Device Appears Offline/Unprovisioned After Hardware Factory Reset: Re-Provision to Restore Management

Android

If your device has undergone a hardware factory reset, it loses all management configuration and appears offline in the Esper Console. This article explains how to restore management by re-provisioning the device.

Understanding hardware factory reset

A hardware factory reset occurs when someone uses a device's physical key combination (such as Power + Volume Down held during boot) to enter recovery mode and select "Wipe data / Factory reset." This method bypasses Android's standard settings interface and removes the Esper Agent app entirely from the device.

The Esper Blueprint "Disable Factory Reset" policy only prevents resets initiated through Settings → General Management → Reset → Factory Data Reset. It cannot block hardware-initiated factory resets performed through recovery mode, as these operate outside Esper's management framework.

Before you begin

You will need physical access to the device, as it has booted into its factory-reset state. Identify which provisioning method was originally used for this device (QR code, Zero-Touch Enrollment, KME, NFC, or other method). You can find this information in your provisioning configuration or the device's enrollment record.

Step 1: Confirm the device is offline

1. In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups.
2. Search for the device by name or serial number.
3. Open Device Information.
4. Confirm the device shows as Offline and note when it was last seen.

Step 2: Re-provision the device

Choose the re-provisioning method that matches your original setup:

• QR Code provisioning:
  1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Provisioning Templates.
  2. Select the applicable template and generate the QR code.
  3. On the device, proceed through the Android setup wizard.
  4. At the Wi-Fi screen, tap the Wi-Fi SSID field 6 times to trigger the QR scanner on most devices.
  5. Scan the QR code to complete provisioning.
• Zero-Touch Enrollment or KME:
  1. Verify the device's IMEI or serial number is still enrolled in the Zero-Touch or KME portal.
  2. Power on the device and connect to Wi-Fi.
  3. Provisioning will resume automatically.

Step 3: Apply the Blueprint

1. In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name].
2. Open the Blueprint tab.
3. Click Apply and select the appropriate Blueprint to restore the device's managed configuration.

Step 4: Verify the device is back online

1. Confirm the device transitions to Online status in the Esper Console.
2. Check that telemetry data is being received.
3. Verify the Blueprint compliance status shows as Applied/Compliant under Device Information → Blueprint.

Troubleshooting

Device does not appear in the Esper Console after re-provisioning:

• Check whether the serial number or IMEI is still in your device inventory.
• The re-provisioned device may register as a new entry if the old record was not removed.

Automatic provisioning did not trigger (Zero-Touch or KME):

• Verify the device's IMEI or serial number is correctly enrolled in the Zero-Touch Console or Samsung KME Dashboard.
• Confirm that Esper Agent extras are correctly configured in the enrollment profile.

Multiple devices at the same location are resetting:

Still need help?

If you are unable to restore your device to online status, contact Esper Support and provide the device serial number, the timestamp of when it went offline, and the provisioning method you used.