The Devices & Groups directory gives you a single view of your fleet. Use it to monitor device status, organize devices with tags, filter by group or attribute, and perform actions on one device or many.
This view replaces the previous Advanced Devices & Groups view. Changes to this view are rolling out in June 2026.
In this article:
- Using the Directory
- Customizing Columns
- Resizing Columns
- Selecting Devices
- How Groups Work
- Performing Actions
Using the Directory
The directory gives you several views of your fleet depending on what you need to see.
- Full Tenant Inventory: Every device and registration in your tenant, excluding removed devices and registrations. Use this view when you need a complete picture of your fleet regardless of group assignment.
- Devices without Groups: Devices that aren't assigned to any group. Use this view to identify unorganized devices that may need to be placed into a group.
- All Devices: The default group that devices are assigned to during provisioning. All Devices sits just below the Inventory level.
The directory also displays the following details for each device:
- Device ID: The device's Esper Console ID, also called the Device Name.
- Alias: The device's alias name, if one has been assigned.
- Group Name: The group the device belongs to, if any.
- Last Seen: The last time the device checked in with Esper. iOS devices check in less frequently than Android devices.
- Last Seen Timestamp: A timestamp of the last check-in.
- Blueprint: The blueprint managing the device, if any.
- In Drift: Whether the device's current configurations match its blueprint.
- OS Platform: The device's operating system.
Customizing Columns
You can remove, add, or rearrange columns by navigating to Actions > Customize List.
In the Customize List window, you have the following options:
- Add column: Click a disabled checkbox to add that column to the view.
- Remove column: Click an enabled checkbox to remove that column. Some columns, such as Device Name, cannot be removed.
- Reset to default: Return the list to its default column configuration.
- Drag and drop: Click and hold the six-dot handle next to a column name to rearrange column order.
- Freeze: Lock up to three columns in place so they remain visible when scrolling horizontally. Click the lock icon next to a column to freeze it.
Resizing Columns
To resize a column, hover over the right edge of the column header until the resize tooltip appears. Then drag left or right to adjust the width.
Columns have a minimum and maximum width. Once the maximum width is reached, that column cannot be scaled further.
Selecting Devices
Single device: Click the ellipsis (...) in the device's row to access individual actions, or check the checkbox next to the device and click Actions.
Multiple devices on the same page: Check the checkboxes next to each device, then click Actions.
Multiple devices across pages: Click the checkbox at the top of the device list to select all devices on the current page. Selections persist when paginating. Click Actions to apply an action to all selected devices.
All devices in the list: When you select all devices on a page, an option appears to select every device in the full list. Depending on the list size, some actions may not be available. Use filters to narrow the selection to devices eligible for the intended action. Currently, only the converge operation can be applied to 999 or more applicable devices in Devices & Groups. When selecting devices, all devices must be applicable for that action. For example, all devices must be provisioned and onboarded and managed by blueprints to be converged.
How Groups Work
Groups help you organize devices in your tenant and manage them at scale. Structuring devices into groups and subgroups lets you apply actions, assign blueprints, and monitor devices more efficiently.
Click on Groups to see the groups in your tenant. From this view, you'll see:
- Group name: The groups at this level sit just below the directory level.
- Linked Blueprint: The blueprint linked to the group, if one exists.
- Subgroups: Any subgroups that belong to the parent group.
Group Structure
A group can contain many devices and subgroups. From the Groups panel, you'll see groups that sit directly below the directory level.
All Devices is a special group.. It contains all devices that aren't assigned to a specific group. It is also the default group that devices are added to during provisioning if no other group is specified.
If a device belongs to a subgroup, it also belongs to every parent group above it. When you perform an action on a parent group, only devices in that parent group receive that action. Devices in that parent’s subgroup would not receive that command.
Viewing a Group's Devices
When you select a group, the filter switches to the devices assigned directly to that group. Devices in subgroups are not included in this view.
The information at the top of the list shows:
- The number of subgroups within the selected group
- The number of devices assigned directly to that group
- The total number of devices in the group and subgroups
Viewing a Group's Subgroups
The subgroups view shows the subgroups that belong to the selected group. Use the caret next to the group name to move between levels.
Performing Actions
Actions can be applied to the full list, individual devices, or a selection of devices. Some actions are only available based on the device's operating system or other attributes.
Click Actions above the list to perform actions on the list or a device selection.
Click the ellipsis (...) next to a device to perform actions on that individual device.
Performing Actions on the List
- Group Management: Create a new group. You can also press the plus (‘+’) sign next to Groups to create a new group.
- Customize List: Add, remove, or rearrange columns.
- Download: Export the list as an Excel or CSV file.
Performing Group Actions
To perform an action on a group, click on the Groups filter, then click the ellipsis (...) next to the group and select the action.
Click on the copy button to copy the group's path.
There are two types of group actions:
Group Management Commands
Press the plus (‘+’) sign next to groups to:
- Create Group: Create a new group. Choose the parent group (defaults to the directory level). Groups at the Group level can have an optional image associated with them.
Press the ellipsis (‘...’) next to a specific group to:
- Create Subgroup: Create a subgroup. Choose the parent group (defaults to the All Devices group).
- Edit Group Details: Edit the group's name or description. Groups at the directory level can also have an image.
- Delete Group: Delete the group. If the group contains devices, remove them from the group first. If the group is linked to a legacy template, unlink it from the template before deleting.
Device Commands
When you send a command to a group, the command is sent only to supported devices in that group. Check the group's Event Feed to track command progress.
Device Actions
Actions can be performed on devices. Some actions are only for certain types of devices. Click on the ellipsis (...) in the device's row to perform an action on that device.
Rename Device
Add an alias name to make the device easier to identify in the console.
Modify Tags
Add, edit, or remove the tags associated with a device. Tags help you identify and filter devices.
Commands
Device commands require the device to be connected to a network and checked in with the console. Check the Last Seen time to see which devices are checked in with the console. Check command progress in the Event Feed.
Lock Screen
This feature is available for: ✓ Android ✓ iOS/iPadOS ✓ Windows
Lock the device's screen remotely.
Reboot
This feature is available for: ✓ Android ✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS ✓ Windows
Reboot or restart the device.
Send Message
This feature is available for: ✓ Android
Send a message that appears on the device screen.
Beep Device
This feature is available for: ✓ Android
The device emits a beep sound for five minutes. Useful for locating a device in the field.
Run Script
This feature is available for: ✓ Linux ✓ Windows
Run a script on the device. You must select the same operating system if selecting multiple devices. For example, all Linux devices or all Windows devices.
Blueprint Actions
Converge
This feature is available for: ✓ All devices
Apply a device's or group's linked blueprint configurations. You can choose to converge immediately or on a schedule, and you can choose whether to include provision-only blueprint settings.
Schedule Converge
This feature is available for: ✓ Android
Set a scheduled window for the Converge command. Devices that check in with the Esper Console during that window will converge. Keep the following in mind:
- A device that has already converged will not converge again during the same scheduled window.
- You can schedule by Console time or device time. Device time may work better for fleets spread across multiple locations, but can make console timestamps harder to interpret.
- Devices that don't check in during the scheduled window will not receive the command.
Learn more about Scheduled Commands.
Change Blueprint
This feature is available for: ✓ All devices
Change the blueprint assigned to a device.
- Change Only: Assigns the device to the new blueprint without applying its configurations. You can apply the settings manually at any time by running Converge.
- Change & Converge: Assigns the new blueprint and immediately applies its configurations to the device.
Upgrade to Blueprints
This feature is available for: ✓ Android
Upgrade a device from the legacy Templates experience to Blueprints. Learn more about Migrating from Templates to Blueprints.
iOS Actions
The following actions apply to iOS,iPadOS (iPad), and tvOS (Apple TV) devices.
Sync iOS Device Info
This feature is available for: ✓ iOS/iPadOS/tvOS
Retrieves and refreshes device information such as OS version. If the version shown in the console doesn't match the physical device, use this action to sync them.
Enable Lost Mode
This feature is available for: ✓ iOS/iPadOS
Activate Lost Mode on the device. Learn more about Lost Mode.
Disable Lost Mode
This feature is available for: ✓ iOS/iPadOS
Deactivate Lost Mode on the device. Learn more about Lost Mode.
Clear Passcode
This feature is available for: ✓ iOS/iPadOS
Remove the device's passcode. A device with an active passcode won't receive blueprint converge commands or other commands. Esper recommends disabling passcodes on managed iOS devices.
Remove Actions
Remove Device
This feature is available for: ✓ All devices
Factory reset the device and remove it from Esper. Whether the device is online and the provisioning method (for iOS devices) affect how removal works. See the removal guides for Android devices, iOS devices, Linux devices, and Windows devices.
Remove Registration
This feature is available for: ✓ All registrations ✓ All registered devices
Remove a device's registration record from the tenant. A registration record is created during seamless provisioning. Use this option if a registered device needs to be moved to a different tenant, or to clean up a registration record after the device has been provisioned.
Searching and Filtering
Click on the toggle to search by devices or groups.