Device registration
In Microsoft Entra ID, device registration creates a directory identity for a device that can be used in access and configuration decisions.
What gets registered?
Registration creates a device identity in the organization’s directory. On an Entra registered device, the user can keep their existing device sign-in, such as a local account, while adding a work or school account for organizational resources.
That differs from Entra join, where the organizational account is used to sign in to the device itself. Microsoft also supports hybrid join for devices that remain joined to an Active Directory domain.
A directory relationship is only one part of the picture
A registered device can be personally owned. Registration does not, by itself, establish management enrollment or compliance. Those systems have their own records and requirements.
During an account investigation, match a new device record to the registration time, initiating identity, and expected device. Use device identifiers to compare directory, management, and asset records; similar device names can refer to different machines.
The record helps explain how the device became associated with the account. To determine what it accessed afterward, follow the sign-in and application activity. The registered, joined, and compliant guide walks through those separate checks.