Three easy ways to disable multiple Chromebooks at a time

Whether you're taking in Chromebooks for repair or need to block lost or stolen devices, we've got you covered with these tips.

Last updated February 20, 2024

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Why not just use the Google Admin Console for this?

First, let's get the obvious out of the way. We're big fans of using whichever tool is easiest and makes sense for the job. The Google Admin Console is often the first tool Google administrators learn, so it's natural to check if it's up for the job. Unfortunately in this case, the answer is probably "no".

In the Chrome device list, you'll see checkboxes and you are able to select multiple Chromebooks at a time and click "disable". The problem? Once you search for something like a serial number or asset tag, your previous selection disappears. So unless all of the Chromebooks you want to select are easily accessible within a single view, you probably can't disable them all together like this.

The easiest way: Use Instinctive's "Batch Mode" with copy/paste

If you already have a list of serial numbers or asset tags you need to disable, Instinctive makes it simple. Just toggle on Batch Mode and paste in the list.

Pro tip: if you have a spreadsheet with multiple rows, you can copy the serial number column and paste it.

Once you paste in the list, Instinctive will load all of the devices, and you can click Disable to disable them all at once. You can also move and re-enable them when you need to.

If you have barcodes: Use Instinctive's barcode scanner from your phone

If you don't have a list of serial numbers or asset IDs, but you do have the devices in hand with barcodes or QR codes, you can scan those in directly with Instinctive. Just open instinctive.app on your phone, toggle on Batch Mode, and tap Scan Barcode. Then, you can disable, move, and re-enable all of the devices at the same time.

If you're an engineer: use the Google Directory API directly

If you're comfortable writing scripts, getting and refreshing authentication tokens, and managing the security of your own system, you can use Google's Directory API directly. This is the same API that Instinctive and other applications use.

See Google's documentation on customer.devices.chromeos.batchChangeStatus for more information.