Microsoft Defender for IoT

Manage sensors with Defender for IoT in the Azure portal

4 September 2026Doc update+9 / −8 lines

In brief

The guidance now warns that deleting a sensor removes its registration, disconnects it from the Azure portal, cannot be undone, and requires re-onboarding with new settings.

What Defender admins need to know

Review the warning before deleting a sensor to avoid unintended disconnection and re-onboarding work.

Summaries are generated from the documentation change itself.

Documentation change

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title: Manage sensors with Defender for IoT in the Azure portal description: Learn how to onboard, view, and manage sensors with Defender for IoT in the Azure portal. ms.date: ~~06/12/~~07/03/2026 ms.topic: how-to ms.custom: msecd-doc-authoring-~~1014~~1016

enterprise-iot
sfi-image-nochange ai-usage: ai-assisted

Enterprise IoT sensors are all automatically added to the same site, named Enterprise network.

To edit a site from the Azure ~~portal~~:portal:

Select the site's name on the Sites and sensors page. In the Edit site pane that opens on the right, modify any of the following values:

Work in locally managed mode instead of cloud-connected mode: After reactivation, sensor detection information is displayed only in the sensor console.
Associate the sensor to a new site: Re-register the sensor with new site definitions and use the new activation file to activate.
Change your plan commitment: If you make changes to your plan, such as changing your price plan to a monthly commitment, you need to reactivate your sensors to reflect the new changes.

To reactivate an OT sensor for any of these reasons, do the following steps:

~~Delete your existing sensor from the~~ ~~Sites and sensors~~ ~~page, using the~~ ~~...~~ ~~options menu or the sensor details page.~~
~~Onboard the sensor again~~
Warning
Deleting the existing sensor removes its current registration and disconnects it from the Azure portal. This action can't be undone. Before you continue, make sure you're ready to re-onboard the sensor with new settings.
1. Delete your existing sensor from the Sites and sensors page, using the ... options menu or the sensor details page.
2. Onboard the sensor again, registering it with any new settings.
3. Upload your new activation file.
  
  For cloud-connected sensors, the diagnostics log is sent to your support team automatically.
To upload a diagnostics ~~report~~:report:
1. Get the diagnostics report ready. For more information, see Download a diagnostics log for support.
2. In the Azure portal, go to Sites and sensors in Defender for IoT. Select the locally managed sensor for your support ticket.
3. Select the ... options menu on the ~~right >~~right, then select Send diagnostic files to support. For example:
  
  :::image type="content" source="media/how-to-manage-sensors-on-the-cloud/upload-diagnostics-log.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the send diagnostic files to support option." lightbox="media/how-to-manage-sensors-on-the-cloud/upload-diagnostics-log.png":::
Next steps

~~For more information, see the following articles:~~

[!div class="nextstepaction"] Define and view OT sensor settings from the Azure portal (Public preview)

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@ --- title: Manage sensors with Defender for IoT in the Azure portal description: Learn how to onboard, view, and manage sensors with Defender for IoT in the Azure portal.-ms.date: 06/12/2026+ms.date: 07/03/2026 ms.topic: how-to-ms.custom: msecd-doc-authoring-1014+ms.custom: msecd-doc-authoring-1016   - enterprise-iot   - sfi-image-nochange ai-usage: ai-assisted@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ When [onboarding a new OT sensor](onboard-sensors.md) to the Defender for IoT, y  Enterprise IoT sensors are all automatically added to the same site, named **Enterprise network**. -**To edit a site from the Azure portal**:+To edit a site from the Azure portal:  1. Select the site's name on the **Sites and sensors** page. In the **Edit site** pane that opens on the right, modify any of the following values: @@ -124,12 +124,15 @@ You may need to reactivate an OT sensor because you want to:  - **Work in locally managed mode instead of cloud-connected mode**: After reactivation, sensor detection information is displayed only in the sensor console. -- **Associate the sensor to a new site**:  Re-register the sensor with new site definitions and use the new activation file to activate.+- **Associate the sensor to a new site**: Re-register the sensor with new site definitions and use the new activation file to activate.  - **Change your plan commitment**: If you make changes to your plan, such as changing your price plan to a monthly commitment, you need to reactivate your sensors to reflect the new changes.  To reactivate an OT sensor for any of these reasons, do the following steps: +> [!WARNING]+> Deleting the existing sensor removes its current registration and disconnects it from the Azure portal. This action can't be undone. Before you continue, make sure you're ready to re-onboard the sensor with new settings.+ 1. Delete your existing sensor from the **Sites and sensors** page, using the **...** options menu or the sensor details page. 1. [Onboard the sensor again](onboard-sensors.md), registering it with any new settings. 1. [Upload your new activation file](how-to-manage-individual-sensors.md#upload-a-new-activation-file).@@ -180,20 +183,18 @@ When you open a support ticket for a locally managed sensor, upload a diagnostic > For cloud-connected sensors, the diagnostics log is sent to your support team automatically. > -**To upload a diagnostics report**:+To upload a diagnostics report:  1. Get the diagnostics report ready. For more information, see [Download a diagnostics log for support](how-to-troubleshoot-sensor.md#download-a-diagnostics-log-for-support).  1. In the Azure portal, go to **Sites and sensors** in Defender for IoT. Select the locally managed sensor for your support ticket. -1. Select the **...** options menu on the right > **Send diagnostic files to support**. For example:+1. Select the **...** options menu on the right, then select **Send diagnostic files to support**. For example:      :::image type="content" source="media/how-to-manage-sensors-on-the-cloud/upload-diagnostics-log.png" alt-text="Screenshot of the send diagnostic files to support option." lightbox="media/how-to-manage-sensors-on-the-cloud/upload-diagnostics-log.png":::  ## Next steps -For more information, see the following articles:- > [!div class="nextstepaction"] > [Define and view OT sensor settings from the Azure portal (Public preview)](configure-sensor-settings-portal.md)