Excessive cellular data usage attributed to "Remove apps and users" / Play Store deletion loop on locked-down kiosk devices

Android

Title: Excessive cellular data from app deletion loop on kiosk devices — fix Blueprint app policy

When a kiosk device is enrolled in a Blueprint that marks Google Play Store or Galaxy Store for removal, and those apps cannot be fully uninstalled because they are system apps, the device enters a continuous deletion loop. This loop generates repeated Deleted by admin notifications and can consume multiple gigabytes of cellular data per day while the device appears idle.

Why this happens

Esper Agent enforces the app policy defined in the device's Blueprint by repeatedly attempting to remove any app listed with a Remove or Not Allowed policy. System apps like Google Play Store and Galaxy Store are protected by the OS and cannot be fully uninstalled — only disabled. When the agent attempts removal, the OS restores the app, which triggers another removal attempt. On cellular connections this cycle consumes significant data; on Wi-Fi the same loop occurs but is harder to detect.

Step 1: Confirm the symptom on the affected device

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Device Info → Data Usage in the Esper Console.
2. Check whether Remove apps and users is the top cellular data consumer. If it accounts for unusually high usage (hundreds of megabytes or more per day while idle), the deletion loop is likely active.
3. If the device has a visible notification bar, check for repeated Google Play Store - Deleted by admin or Galaxy Store - Deleted by admin notifications. If the notification bar is hidden by the Blueprint, temporarily re-enable it under Blueprints → [Blueprint Name] → Device Settings → Display so you can confirm notifications are occurring before proceeding.

Step 2: Collect a bug report while on cellular

1. Disable Wi-Fi on the device so it is running on cellular only — this ensures the bug report captures the loop activity accurately.
2. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Actions → Bug Report and generate the report.
3. Select Share after generation to download the report file. Keep this file ready — it is required if you need to contact support.

Step 3: Identify and correct the Blueprint app policy

1. Navigate to Blueprints → [Blueprint Name] → Apps.
2. Locate Google Play Store, Galaxy Store, or any other manufacturer store app in the app list.
3. Check the policy applied to each. If either store is set to Remove or Not Allowed, change the policy to Disable instead. Disabling prevents the app from running without triggering a repeated uninstall attempt, which breaks the loop.
4. Save the updated Blueprint and apply it to the affected devices or group. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device or Group Name] → Blueprint and confirm the revised Blueprint is applied.

Temporary workaround

If correcting the Blueprint policy is not immediately possible, disable cellular data on the affected devices to stop runaway data consumption while you investigate:

1. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device or Group Name] → Blueprint → Device Settings → Network.
2. Disable cellular data. Devices will operate on Wi-Fi only until the Blueprint app policy is corrected. Note that this masks the loop — it does not stop it.

Verify: After applying the corrected Blueprint, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Device Info → Data Usage and confirm that Remove apps and users is no longer accumulating data. The repeated Deleted by admin notifications should stop appearing within a few minutes of the Blueprint syncing to the device. Allow up to 15 minutes for the updated Blueprint to reach the device and for the Activity Feed to reflect the change.

If this doesn't resolve it

If cellular data consumption continues after correcting the app policy, or if you cannot identify which app is triggering the loop, contact Esper Support with the following information:

• The serial number of each affected device
• The name of the Blueprint applied to those devices
• The bug report downloaded in Step 2
• A screenshot of the app policy list from Blueprints → [Blueprint Name] → Apps
• The approximate daily cellular data volume shown in Device Info → Data Usage

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.