> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://elephas.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Approve and Manage Team Devices

> Approve new computers for your Elephas Team workspace, block a lost or replaced computer, and allow it again. Blocking applies to this Team only, not Personal.

Every computer that joins your Team must be approved by an Owner or Admin before it receives any Team content. If a computer is lost or replaced, block it. Blocking applies to this Team only.

<Info>
  Available in **Team workspaces**, for **Owners** and **Admins**.
</Info>

## Before you start

* You are the Team Owner or an Admin, on a computer that is already approved.
* For approvals: you know who is joining, and ideally you can talk to them by phone or in person.

## Steps

### Approve a new computer

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Team Devices">
    Go to **Team Settings › Team Devices**. Computers waiting for you are listed with **Waiting for approval**, and the line under the title counts them, for example "1 waiting for you".
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check who it is">
    Check the computer's name and the person. The joining computer shows five **Confirmation Words**. Ask the person to read them to you by phone or in person.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve it">
    Click **Approve for This Team**. The computer installs the Team keys and the person can open the Team workspace.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Block a computer

If a computer is lost, stolen or replaced, find it in **Team Devices** and click **Block from This Team**. To let it back in, click **Allow in This Team**.

You can't block the computer you are using. Use another approved computer, or ask another Admin.

## How it works

### Device states

| State | Meaning |
| - | - |
| **Waiting for approval** | Signed in and registered, but receives no Team content yet |
| **Allowed** | Approved. Receives Team Brains the person has access to |
| **Blocked** | Stopped for this Team. Its Team content is locked |
| **Left this Team** | No longer part of the Team |

### This Team only

"Blocking a device here stops access to this Team only. Personal and other Team workspaces are unchanged." The person's Personal workspace keeps working on that computer.

To stop a computer everywhere, including the person's Personal workspace, the person removes it from their own account in **Settings › Plan & Billing**. See [Remove a device](/docs/sync-and-devices/remove-a-device).

### What blocking does

The blocked computer stops syncing with the Team, its Team keys are cleared from memory, and its copy of the Team workspace is locked. On that computer, Elephas says: "This device is blocked for this Team. Another allowed device or an administrator can restore access." The Team's Brain keys are changed for future content, so the blocked computer cannot read anything added afterwards.

What it already had stays encrypted on its disk. Blocking stops future access. It cannot undo what someone already read.

### Security notifications

**Team Settings › Security & Audit** also lists notifications such as "1 Team device is waiting for approval." and "1 Team device is blocked." See [Audit log](/docs/teams/team-audit-log).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The new computer isn't in the list">
    The person must finish **Register Device** on their computer first. Ask them to check they signed in with the invited address. See [Join a team](/docs/teams/join-a-team).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I approved it but the person still sees Waiting for Approval">
    Their computer picks up the approval on its own. Ask them to keep Elephas open and connected for a minute.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="There's no button on my own computer's row">
    You cannot approve or block the computer you are using. Use another approved computer or ask another Admin.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

More fixes in [Team errors](/docs/troubleshooting/team-troubleshooting).

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Join a team" href="/docs/teams/join-a-team" />

  <Card title="Audit log" href="/docs/teams/team-audit-log" />

  <Card title="Roles and permissions" href="/docs/teams/team-roles-and-permissions" />

  <Card title="Device limits" href="/docs/plans-and-billing/device-limits" />
</CardGroup>


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