Overview
This article provides information about Device Settings. Navigate to Settings by going to Devices & Groups and choosing a device.
In this article:
- About Settings
- Quick Actions
- Display Settings
- Branding Settings
- Sound Settings
- WiFi Settings
- Location Settings
- Bluetooth & devices settings
- Time & Date Settings
- Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
About Settings
All the settings which you manage in provisioning templates during provisioning time can be separately managed and controlled for each device at any time. 'Settings' is the second tab on the device details screen.
Settings are categorized into the following:
Quick Actions
Quick actions allow you to perform troubleshooting commands and other shortcut actions.
Reboot
When you click Reboot, the Esper Console will send the command to reboot a device. Users often reboot devices when the Console has trouble communicating with it.
Screen Lock
When you click Screen Lock, the Esper Console will send the command to lock the screen of the device. You can lock your device screen whenever you notice any suspicious activity.
Heart beat
When you click Ping Device, the Esper Console will attempt to communicate with the device. It is used when you want to check if your device is reachable or not.
Device Lockdown
Clicking the Lockdown button triggers a complete lockdown of the device. This is useful to prevent unauthorized use or relocation.
When you click Lockdown, a custom message text box appears where you can enter the text you want the device user to see.
After the device has been locked down, the user will see the following screen.
After a device is locked, the button will change to Unlock to enable you to unlock the device from the Console.
Remove / Factory Reset an Online Device
Users will have an option to remove devices from the Esper Dashboard. This is applicable to one or more devices or groups. You may remove both offline or online devices.
Send Message
Send message allows you to send a message to the selected device. Select the device you want to send a message to and navigate to the ‘Settings’ tab. Under the Quick Actions, you will find the Send Message option.
Step 1: Click the Send Message button.
Step 2: Enter the subject and the body of the message. You can also include an optional link. You need to enter the end date and time for the message. For devices at a different location, you can reference the date and time from the device or the Console. The Console will not send the message after the specified end date and time.
If including a link, a browser will need to be in the Show state.
When you select the ‘Schedule Delivery’ checkbox, you will be prompted to enter the start date and the time. You can choose the date and time to correspond with the Console time zone or the device time zone.
Step 3: Click Send Message when you are ready to send the message.
Device Mode
The Device mode function enables you to switch a device between Multi Application mode and Kiosk mode. When a device is in Multi Application mode, the end user can see and use all the approved apps. When a device is in Kiosk mode, the device acts as a kiosk, and end users can only interact with the kiosk app.
To change a device to Kiosk mode, click Switch to Kiosk Mode. On the slide-out from the right side, click the radio button for the mode you prefer. If you click the Kiosk Mode radio button, you will also need to choose the application that will be pinned to the device’s start screen as its primary application. Select it from the searchable 'Select Kiosk App' dropdown, and then click Save.
Beep Device
The Beep Device command was designed for finding a single device in a warehouse or out in the field. If the device is online, the Beep command will issue a continuous beeping sound that lasts for five minutes. You can tap on the device or its power button to stop the beeping.
The Beep Device command won't work for devices without sound capabilities. If you don't hear a beeping sound after executing the command try adjusting the sound settings.
Display Settings
This section lets you adjust the display settings of the device.
Brightness
Use the Brightness slider to increase or decrease the brightness of the screen.
Screen Orientation
Select screen orientation from the 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 orientation, try swapping this setting to achieve the proper screen orientation setting.
Whenever you switch wallpapers between landscape and portrait, or vice-versa, the former wallpaper is removed and the wallpaper reverts to its default settings for that mode.
Screen Timeout
Select screen timeout duration—the time after which the device screen will turn off if left idle—ranging from 15 seconds to Never (meaning the screen will always be on), important for Kiosk mode deployments especially when you never want the screen to turn off.
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 is not offered as an option, the device does not support this configuration. If you have instructed this type of device to be configured with Screen Timeout set to Never, the setting will remain on the last set Screen Timeout configuration.Branding Settings
Set wallpapers for the Home Screen and Lock Screen. While Portrait or Landscape mode can be selected for Home Screen wallpaper, Lock Screen wallpaper can be uploaded only for Portrait mode. The supported image formats are JPEG, PNG, or JPG with a 25MB size limit. Be sure to crop the image to match the screen resolution of the devices you plan to provision, otherwise they will be stretched to fit. You can preview and adjust each image after you upload them.
Sound Settings
This section lets you adjust the sound settings of the devices in the group. Use the sliders to adjust the Alarm volume, the Notification volume, the Music volume, and the Ring volume.
WiFi Settings
This section lets you adjust the Wi-Fi settings for the device.
WiFi
Toggle Wi-Fi connectivity on or off for the selected device.
Wi-Fi Access Points
You can configure preferred Wi-Fi networks and provisioned devices will automatically connect as they become available. Device connections are subject to availability and network strength.
When you are adding a new access point, you have four fields to configure: Wi-Fi SSID, Wi-Fi Password, Wi-Fi Security type, Hidden. The Wi-Fi SSID and Wi-Fi Password fields are text fields for the SSID and password. Passwords are not always visible in the Console or device.
Then, select the security type from the dropdown menu. There are four possible choices:
- NONE
- WPA- Wireless Protected Access
- WEP- Wired Equivalent Privacy
- EAP- Extensible Authentication Protocol
None: None is a open type network. Requirement: SSID
WEP: WEP is a open type network with password. Requirements: SSID, Password (limit: 13 characters)
WPA :Android refers to WPA as WPA/WPA2 but technically WPA and WPA2 are little different from each other. WPA is an enhanced version of WEP. Requirements: SSID,Password (limit: 63 characters) EAP: Internally EAP is known as WPA/WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise.
If you select EAP, you will be prompted to enter additional information.
Wi-Fi EAP Method is a drop-down with the following options:
-
PEAP:
Phase 2 Authentication
Identity (Optional)
Anonymous Identity (Optional)
Password
-
TLS:
Identity (Optional)
-
TTLS:
Identity (Optional)
Anonymous Identity (Optional)
Password
-
PWD:
Identity (Optional)
Password (Optional)
Similarly, the Phase 2 Authentication is also a dropdown with the following options:
- NONE
-
PAP
Identity (Optional)
Anonymous Identity (Optional)
Password
-
MSCHAP
Identity (Optional)
Anonymous Identity (Optional)
Password
-
MSCHAPV2
Anonymous Identity (Optional)
Password
-
GTC Do not valid
Identity (Optional)
Anonymous Identity (Optional)
Password
-
SIM
- AKA
- AKA_PRIME
Choose 'Yes' from the hidden field drop-down to create hidden Wi-Fi networks. You cannot scan a hidden Wi-Fi network from the device. For example, when you open the Wi-Fi section of your device, you will not see a hidden network even if one is within range.
In Android 10 and above, when a WiFi access point is added directly from the device, it is recommended that GPS is ON so that WiFi access point can reflect back on the Console.
Location Settings
This section lets you adjust the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) by the device.
There are four GPS accuracy settings:
- High Accuracy: Optimizes for accuracy using extra inferences and heuristics for quicker location resolution.
- Device Only: Uses just the GPS chipset of the device and not any extra inferences or heuristics. This can slow location resolution.
- Battery Saver: Optimizes for longer battery life at the cost of location accuracy.
- Off: Turns off device GPS.
Once a change is made, a toast message will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen indicating success or failure for changing the GPS settings.
Bluetooth & devices settings
This feature allows you to control any Bluetooth connections to the device. Turning OFF the toggle button turns the device’s Bluetooth off.
When you turn the toggle button ON, the information under “Paired Devices” will show all the Bluetooth devices paired and their connection status. Until the device user removes the device by choosing to “Forget Device” from the list of paired Bluetooth devices, the device will be visible in the Paired Devices list.
Once a change is made, a toast message will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen indicating success or error for turning Bluetooth on or off.
Time & Date Settings
Select the time zone in which the device will be deployed. After deployment, you will have the ability to change the device’s time zone remotely via the Dashboard.
The Time Zone field has a robust search capability. As you begin to type, suggestions will be displayed. For example, typing "Pacific" will bring up all the time zones that start with "Pacific." Listings are by country, for example, to find the timezones for the U.S.A., search for "America" or "US".
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 checked in the Compliance Policy section, you can turn on ADB here for a configurable time period. If ADB wasn’t checked in the Compliance Policy section, ADB cannot be turned ON.
On a managed device, you can turn on ADB using the toggle switch to start a secure remote ADB session using Esper. When you turn on ADB, you must set the duration of the ADB session:
- Always On
- 1 hour
- 3 hours
- 8 hours
- 1 day
ADB will automatically turn off automatically after the time has elapsed.
Esper does not recommend "Always On" as ADB is a gateway to communication with the core of the device.
Once all changes are made, click Apply changes link to push them out to the device, or Cancel if you wish to keep the current settings.
After applying any changes, individual toast messages will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen indicating success or error for each change made.
Overview
All the settings which you manage in a Blueprint during provisioning can be separately managed and controlled for each device at any time.
In this article:
Navigate to the device view and click in the device ID for the device you want to change settings. Click Settings tab on the device details screen.
The Settings section lets you determine levels for some of the device settings. These include screen brightness, screen orientation, alarm volume, and screen timeout.
Device Settings
Change various settings on a device. Devices must be online to receive these commands. They could take a moment to apply.
Sound Volume
Modify the following volume controls:
- Alarm
- Notification
- Music
- Ring
Display
Modify display settings.
Brightness
Select screen brightness from 0 - 100%.
Screen Orientation
Select screen orientation from the 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 orientation, try swapping this setting to achieve the proper screen orientation setting.
Screen timeout
Select screen timeout duration—the time after which the device screen will turn off if left idle—ranging from 15 seconds to Never (meaning the screen will always be on), important for Kiosk mode deployments especially when you never want the screen to turn off.
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 is not offered as an option, the device does not support this configuration. If you have instructed this type of device to be configured with Screen Timeout set to Never, the setting will remain on the last set Screen Timeout configuration.Time & Date
Select the time zone in which the device will be deployed. After deployment, you will have the ability to change the device’s time zone remotely via the Dashboard.
If you don’t specify a device time zone, the time zone set by the device will be used.
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 checked in the Blueprint, you can turn on ADB here for a configurable time period. If ADB wasn’t checked in the Blueprint, ADB can not be turned ON.
On a managed device, you can turn on ADB using the toggle switch to enable a secure remote ADB session using Esper. When you turn on ADB, you must set the duration of the ADB session:
- Always On
- 1 hour
- 3 hours
- 8 hours
- 1 day
After the completion of this time period from the point of provisioning, ADB will automatically turn off for the device.
You can choose the Always On option to keep ADB on, but Esper does not recommend this practice; as ADB is a gateway to communication with the core of the device and should be used in a highly secure manner.
We never allow turning on ADB from the device on any Esper-provisioned device.
Once all changes are made, click Apply Changes link to push them out to the device, or Cancel if you wish to keep the current settings.
After applying any changes, individual toast messages will appear in the bottom left corner of the screen indicating success or error for each change made.
Quick Actions
Quick actions allow the user to perform troubleshooting commands and other quick actions.
Device Lockdown
Clicking the Lock Device button triggers a complete lockdown of the device. This is useful to prevent unauthorized use or relocation.
A custom message text box appears where you can enter the text you want the device user to see.
After a device is locked, the button will change to Unlock to enable you to unlock the device from the Console.
Reboot
When you click Reboot Device, the Esper Console will send a command to reboot a device. You can reboot your device if you are having trouble communicating with the device.
Device Mode
The Device mode function enables you to switch a device between Multi-Application mode and kiosk mode. When a device is in Multi-Application mode, the user can see and use all the approved apps. When a device is in Kiosk mode, the device acts as a kiosk, and users can only use the kiosk app.
Oftentimes, onboarding kiosk-mode devices with additional applications proves to be useful for setup and diagnostics at customer sites. Device mode makes it easy to switch out of Kiosk mode to make those applications available for use by a field technician or customer, and then switch back into Kiosk mode when done.
To change a device to Kiosk mode, click Switch to Kiosk Mode. On the pop-up, click the radio button for the mode you prefer. If you click the Kiosk Mode radio button, you will also need to choose the application that will be pinned to the device’s start screen as its primary application. Select it from the searchable 'Select Kiosk App' dropdown, and then click Save.
Remove / Factory Reset Device
Ping Device
When you click the Ping Device, the Esper Console will attempt to ping the device. It is used when you want to check if your device is reachable or not.
Send Message
Send message allows you to send a message to the selected device. You can access this feature from the ‘Device & Group’ screen. Select the device you want to send a message to and navigate to the ‘Settings’ tab. Under the Quick Actions, you will find the Send Message option.
Step 1: Click the Send Message button.
Step 2: Enter the subject and the body of the message. You can also include an optional link. You need to enter the end date and time for the message. For devices at a different location, you can reference the date and time from the device or the Console. The Console will not send the message after the specified end date and time.
When you select the ‘Schedule Delivery’ checkbox, you will be prompted to enter the start date and the time. You can choose the date and time to correspond with the Console time zone or the device time zone.
Step 3: Click Send Message when you are ready to send the message. Clicking Cancel will take you back to the settings screen.
Reapply Blueprint
When you click Reapply Blueprint button a command is fired to reapply a Blueprint. This will ensure the device matches the current Blueprint applied to the group.
Screen Lock
When you click Screen Lock, the Esper Console will send the command to lock the screen of the device. You can lock your device screen whenever you notice any suspicious activity.