File Manager shows blank/empty folders: "failed to fetch files" error in Esper Console

Android

If you see empty folders or a "failed to fetch files" error when using File Manager in the Esper Console, follow these troubleshooting steps to identify and resolve the issue.

Before you begin

File Manager is designed to browse user-accessible storage on your devices, such as internal storage and SD cards. Access to system directories like /system/, /data/, or /proc/ is restricted by Android's security policies and cannot be browsed through File Manager, even with device owner privileges.

Step 1: Check which folder path is showing as empty

1. Open the Esper Console and navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → File Manager.
2. Note the exact folder path you're trying to browse (for example, /sdcard/, /storage/emulated/0/, or a system path like /system/).

Step 2: Test user-accessible storage paths

1. Try browsing user-accessible paths first, such as /sdcard/ or /storage/emulated/0/.
2. If these paths display files normally, the issue is likely specific to system directories, which is expected behavior due to Android security restrictions.
3. If these paths also appear empty, continue to the next step.

Step 3: Collect device logs

If user-accessible paths are empty, collect logs from your device to help diagnose the issue:

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview and request a Bug Report from the device, or
2. Pull logs using ADB:

   adb logcat -s EsperDPC

3. Reproduce the blank folder issue while logging is active and save the full error output.

Step 4: Verify your Esper Agent version

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Device Info.
2. Check the Agent Version and confirm it is the latest available release.
3. If an update is available, update the Esper Agent on your device and test File Manager again.

Step 5: Verify the fix

1. Return to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → File Manager.
2. Open the folder that was previously showing as empty.
3. Confirm that files are now displayed.

What if the issue persists?

• System directory access: If logs show permission-related errors (such as EACCES or Permission denied) when accessing system directories, this is due to Android's built-in security policies and cannot be bypassed. This is expected behavior.
• User-accessible paths remain empty: If the "failed to fetch files" error occurs on /sdcard/ or other user-accessible storage, contact Esper Support and provide the following information:
  • Full Esper Agent logcat output capturing the error
  • Device model and OEM
  • Android firmware version
  • Esper Agent version

Still need help?

Contact Esper Support and include the device logs and information listed above. If the issue occurs across multiple devices on your tenant, let us know so we can investigate further.