Accidental factory reset on device group: recovery via provisioning method

Android

If you accidentally triggered a factory reset on an entire device group, this article explains how to recover your devices. Recovery depends on your provisioning method: devices using Seamless Provisioning (Zero-Touch or KME) recover automatically, while devices enrolled with the 6-Tap method require manual re-enrollment.

Before you begin

Verify that a factory reset command was issued on your device group by checking your account activity:

1. Go to Devices & Groups → [Affected Group] → Activity / Audit Log.
2. Confirm that the factory reset command appears in the log and was initiated from the Esper Console.

How to recover devices using Seamless Provisioning

Devices enrolled via Zero-Touch or KME will automatically re-enroll when they restart.

1. Power off the affected devices or allow them to reboot naturally.
2. Go to Devices & Groups and monitor device status.
3. Wait for devices to come back online. Status will change to Active once re-enrollment completes automatically.
4. Confirm all devices appear in your group and show Active status.

This process typically takes 5–15 minutes per device, depending on network connectivity.

How to recover devices using 6-Tap provisioning

Devices enrolled with the 6-Tap method must be manually re-provisioned. You will need the Esper provisioning QR code for each device.

1. On the physical device, perform the 6-Tap sequence on the Android setup wizard to trigger provisioning mode.
2. In the Esper Console, go to Provisioning → Provisioning Templates → [Your Template Name] → QR Code.
3. Display the QR code on a separate screen or print it.
4. Point the device's camera at the QR code and follow the on-screen prompts to complete re-enrollment.
5. Repeat for each 6-Tap enrolled device that was factory reset.

How to reassign recovered devices to their group and Blueprint

After re-enrollment, newly provisioned devices may not be assigned to their original group. Reassign them manually:

1. Go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Groups.
2. Select the correct group and save.
3. Navigate to Blueprints to confirm the device is now compliant with the appropriate Blueprint.
4. Verify device status shows Active and Compliant.

How to prevent accidental factory resets

To reduce the risk of future incidents, restrict factory reset permissions in your Blueprints and user roles:

Disable factory reset in Blueprint settings

1. Go to Blueprints → [Blueprint Name] → Device Settings → Factory Reset.
2. Disable the factory reset permission if end users or field operators should not be able to trigger this action.

Restrict factory reset permissions by role

1. Go to Company Settings → Roles.
2. Select the role you want to modify.
3. Find the Factory Reset permission and disable it for roles that do not require this capability.

Best practices for group-level actions

• Apply destructive commands (factory reset, wipe) to individual devices rather than entire groups unless a fleet-wide action is intentional.
• Only users with explicit factory reset permissions should have access to initiate these commands.

Troubleshooting

Seamless Provisioning devices not recovering after reboot

If devices do not automatically re-enroll:

• Verify that your Zero-Touch or KME enrollment configuration is still correctly mapped to your Esper enterprise in the OEM portal (Google Play or Samsung KME).
• Check that devices have active network connectivity (Wi-Fi or cellular).
• Manually restart the device again to retry re-enrollment.

6-Tap re-enrollment fails

If a device does not accept the QR code or shows a provisioning error:

• Confirm that the provisioning template is still active in Provisioning → Provisioning Templates.
• Verify the device runs a supported Android version (check your Blueprint minimum version requirements).
• Repeat the 6-Tap sequence to ensure it was entered correctly.
• Try scanning the QR code again with a clear, well-lit display.

Multiple devices remain offline

If more than a handful of devices remain unrecoverable after re-enrollment attempts, or if your operations are still disrupted, contact Esper Support. Provide the following information:

• The number of affected devices and their provisioning methods.
• Device serial numbers or group name.
• Screenshots of the Activity / Audit Log showing the factory reset command.
• Any error messages displayed on devices during re-enrollment.

Still need help?

If you are still experiencing issues after following these steps, submit a support ticket. Include your group name, the number of affected devices, the provisioning method(s) used, and a description of any errors you encountered during recovery.