Device locked by Esper after second-hand purchase — how to regain control

Android

When you purchase a used Android device that was previously enrolled in Esper, the device may be locked in kiosk mode with factory reset blocked, leaving you unable to set it up or restore it through standard methods.

Why this happens

When a device is enrolled in Esper, the Esper Agent is granted Device Owner privileges — the highest level of Android administrative control. If the previous owner's Blueprint blocked factory resets and enabled kiosk mode, those restrictions remain enforced on the hardware until the device is formally unenrolled. The device stays bound to the previous organization's Esper Console account even after a physical sale.

Before you contact support

Collect the following information from the device. Most of it is printed on the device label or available under Settings → About Device:

Serial number or SVC-TAG
IMEI number (Settings → About Device → Status)
Wi-Fi MAC address
A photo of the locked screen, showing any visible device name or branding

Steps to regain control

Contact Esper Support at support.esper.io and include all device identifiers collected above. Esper Support uses the serial number and IMEI to locate the exact account the device is registered under.
Wait for Esper Support to identify the registered organization. If the previous organization's account is active, Esper Support will contact them and request they release the device via Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions → Remove Device or Wipe Device. This removes the Device Owner profile and lifts all MDM restrictions.
Allow Esper Support to administratively remove the device record if the previous organization is unreachable or the account is inactive. This achieves the same result without requiring action from the prior owner.
Factory reset the device once Esper Support confirms the device has been released. Navigate to Settings → General Management → Reset → Factory Data Reset and complete the process.

Verify: After the reset completes and the device reboots, it should display the standard Android setup wizard with no lock screen or kiosk overlay. Confirm the Esper Agent no longer appears as a Device Administrator under Settings → Apps → Esper Agent.

If this doesn't resolve it

If the device remains locked after Esper Support confirms it has been removed from the previous account, or if the device does not appear in any Esper records at all, the device may have a corrupted enrollment state or may be managed by a different MDM provider entirely. In either case, contact Esper Support with the following:

The support case number from your original request
A screen recording or photos showing the lock state after the confirmed release
The full device model, Android version, and manufacturer (found under Settings → About Device)

If you believe the device was stolen, contact your local law enforcement before proceeding. Esper Support cannot adjudicate ownership disputes but can confirm which organization's account holds the device registration.

Still need help?

If the steps above don't resolve the issue, submit a support ticket with your device model, Android version, Esper Agent version, and a description of what you've already tried — this helps the support team investigate without a follow-up.