Device removal stuck in pending state: disable Factory Reset and Wipe External Storage to remove offline devices immediately

Android

When you remove a device from Esper, you have the option to factory reset it or wipe its external storage before removal. If the device is offline and won't reconnect, the removal request can get stuck in a pending state. This article explains how to remove offline devices immediately.

How device removal gets stuck

If you initiate device removal with Factory Reset or Wipe External Storage enabled, Esper queues the removal and waits for the device to come online so it can deliver the wipe command. If the device is permanently offline, the removal request stays pending indefinitely because the wipe command was never confirmed.

How to remove an offline device immediately

Go to Devices & Groups in the Esper Console and locate the offline device.
Click the device to open its details.
Select Remove.
In the removal dialog, uncheck both of the following options:
- Factory Reset
- Wipe External Storage
Click Continue to confirm removal.
The device should disappear from your device list immediately.

Repeat these steps for each affected device.

If the device still appears

Try a hard refresh of the Esper Console (press Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac).
Check the device list again.
If the device entry still persists, contact Esper Support with the device serial number, tenant ID, and a screenshot of the device state.

Before you remove a device without wiping

When you disable factory reset and wipe options, the physical device is not wiped by Esper. If you plan to redeploy or dispose of the device, you must perform a manual factory reset directly on the device itself.

Devices removed this way are delisted from your Esper tenant, but the Esper agent may still be present on the physical hardware. If the device reconnects later, you would need to re-provision it to manage it again.

Still need help?

If you're still unable to remove the device or have questions about this process, submit a support ticket with your device serial number and tenant information.