"
  • Get the device object.
    $device = Get-MgDevice -Filter "displayName eq 'YourDeviceName'"
  • Prepare the new owner object.
    $newOwner = @{
    '@odata.id' = "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/directoryObjects/<NewOwnerObjectId>"
    }
  • Update the device's registered owners list.
    Update-MgDevice -DeviceId $device.Id -RegisteredOwners @($newOwner)

Using Entra admin center

For devices enrolled in Intune, primary user or ownership is often managed via Microsoft Endpoint Manager Admin Center, which syncs back to Microsoft Entra ID

  1. Navigate to Entra ID > Devices > All devices.
  2. Select the device.
  3. Update the owner information directly if supported.

Device OS and version information in Microsoft Entra ID is generally updated by the device management system, such as Microsoft Intune. To update a device's OS version, initiate a system update on the device via Windows Update or centralized management tools. Manually editing the OS attribute in Microsoft Entra ID is possible via Microsoft Graph PowerShell (Update-MgDevice) but typically synchronization occurs through Intune or MDE.

  1. Open any Office app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  2. Go to File > Account.
  3. In the Product Information section, click Update Options.
  4. Select Update Now.Alternatively, you can use the command line or a scheduled task to force Office updates silently if needed.
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