No, it’s not a feature of a high-tech toilet. It’s the ability to remotely erase the data on your device, which can be useful if it’s lost or stolen.

If your computer was powered off when it went missing (and had storage encryption enabled), then your data should be unreadable and you can rest easy. However, if your computer was in a state wherein its drive is decrypted, then your data is potentially accessible. To avoid this, you can set up a way to remotely erase the device. This feature is almost always associated with a tracking service, so you can locate the missing device too.

PLEASE NOTE: Remote wipe services require the device to have some way to network with other devices, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If your device is in a location where it can’t communicate with the outside world, or insulated in such a way to prevent this, then the command to activate remote wiping can’t work.

Microsoft Windows

Windows can track a device using the “Find My Device” feature, so make sure this is turned on. However, it doesn’t include a way of remotely wiping the device. This means you’ll need to pay for an extra service. The official Microsoft way is to use Microsoft Intune, which requires a subscription for £6.60 per month and Windows Professional.

Alternatively, you can use a third-party service. I recommend the “Protection” tier from a company called “Prey,” which costs only 1.95 USD per month per device.

Apple devices (macOS, iOS, & iPadOS)

Apple has a service built in to its devices called “Find My,” so make sure this is enabled. For maximum effectiveness, enable the setting to participate in the Find My network, as this allows you to erase the device even when it’s turned off or unconnected to the Internet. To wipe a missing device, you simply go to icloud.com/find, or use the Find My app on another Apple product you own.

Android devices & Chromebooks

Google now provides a similar service to Apple called “Find My Device,” except it doesn’t work when the device is turned off. Find My Device is a recently-added feature, so while the newest devices will have the app installed out of the box, you may need to install it from the Play Store. To wipe your device, go to android.com/find, or, if you have another Android device, you can use the Find My Device app.