Blueprints
This article covers individual device settings and actions.
- Settings: Manipulate the device's settings, such as volume, display, or more.
- Actions: Perform actions on the device for check-ins, location, troubleshooting, and more.
Keep in mind that device settings will be overwritten once they converge with a blueprint.
This article mainly describes Android device settings and actions. Other operating systems may support the same features where noted below.
In this article:
Settings
✓ Android devices
Navigate to the device view and click on the device ID for the device you want to change settings. Then click the Settings tab on the device details screen.
The Settings section lets you adjust device settings including screen brightness, screen orientation, alarm volume, and screen timeout.
Devices must be communicating with Esper to receive these commands. Changes may take a moment to apply.
Sound volume
Modify the following volume controls:
- Alarm
- Notification
- Music
- Ring
Display
Brightness
Select screen brightness from 0–100%.
Screen orientation
Select screen orientation from four options: Auto, Landscape, Portrait, Inverted Landscape, or Inverted Portrait. Some device makers swap the settings for Landscape and Portrait. If your device was provisioned with a specific orientation but is locked into the other, try swapping this setting to achieve the correct orientation.
Screen timeout
Select the screen timeout duration — the time after which the device screen turns off if left idle — ranging from 15 seconds to Never. Setting Never keeps the screen always on, which is useful for Kiosk mode deployments.
A toast message will appear in the bottom left section of the screen indicating success or failure for each change applied to the device.
Never as a screen timeout option. To check, go to Android Settings and select the Screen Timeout option. If Never isn't listed, the device does not support this configuration. If you configure a device with Screen Timeout set to Never, the setting will remain on the last set screen timeout configuration.Time & date
Select the time zone.
If you don't specify a device time zone, the time zone set by the device will be used. You may need to reboot the device after changing the time zone to Auto.
Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command-line tool that enables administrators to use a Unix shell to communicate with an Android device. If ADB was enabled in the blueprint, you can turn it on here for a configurable time period. If ADB was not enabled in the blueprint, it cannot be turned on.
On a managed device, use the toggle switch to enable a secure remote ADB session through Esper. When you turn on ADB, you must set the session duration:
- Always On
- 1 hour
- 3 hours
- 8 hours
- 1 day
After this period, ADB will automatically turn off for the device.
The Always On option is available but not recommended. ADB is a gateway to the core of the device and should be used in a highly secure manner.
Esper does not allow turning on ADB directly from the device on any Esper-provisioned device.
Once all changes are made, click Apply Changes to push them to the device, or Cancel to keep the current settings.
After applying changes, individual toast messages will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen indicating success or failure for each change.
Wi-Fi
Disable or enable Wi-Fi. Intended for devices connected to a cellular network or Ethernet. If the device cannot connect to a network within ten seconds, it will automatically connect to Wi-Fi.
Apps
See Managing Applications on a Device.
Actions
To perform actions (also known as commands) on a device, click on the device ID in Devices & Groups. Then, in the Overview tab, click the Actions button.
Move to group
✓ All devices
Move the device to a group. Learn more about how linked blueprints impact devices and groups.
Add tags
✓ All devices
Tags make it easy to identify devices by location, type, Wi-Fi network, or SSID. You can add up to five tags. Select Add Tags from the dropdown. You can add a new tag or select from previously added tags.
Edit a tag
Click the pencil icon to edit the tag.
Remove a tag from a device
Click the trash can icon to delete a tag. The tag will be removed from that device.
Remove a tag from all devices
Click x to remove the tag from all devices associated with it and from the dropdown. A warning will ask you to confirm. This action cannot be undone.
Rename device
✓ All devices
Select Rename Device from the dropdown to assign a custom alias name to the device.
Click Rename to apply the alias name.
You cannot change the device ID. When you rename a device, you are adding an alias name. Alias names are not unique and can be applied to multiple devices. Learn more about device IDs and aliases.
Remove registration
✓ All devices
Only for devices that were registered with the console. There are two possible actions depending on the device's state:
- Registered: When a device's serial number is entered into Esper, it's in the registered state. Once the physical device connects to Esper, it is onboarded and provisioned. Remove Registration removes the device from Esper and all references to it in the system.
- All other states: The seamless reference will be removed, but the device will remain in the console. You can always Remove and Factory Reset it. This also allows you to add the same serial number to a different tenant if you're moving the device.
Device lockdown
✓ Android
Lock down the device to prevent device users from performing any actions on it. Use this when a device is lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised.
When you click Lockdown, a text field appears where you can enter the message you want the device user to see.
After the device is locked down, the device user will see the lockdown screen.
After a device is locked, the button changes to Unlock. Click it to return the device to normal.
Ping device
✓ All devices
The Esper cloud will attempt to reach the device. Use this to check if the device is reachable.
Clear passcode
✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS
Clears and disables the passcode on the device, allowing users to access it without a passcode.
Reboot
✓ Android ✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS ✓ Windows
Sends a command to reboot the device.
Screen lock
✓ Android ✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS
For Android devices, clicking Lock Device triggers a complete lockdown of the device. This is useful to prevent unauthorized use or relocation. A text field appears where you can enter the message you want the device user to see.
After a device is locked, the button changes to Unlock so you can unlock it from the console.
For iOS/iPadOS/tvOS devices, the device will return to the lock screen.
Shutdown
✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS
Shuts the device down. After shutdown, devices will need to be powered on manually and will need a network connection to receive commands from Esper.
Send message
✓ Android
Send a message to the device. Enter the following details:
- Broadcast message subject: The message's subject.
- Broadcast message: The message body.
- Link: An optional link. A web browser app, such as Chrome, must be in the Show state for the link to redirect the device user.
- Message end date and time: All devices that check in with Esper before the end date will receive the message. You can set the time relative to the console time zone or the device time zone. All dates and times should be entered in UTC.
- Schedule delivery: An option to schedule message delivery.
- Start date: When scheduled delivery is enabled, set the start date and time. The start date and time must be before the end date and time.
When you select the Schedule Delivery checkbox, you'll be prompted to enter the start date and time in either the console time zone or the device time zone. All dates and times should be entered in UTC.
Click Send Message when ready, or Cancel to go back.
Beep device
✓ Android
The device will beep for up to five minutes. Ensure the device's volume is audible.
Change blueprint
✓ All devices
Change the device's blueprint. You can choose to converge immediately or, if supported, schedule a converge. See Converge to learn more about scheduling.
Converge
Immediate Converge
✓ All devices
Converge the device to match the latest blueprint.
Scheduled Converge
✓ Android
Schedule a converge. If the blueprint introduces major changes to the devices its linked to, schedule a converge during non-working hours to minimize interruptions.
You can choose an immediate converge or schedule one. You can also check the box to include settings listed as "Provision Only" in the blueprint.
When you schedule a converge, choose one of the following time references:
- Console time: The time on the device you use to access the Esper console. This time is converted to UTC when sent to the device.
- Device time: The time on the managed device. This time is converted to UTC when sent to the device.
Remove device
✓ All devices
Remove a device from the Esper console, with an option to factory reset it at the same time. For more information, see Removing a Device.
Quick actions
Go to the device's Settings tab to see Quick Actions. Most of these actions overlap with those in Actions. Refer to the descriptions there.
Device mode
✓ Android ✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS
Switch the device between Multi-App and Kiosk mode. Works only with devices using the Esper Launcher.
Templates (Legacy)
✓ Android
Device Actions enable admins to perform actions on a device. Most actions help admins troubleshoot devices or stay organized. Templates only supports Android devices.
In this article:
Device commands
In Devices & Groups, navigate to a group and click the ellipsis (...) to access more actions for each device.
View on map
Select View on Map from the dropdown to display the device's location on Google Maps, where you can access Google's map features.
The map opens in a new window.
Add tags
Select Add Tags to add tags that help you identify your devices.
Click Add to add a tag. Click Close to return to the Devices & Groups page.
Rename device
Like tags, an alias name helps you stay organized. In the dialog, select a device name or enter a custom name.
Click Save Changes to rename the device. Click Cancel to return to the Devices & Groups page.
Change device icon
This option is only available in Grid View. To access it, switch to Grid View, then click the vertical ellipsis ("⋮") and select Change Device Icon.
In the dialog, select from the available icons. You can apply the icon to all devices with the same model or to this device only.
Click Change to apply the selected icon. Click Cancel to return to the Devices & Groups page. Click Remove Icon to remove the currently applied icon.