Mass Device Offline: Mobile Data Silently Disabled After Blueprint Update

Android

If your devices went offline after a Blueprint update disabled Android Settings access, mobile data may have been manually turned off on individual devices and is now inaccessible. This article walks you through restoring connectivity and preventing this issue in the future.

Before you begin

This issue typically occurs when:

• Your Blueprint allowed access to Android Settings in earlier versions (v1–v14)
• A user manually disabled mobile data while Android Settings was accessible
• You later deployed Blueprint v15 or higher that disabled Android Settings access
• Affected devices are now offline and cannot receive remote commands

You will need physical or on-site access to at least one affected device to restore connectivity.

How to restore connectivity

1. Physically access an affected device or coordinate with on-site staff.
2. Connect the device to an alternate active network. Use a personal mobile hotspot or Wi-Fi to bring it online temporarily.
3. In the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups and verify the device now shows as Online in its Overview page.
4. Confirm that queued commands begin processing.

How to re-enable mobile data

Once a device is back online, choose one of the following approaches:

Option A: Re-enable mobile data through a temporary Blueprint update (recommended)

1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Blueprint.
2. Create a new Blueprint revision that temporarily enables Android Settings access under Admin Mode only.
3. Push this Blueprint to affected devices.
4. On the device, navigate to Settings → Network → Mobile Data and toggle it on.
5. Verify mobile data is restored by checking the device's network status indicator.
6. Create a final Blueprint revision that locks Android Settings again, ensuring Mobile Data is set to Enabled before you disable Settings access.
7. Push the final Blueprint to all affected devices.

Option B: Re-enable mobile data using Remote Control

1. In the Esper Console, use Remote Viewer / Remote Control to access the device.
2. Navigate to Settings → Network → Mobile Data and toggle it on.
3. Verify the device remains online without requiring hotspot or Wi-Fi.

Note: Remote Viewer and Remote Control on TCL devices require an OEM-signed Supervisor plugin.

How to prevent this issue in the future

1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Group] → Blueprint.
2. Create or update your Blueprint to explicitly set Mobile Data to Enabled before disabling Android Settings access.
3. Set Android Settings visibility to Admin Mode only — never expose it in User Mode. This prevents end users or patients from accessing network toggles.
4. Apply and validate the updated Blueprint across all device groups by navigating to Devices & Groups → [Group] → Blueprint → Apply.
5. Verify all devices show as Online in the Esper Console and that console ping commands complete successfully.

Still need help?

If you cannot physically access your devices or the steps above do not resolve the issue, contact Esper Support. An on-site visit may be required to restore connectivity to devices that cannot reach an alternate network.