# Redact device identifiers

> Redact device IDs and installation identifiers from analytics payloads and crash reports.

Canonical: https://bitbanger.in/entities/device-id
Last updated: 2026-10-27

Category: Developer identifiers · Entity type: `developer.device_id`

A device ID is a stable pseudonym that follows a person across sessions even after they clear cookies. It is personal data under GDPR when it can be linked back to an individual.

## How Redactly detects device identifiers

- Detected from a device-ID cue such as device ID, serial, UDID, or IMEI, followed by the value.
- Works on UUID and hash-style identifiers alike, because no format is enforced.
- A MAC address or IMEI in the same payload is reported under its own more specific type.

## Why redact device identifiers?

Persistent device identifiers undermine the assumption that an anonymised analytics export stays anonymous.

## Example request

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.bitbanger.in/v1/redact \
  -H "X-API-Key: rdct_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Device ID: 8f14e45fceea167a5a36dedd4bea2543, app_version=3.2.1", "style": "replace"}'
```

## FAQ

**Does Redactly redact device identifiers automatically?**

Yes. Send text to the API and every detected type is redacted, including device identifiers. To redact only this type, pass the value developer.device_id in the entities filter. No training or configuration is required.

**What happens to device identifiers after redaction?**

With style set to replace, each match becomes [developer.device_id] — the entity type in square brackets. Setting style to mask replaces every character with a block character, and remove deletes the span entirely.

## Related entity types

- [MAC addresses](https://bitbanger.in/entities/mac-address) — Redact hardware MAC addresses from network logs, DHCP dumps, and device inventories.
- [IP addresses](https://bitbanger.in/entities/ip-address) — Redact IPv4 addresses from access logs, error traces, and analytics exports with a format check per octet.
- [Login credentials](https://bitbanger.in/entities/login-credentials) — Redact username and password pairs from pasted transcripts, config files, and support threads.

Try it on your own text: https://bitbanger.in/entities/device-id