Google Play EMM enrollment fails with 'Session expired' error: browser solution

Android

If you're seeing a "Session expired" error when enrolling your Google Workspace account with Google Play in Esper, this article will help you resolve it. This issue occurs in Firefox but has a simple solution.

Before you begin

You'll need:

Access to the Esper Console with admin privileges
Your Google Workspace Super Admin credentials
Google Chrome (latest stable release)

How to fix the "Session expired" error

Close your Firefox browser completely.
Open Google Chrome (latest stable release).
Log in to the Esper Console.
Navigate to Apps → Google Play Store.
Before re-enrolling, log in to your Google Workspace admin console and go to Android Enterprise → Manage EMM Providers. Look for any duplicate or pending Esper/Shoonya EMM provider entries from your previous failed attempts, and remove them.
Back in the Esper Console, start the Managed Google Play enrollment process again.
When prompted to authorize Shoonya Enterprises, click Allow.
After authorization, you'll be redirected back to the Esper Console. Navigate directly to the Apps or Play Store tab to verify the enrollment worked.

How to verify successful enrollment

Confirm that managed apps are now visible and browsable in your managed Play Store tab within the Esper Console. If you see apps, enrollment was successful.

How to configure managed Play Store apps in a Blueprint

In the Esper Console, approve the applications you want to deploy from the managed Play Store.
Open or create a Blueprint and go to Apps.
Add your approved Play Store apps to the Blueprint.
Navigate to Platform Services and make sure Control Managed Google Play Services is disabled.
Set the app installation policy to Always Apply (green button).
Converge the Blueprint to your target device(s) and confirm the apps install successfully.

Why this happens

Firefox's enhanced tracking protection can interfere with the OAuth session handoff between Google and Esper during enrollment. Chrome handles this redirect flow correctly, so switching browsers resolves the issue. Note that the enrollment may have actually succeeded on Google's backend even though you saw an error in your browser—that's why verifying in the Apps tab is important.

If enrollment still fails in Chrome

If you're still seeing errors after switching to Chrome:

Apps don't appear in Chrome: The backend may have registered successfully despite the browser error. Verify your enrollment status by checking the managed Play Store tab. If you're still unsure, contact Esper Support to check your registration status.
Multiple Firefox attempts created duplicates: Clean up any duplicate EMM provider entries in your Google Workspace Android Enterprise → Manage EMM Providers section, then try again in Chrome.
Enrollment fails in Chrome: Verify that your Google Workspace account has Android Enterprise fully activated (not just enabled) and that your admin account has Super Admin privileges.

Common post-enrollment issues

Apps won't install on devices: Make sure Control Managed Google Play Services is disabled in Platform Services and the app installation policy is set to Always Apply (not "On Apply" or "Unmanaged").
You see a timeout or error on the callback page: This doesn't always mean enrollment failed. Navigate to your Apps/Play Store tab in the Esper Console to check actual registration status before retrying.

Still need help?

If you've tried these steps and still can't enroll Google Play, or if you need help verifying your enrollment status, contact Esper Support.