Wi-Fi toggling on/off continuously: third-party app issuing `ifconfig wlan0 down` — identify and remediate the offending application

Android

If your device's Wi-Fi is toggling on and off continuously, a third-party application on the device may be issuing low-level network commands that conflict with your Esper Wi-Fi policy. This article walks you through identifying the offending app and resolving the issue.

Before you begin

The Esper Agent enforces your Wi-Fi policy by automatically re-enabling Wi-Fi when it detects it has been turned off. If a third-party app is forcibly disabling Wi-Fi through system-level commands, the Agent will immediately turn it back on, creating a continuous on/off loop. This Agent behavior is correct—the problem originates from the third-party app, not from Esper.

Step 1: Collect a bug report from the affected device

1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions → Request Bug Report.
2. Wait for the report to complete. You can download it from Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Event Feeds / Bug Reports.

Step 2: Identify the offending application

Open the bug report and search for evidence of a third-party app disabling Wi-Fi at the system level:

• Search the logs for the command ifconfig wlan0 down or ip link set wlan0 down.
• Note the package name of the application that issued this command (for example, fs.cpay).
• Check the timestamps: correlate when Wi-Fi drops with when this app's process was active.

If you find these commands, you have identified the problematic app. If you cannot find any such commands, contact Esper Support.

Step 3: Verify your Wi-Fi policy is correctly configured

Confirm that your Blueprint requires Wi-Fi to be enabled and has no conflicting network settings:

1. In the Esper Console, go to Blueprints → [Blueprint Name] → Network → Wi-Fi Settings.
2. Verify that Wi-Fi is set to Enabled.
3. Check that no other network policies conflict with this setting.

Step 4: Disable or remove the offending application

You have two options:

Option A: Remove the application via Esper Console

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps → [App Name].
2. Click Uninstall.

Option B: Remove the application via ADB

If you need to uninstall from multiple devices, use ADB:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 <package.name>

Replace <package.name> with the actual package name of the offending app.

Option C: Update the application (if available)

If the app publisher has released a corrected version that does not use low-level Wi-Fi disable commands:

1. In the Esper Console, go to Apps → [App Name] → Manage Versions.
2. Select the corrected version and click Install on Devices/Groups.

Step 5: Verify the issue is resolved

1. After you remove or update the app, monitor the device's Wi-Fi state in the Esper Console: Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Device Info.
2. Confirm that Wi-Fi remains stable and is no longer toggling on and off.
3. The toggling should stop immediately once the offending app no longer issues the disable command.

Troubleshooting: The issue persists

If Wi-Fi continues to toggle after removing the offending app:

• Collect a fresh bug report and search for other applications or system processes issuing ifconfig wlan0 down, ip link set wlan0 down, or svc wifi disable.
• Review your Blueprint again to ensure Wi-Fi is truly enabled and no conflicting policies are applied.
• If multiple devices in your fleet are affected, the issue may be wider in scope. Contact Esper Support with your bug report, device serial numbers, and tenant ID so we can investigate further.

Still need help?

If you are unable to identify the offending application or the issue persists after removing it, submit a support ticket. include the bug report from the affected device and the device serial number.