diff --git a/lib/actions/device-actions.js b/lib/actions/device-actions.js
--- a/lib/actions/device-actions.js
+++ b/lib/actions/device-actions.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 });
 const setDeviceToken = (
   fetchJSON: FetchJSON,
-): ((deviceToken: string) => Promise<string>) => async deviceToken => {
+): ((deviceToken: ?string) => Promise<?string>) => async deviceToken => {
   await fetchJSON('update_device_token', {
     deviceToken,
     platformDetails: getConfig().platformDetails,
diff --git a/lib/types/redux-types.js b/lib/types/redux-types.js
--- a/lib/types/redux-types.js
+++ b/lib/types/redux-types.js
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@
     }
   | {
       +type: 'SET_DEVICE_TOKEN_SUCCESS',
-      +payload: string,
+      +payload: ?string,
       +loadingInfo: LoadingInfo,
     }
   | {
diff --git a/native/push/push-handler.react.js b/native/push/push-handler.react.js
--- a/native/push/push-handler.react.js
+++ b/native/push/push-handler.react.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
   +dispatch: Dispatch,
   +dispatchActionPromise: DispatchActionPromise,
   // async functions that hit server APIs
-  +setDeviceToken: (deviceToken: string) => Promise<string>,
+  +setDeviceToken: (deviceToken: ?string) => Promise<?string>,
   // withRootContext
   +rootContext: ?RootContextType,
 };
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-  handleAndroidDeviceToken = async (deviceToken: string) => {
+  handleAndroidDeviceToken = async (deviceToken: ?string) => {
     this.registerPushPermissions(deviceToken);
     await this.handleInitialAndroidNotification();
   };
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@
     }
   }
 
-  registerPushPermissions = (deviceToken: string) => {
+  registerPushPermissions = (deviceToken: ?string) => {
     const deviceType = Platform.OS;
     if (deviceType !== 'android' && deviceType !== 'ios') {
       return;
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@
     }
   };
 
-  setDeviceToken(deviceToken: string) {
+  setDeviceToken(deviceToken: ?string) {
     this.props.dispatchActionPromise(
       setDeviceTokenActionTypes,
       this.props.setDeviceToken(deviceToken),
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@
   }
 
   failedToRegisterPushPermissions = () => {
+    this.setDeviceToken(null);
     if (!this.props.loggedIn) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/server/src/responders/device-responders.js b/server/src/responders/device-responders.js
--- a/server/src/responders/device-responders.js
+++ b/server/src/responders/device-responders.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 import { validateInput } from '../utils/validation-utils';
 
 const deviceTokenUpdateRequestInputValidator: TInterface = tShape({
-  deviceToken: t.String,
+  deviceToken: t.maybe(t.String),
   deviceType: t.maybe(t.enums.of(['ios', 'android'])),
   platformDetails: t.maybe(tPlatformDetails),
 });