Delete a Credential Safely

Delete a credential for good, choose a gentler action when one fits, and know which other actions also remove credentials.

When you delete a credential, MyWatchtower removes it for good. You cannot undo a delete. This article tells you when to delete a credential, how to do it, and which other actions also remove credentials. For the full life of a credential, see *Managing Access Credentials*.

Before you start

To delete a credential, your role needs Key fobs & cards set to Delete. By default, only the Admin role has it. The Supervisor and Gate Attendant roles can edit, assign and suspend credentials, but they cannot delete them.

Choose the right action

Suspend: the credential stops working and stays on file. You can unsuspend it later. On Brivo, a suspend applies to every credential of that person. See *Suspend or Unsuspend a Credential*.

Unassign: the credential stays on file with no holder, so you can give it to another person later. On Brivo, an unassigned credential stops working. See *Assign or Reassign a Credential*.

Delete: use it only when the credential must never work again and you do not need the record.

Delete a credential

1. Select Access in the navigation, then select the Credentials tab.

2. Find the credential. You can search, or use the Status and Assignment filters.

3. Select the ⋮ button on the row of the credential, then select Delete.

4. Read the dialog. It says "Are you sure you want to delete this credential? This action cannot be undone."

5. Select Delete. To keep the credential, select Cancel.

You can also delete a credential from its own page. Select the row, then select Delete credential at the top of the page. After the delete, the app goes back to the list.

The row menu of a credential, with the Delete item at the bottom

The Delete credential dialog, with the Cancel and Delete buttons

What happens after a delete

Brivo: MyWatchtower deletes the credential in Brivo at once. If Brivo refuses the delete, MyWatchtower keeps the credential and shows an error. A Mobile Pass invitation that is still pending is canceled first.

HID: MyWatchtower sends the removal to each controller that can hold the credential. The removal goes automatically, and it can take a short time. You do not have to send it again. If the removal cannot go into the queue, the message after the delete says so and tells you that the controllers need a manual cleanup.

On Brivo, the groups belong to the person, not to the credential. The person keeps their groups after the delete. A new credential for the same person starts with those groups.

If the credential belongs to a property, the users of that property get a "Credential Removed" notice when your community has notifications on.

Other actions that remove credentials

Some actions in other places also remove credentials. Check the credentials of the person before you confirm one of these actions.

Remove a person from a property (the Residents tab of the property): MyWatchtower deletes each credential that the person holds on that property. This includes the kiosk PIN codes and QR codes of the person on that property. The dialog shows a warning when the person holds credentials there.

Delete a person from the community (Access > User list): MyWatchtower removes the access of the person in the community. When the person holds credentials, the dialog shows how many. MyWatchtower deletes the kiosk PIN codes and QR codes of the person in the community. On Brivo, the other credential records stay in the list as unassigned. Delete them if nobody will use them again. On HID, MyWatchtower deletes the credentials.

Reset a property (the Reset property button on the property page): the dialog lists each credential on the property, with its holder. The reset deletes all of them. To confirm, you type the address of the property.

An end date passes: each day, MyWatchtower deletes the Brivo and HID credentials whose end date has passed. A kiosk PIN code or a QR code stops working after its end date. MyWatchtower keeps the code on file with the entries that used it, and removes it later.

A person deletes their account: MyWatchtower removes their access in each community.

The Reset property dialog, with the list of the credentials that the reset deletes

A resident record with no account works differently. When you delete such a resident, MyWatchtower deletes the kiosk PIN codes and QR codes of the resident. It does not delete their Brivo or HID credentials, and the dialog shows no warning. Delete those credentials first.

If a credential loss was a mistake, create the credential again. See *Create a Credential*.

Need help?

If you do not see Delete, your role cannot delete credentials. Ask your community Admin.