Device locked after trial tenant removal — recover with Hidden Dock or factory reset

Android

When an Esper trial tenant is deleted from the backend, any enrolled devices become unreachable: the Esper Agent remains enforced as Device Owner, but the Esper Console no longer exists to communicate with or release those devices.

Why this happens

Enrollment ties a device to a specific Esper tenant. When that tenant is removed, the device does not automatically unenroll — it stays in a managed state with the Esper Agent locked in as Device Owner. Because the tenant no longer exists, there is no Console-based path to release it. Recovery must be performed directly on the device.

Both methods below will erase all data on the device. Back up any required data before proceeding.

Option A: Recover using the Esper Hidden Dock

Try this method first. It works when the device screen is responsive.

Unlock the screen if prompted, then tap the bottom-right corner of the screen rapidly 3–5 times until the Esper hidden menu appears. This gesture activates the Hidden Dock, which remains accessible even when the normal device UI is restricted.
Select Esper Settings from the hidden menu.
Select Factory Reset and confirm the action when prompted.
Wait for the device to complete the wipe and reboot automatically.

Verify: The device boots to the standard Android out-of-box setup wizard with no Esper Agent enforced. This typically takes 3–5 minutes after the wipe completes.

Option B: Recover using a hardware factory reset

Use this method if the Hidden Dock is inaccessible or the device screen is unresponsive.

Power off the device completely.
Boot into Recovery Mode using the hardware key combination for your device model:
- Google Pixel: Power + Volume Down
- Samsung (recent models): Power + Volume Up
- Samsung (older models with a Home button): Power + Volume Up + Home
- All other devices: consult your device manufacturer's documentation for the exact key combination.
Use the Volume keys to navigate to Wipe data / Factory reset, then press the Power button to confirm. The volume keys navigate between options in Recovery Mode; the Power button selects them.
Select Yes to confirm the wipe.
Once the wipe completes, select Reboot system now and wait for the device to restart.

Verify: The device boots to the standard Android out-of-box setup wizard with no Esper Agent enforced. This typically takes 3–5 minutes after the wipe completes.

If Factory Reset Protection (FRP) prompts for a Google account

After a hardware reset, some devices display a Google account verification screen. This is Android's Factory Reset Protection and requires the Google account that was previously signed in on the device. Have those credentials available before starting the hardware reset process.

If this doesn't resolve it

Work through the following before contacting support:

Recovery Mode will not start: Consult your device manufacturer's documentation or contact an authorized service center for model-specific instructions.
Device has Samsung Knox or another OEM management layer active: Unenroll the device from the Samsung Knox console or equivalent OEM portal before attempting a factory reset.
Device remains locked after a successful factory reset: Contact your device manufacturer's support team, as the lock is no longer related to Esper.

If both recovery methods have been attempted and the device is still locked, contact Esper Support with the following information: device make and model, Android version, the name of the original Esper trial tenant, and a description of exactly what happens at each recovery step.

How to prevent this in future

Always unenroll devices or perform a factory reset from within the active Esper Console before a trial expires or a subscription ends. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions and select Factory Reset while the tenant is still active. Once a tenant is removed from the backend, no Console-based recovery path is available.

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.