App Install/Update Failures: Version Conflicts and Firewall Blocking

Android

When an app installation or update is pushed to a device or group, the install fails and the job appears as failed or stuck in the queue.

Why this happens

Android enforces a one-way version progression — it will not install an APK whose version code is equal to or lower than the version already on the device. Separately, enterprise firewall rules sometimes block the Esper endpoints that deliver APKs to devices, preventing downloads from completing regardless of the version deployed.

Step 1: Confirm the version code you are deploying is higher than what is installed

1. Open the Esper Console and navigate to Apps & Configuration → Apps → [App Name] → Versions. Note the version code (the integer Android uses to compare builds, distinct from the human-readable version name) of the APK you are deploying.
2. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps and find the same app. Note the version code shown as currently installed.
3. Confirm the version code you are deploying is strictly higher than the installed version code. If it is not, the deployment will always fail on that device.
4. If you need to deploy a newer build, navigate to Apps & Configuration → Apps → Add App, upload the updated APK, and confirm its version code is higher before proceeding.
5. Retry the deployment from Apps & Configuration → Apps → [App Name] → Install/Update.

Step 2: Rule out a firewall block by testing on an alternate network

1. Connect the affected device to a network outside your enterprise firewall — a mobile hotspot or personal Wi-Fi connection works well — so you can determine whether the failure is network-specific rather than a version issue.
2. Reboot the device after connecting to the alternate network to clear any stale connection state.
3. From the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps and retry the installation.
4. If the installation succeeds on the alternate network, your enterprise firewall is blocking a required Esper endpoint. Continue to Step 3. If it still fails, skip to Step 4.

Step 3: Update your firewall allowlist to permit Esper endpoints

1. Review the full list of URLs and ports that Esper requires at Esper Network Requirements. This list covers APK delivery, device communication, and Esper Agent updates.
2. Work with your network or IT team to add all listed hostnames and ports to your firewall allowlist. Missing even one endpoint can prevent APK downloads from completing.
3. Reconnect the device to the production network and reboot it.
4. Retry the app installation from Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps.

Step 4: Check available device storage

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Device Info and review the storage values reported.
2. If available storage is critically low, the APK download will fail before installation begins. Free space on the device by uninstalling unused apps or clearing app caches, then retry the installation.

Verify: Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Apps and confirm the app shows a status of Installed with the correct version number. Then check Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Activity Feed to confirm no failed install jobs remain. The status should update within 5 minutes of a successful install.

If this doesn't resolve it

If the installation continues to fail after working through all steps above, collect the following before contacting support:

• The app name, the version code you are deploying, and the version code currently installed on the affected device
• The exact failure status shown in Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Activity Feed
• Device logs, which you can request by navigating to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Management → Request Logs
• ADB logs if the device is accessible locally:

  adb shell logcat -d | grep -i "esper\|install\|package"

• Confirmation of which network the device was on when the failure occurred

Contact Esper Support with the above information so the issue can be investigated promptly.

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.