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

# Device Management

> Manage devices associated with your Mullvad account and understand device limits

Mullvad accounts support multiple devices simultaneously. This guide covers device registration, limits, and management.

## Device System Overview

Each Mullvad account can have up to **5 active devices** at a time. When you log in, the daemon:

1. Generates a unique WireGuard keypair for the device
2. Creates a device entry with a random name (e.g., "Happy Seagull")
3. Registers the device with your account via the API
4. Associates the public key with the device

<Info>
  Devices are the fundamental unit of VPN connections. Each device has its own WireGuard keys and configuration.
</Info>

## Device Properties

Every device has the following attributes:

* **Device ID**: Unique identifier (UUID format)
* **Device Name**: Human-readable random name for easy identification
* **Public Key**: WireGuard public key for this device
* **Created**: Timestamp when device was registered
* **DNS Hijacking**: Whether the device hijacks DNS queries (typically `false`)

## Device Limits

### Maximum Devices

Mullvad enforces a **5-device limit per account**. When you reach this limit:

* Login attempts fail with `MAX_DEVICES_REACHED` error
* You must remove an existing device before adding a new one
* Connection attempts show: "This account has too many simultaneous connections"

<Warning>
  If you get a "too many connections" error (`TOO_MANY_CONNECTIONS`), you've hit the device limit. Remove unused devices to free up slots.
</Warning>

### Error Messages

| Error Code             | Error Type  | Message                                                                                                          |
| ---------------------- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `MAX_DEVICES_REACHED`  | API Error   | Failed to create device - account at device limit                                                                |
| `TOO_MANY_CONNECTIONS` | Auth Failed | "This account has too many simultaneous connections. Disconnect another device or try connecting again shortly." |

## Listing Devices

View all devices associated with an account.

### List Your Current Account's Devices

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account list-devices
```

Output:

```
Devices on the account:
Happy Seagull
Brave Dolphin  
Wise Penguin
Swift Eagle
Gentle Bear
```

### List Another Account's Devices

Specify an account number to view its devices:

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account list-devices -a 1234567890123456
```

<Note>
  You must have valid credentials for the specified account to list its devices.
</Note>

### Verbose Device Information

Get detailed information about each device:

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account list-devices -v
```

Output:

```
Devices on the account:

Name      : Happy Seagull
Id        : abc123def456
Public key: wQEbFGkz9t2eR7L4xPmN6vK5cDaB0sXyJ8iU3hV/gW9=
Created   : 2026-03-01 14:20:00 -05:00

Name      : Brave Dolphin
Id        : xyz789uvw012  
Public key: nR5tYvB8kL2xQmP0zDwF7eS3gH6iJ4uO9pC1aV/fK8=
Created   : 2026-02-15 09:45:00 -05:00
```

## Removing Devices

Free up device slots by removing devices you no longer use.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Identify the Device">
    List devices to find the name or ID:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mullvad account list-devices
    ```

    Note the device name (e.g., "Wise Penguin") or ID.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Revoke the Device">
    Remove by name (case-insensitive):

    ```bash theme={null}
    mullvad account revoke-device "Wise Penguin"
    ```

    Or remove by device ID:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mullvad account revoke-device abc123def456
    ```

    Output:

    ```
    Removed device
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify Removal">
    Confirm the device is gone:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mullvad account list-devices
    ```

    The device should no longer appear in the list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Remove Device from Another Account

Specify the account number to remove devices from a different account:

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account revoke-device "Old Laptop" -a 1234567890123456
```

### What Happens When a Device is Removed

The `RemoveDevice` RPC:

1. **Deletes** the device entry from the account
2. **Invalidates** the device's WireGuard keys
3. **Frees** a device slot immediately
4. **Emits** a `RemoveDeviceEvent` to notify other components

<Warning>
  Revoking a device immediately disconnects it from the VPN. The device will show a "device revoked" state and must log in again to reconnect.
</Warning>

## Device States

Devices can be in one of three states:

### Logged In (`LOGGED_IN`)

Device is active and can connect to the VPN.

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account get
```

```
Mullvad account:    1234567890123456
Expires at:         2026-04-15 10:30:00 -05:00
Device name:        Happy Seagull
```

### Logged Out (`LOGGED_OUT`)

No device is registered for this installation.

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account get
```

```
Not logged in on any account
```

### Revoked (`REVOKED`)

Device was removed from the account (by you or another device).

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account get
```

```
The current device has been revoked
Mullvad account: 1234567890123456
```

## Updating Devices

Refresh device information from the API.

### Manual Device Update

The `UpdateDevice` RPC syncs device state with the API:

```bash theme={null}
# Automatically called by:
mullvad account get
```

This checks:

* Whether the device still exists on the account
* If the account has expired
* Current device configuration

<Info>
  The daemon calls `UpdateDevice` automatically before most operations. You rarely need to trigger this manually.
</Info>

## Device Events

The daemon emits `DeviceEvent` notifications when device state changes:

### Event Causes

| Cause           | Description                                 | Enum Value    |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| **Logged In**   | User logged into account and created device | `LOGGED_IN`   |
| **Logged Out**  | User logged out and removed device          | `LOGGED_OUT`  |
| **Revoked**     | Device removed remotely (not found on API)  | `REVOKED`     |
| **Updated**     | Device information changed (not keys)       | `UPDATED`     |
| **Rotated Key** | WireGuard key was rotated                   | `ROTATED_KEY` |

### Device Event Structure

```protobuf theme={null}
message DeviceEvent {
  enum Cause {
    LOGGED_IN = 0;
    LOGGED_OUT = 1;
    REVOKED = 2;
    UPDATED = 3;
    ROTATED_KEY = 4;
  }
  Cause cause = 1;
  DeviceState new_state = 2;
}
```

### Remove Device Event

Emitted when a device is explicitly removed via RPC (not during logout):

```protobuf theme={null}
message RemoveDeviceEvent {
  string account_number = 1;
  repeated Device new_device_list = 2;  // Updated list after removal
}
```

## Device API

The device API provides several endpoints:

### Create Device

**Endpoint**: `POST /api/v1/accounts/devices`

**Request Body**:

```json theme={null}
{
  "pubkey": "base64-encoded-wireguard-public-key",
  "hijack_dns": false
}
```

**Response** (201 Created):

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "abc123def456",
  "name": "Happy Seagull",
  "pubkey": "wQEbFGkz9t2eR7L4xPmN6vK5cDaB0sXyJ8iU3hV/gW9=",
  "ipv4_address": "10.64.0.1/32",
  "ipv6_address": "fc00:bbbb:bbbb:bb01::1/128",
  "hijack_dns": false,
  "created": "2026-03-01T19:20:00Z"
}
```

### List Devices

**Endpoint**: `GET /api/v1/accounts/devices`

**Response** (200 OK):

```json theme={null}
[
  {
    "id": "abc123",
    "name": "Happy Seagull",
    "pubkey": "...",
    "hijack_dns": false,
    "created": "2026-03-01T19:20:00Z"
  },
  // ... more devices
]
```

### Get Device

**Endpoint**: `GET /api/v1/accounts/devices/{device_id}`

**Response** (200 OK): Returns single device object.

### Remove Device

**Endpoint**: `DELETE /api/v1/accounts/devices/{device_id}`

**Response** (204 No Content): Device removed successfully.

## Managing Many Devices

Strategies for managing multiple devices effectively:

### Regular Cleanup

Periodically remove unused devices:

```bash theme={null}
# List all devices
mullvad account list-devices -v

# Remove old devices you no longer use
mullvad account revoke-device "Old Phone"
mullvad account revoke-device "Work Laptop" 
```

### Device Naming

While device names are randomly assigned, you can identify devices by:

* **Public key**: Unique to each device
* **Created date**: When device was registered
* **Device ID**: Unique identifier

<Tip>
  Keep notes of which device name corresponds to which physical device, especially if you frequently add/remove devices.
</Tip>

### Logout vs. Revoke

**Logout** (from the device itself):

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account logout
```

* Removes current device
* Can only be done on the device itself
* Proper cleanup method

**Revoke** (from any device):

```bash theme={null}
mullvad account revoke-device "Lost Phone"
```

* Removes any device remotely
* Useful for lost or stolen devices
* Can be done from any logged-in device

## Troubleshooting

### Too Many Connections Error

**Problem**: Can't connect or log in, seeing "too many simultaneous connections".

**Solution**:

1. List your devices: `mullvad account list-devices`
2. Remove unused devices: `mullvad account revoke-device "Device Name"`
3. Try logging in again

### Device Not Found Error

**Problem**: Trying to remove a device that doesn't exist.

**Solution**:

1. Verify the device name or ID: `mullvad account list-devices -v`
2. Use exact name (case-insensitive) or device ID
3. Ensure you're checking the correct account with `-a` flag

### Device Revoked Unexpectedly

**Problem**: Your device shows as revoked, but you didn't log out.

**Possible Causes**:

* Another device removed this one to free a slot
* Account hit device limit and old device was auto-removed
* API sync issue

**Solution**:

1. Check current devices: `mullvad account list-devices`
2. Log in again: `mullvad account login`
3. This creates a new device entry

## Related Topics

* [Account Management](/account/management) - Account creation and login
* [Authentication](/account/authentication) - WireGuard key rotation

## CLI Reference

| Command                                                 | Description                         |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `mullvad account list-devices`                          | List devices on current account     |
| `mullvad account list-devices -a <ACCOUNT>`             | List devices on specified account   |
| `mullvad account list-devices -v`                       | List devices with verbose details   |
| `mullvad account revoke-device <NAME\|ID>`              | Remove a device by name or ID       |
| `mullvad account revoke-device <NAME\|ID> -a <ACCOUNT>` | Remove device from specific account |

## gRPC Service Reference

| RPC            | Request               | Response    | Description                 |
| -------------- | --------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------- |
| `GetDevice`    | Empty                 | DeviceState | Get current device state    |
| `UpdateDevice` | Empty                 | Empty       | Sync device state with API  |
| `ListDevices`  | StringValue (account) | DeviceList  | List all devices on account |
| `RemoveDevice` | DeviceRemoval         | Empty       | Remove device from account  |

### Device Message

```protobuf theme={null}
message Device {
  string id = 1;                          // Device UUID
  string name = 2;                        // Human-readable name
  bytes pubkey = 3;                       // WireGuard public key
  bool hijack_dns = 5;                    // DNS hijacking enabled
  google.protobuf.Timestamp created = 6;  // Creation timestamp
}
```

### DeviceState Message

```protobuf theme={null}
message DeviceState {
  enum State {
    LOGGED_IN = 0;
    LOGGED_OUT = 1;
    REVOKED = 2;
  }
  State state = 1;
  AccountAndDevice device = 2;  // Only present if LOGGED_IN
}
```

### DeviceRemoval Message

```protobuf theme={null}
message DeviceRemoval {
  string account_number = 1;  // Account to remove from
  string device_id = 2;       // Device ID to remove
}
```