A device control method includes: identifying a device contained in device information on a device that was in a controllable mode before, the device being controlled via a network and being allowed to be in the controllable mode and a restriction mode, the controllable mode being a mode in which the device can be controlled by a first type of communication via the network, and the restriction mode being a mode in which a type of communication that can be performed by the device is restricted to a second type of communication to thereby prohibit control of the device by the first type of communication; and switching, by sending by the second type of communication predetermined data that is based on the device information to the identified device, the identified device from the restriction mode to the controllable mode.