Device stuck in Esper after tenant deletion — recover with factory reset

Android

When an Esper tenant is permanently deleted, any device that was enrolled under that tenant remains in managed mode with no Console to send commands from. The Esper Agent continues to enforce management, which prevents a standard factory reset or removal of device management through normal means.

Why this happens

The Esper Agent enforces managed mode locally on the device, independent of whether the tenant exists. Because the tenant is gone, the Esper Console cannot send a remote wipe or unenroll command. Without Console access or the on-device admin password, the only path to remove management is a hardware-level factory reset that bypasses the operating system entirely.

Before you begin

Confirm your tenant is actually deleted before proceeding. Navigate to your Esper Console URL (for example, https://<yourtenantname>.esper.cloud). If you see a "not found" or error page, your tenant has been deleted. If you can log in, your tenant still exists — contact Esper Support, as additional recovery options are available to you.

Choose the option below that matches your situation:

• Option 1 — You know the on-device admin password
• Option 2 — The Esper Settings app is not visible on the home screen
• Option 3 — You do not know the admin password

Option 1: Factory reset through Esper Settings (admin password known)

If you set an admin password during enrollment and still know it, you can trigger a factory reset directly on the device without any hardware button combinations.

1. On the device, open the Esper Settings app.
2. Navigate to Esper Settings → Admin Mode.
3. Enter the admin password when prompted.
4. Select Factory Reset and confirm the action.
5. Wait for the device to restart. The device will boot into the standard Android setup wizard with no Esper management present.

Verify: After the reboot, the device displays the Android setup wizard and the Esper Settings app is no longer present. This should complete within a few minutes of confirming the reset.

Option 2: Accessing Esper Settings via the Hidden Dock

If the Esper Settings app does not appear on the home screen, it may have been hidden during device configuration. The Hidden Dock provides access to it without requiring any hardware interaction.

1. Follow your device's Hidden Dock access procedure to locate the Esper Settings app. Refer to your Esper onboarding documentation or contact Esper Support for the exact gesture if you are unsure.
2. Once inside Esper Settings, navigate to Admin Mode.
3. Enter the admin password and select Factory Reset.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the device to restart.

Verify: The device reboots into the Android setup wizard with no Esper management present. Note: this option still requires the admin password. If you do not have it, proceed to Option 3.

Option 3: Hard factory reset using hardware buttons (admin password unknown)

If the admin password is not known and the tenant has been deleted, a hard factory reset using the device's physical buttons is the only way to remove Esper management. This process wipes all data on the device.

1. Power off the device completely by holding the power button and selecting Power off.
2. Once the screen is fully off, hold the hardware button combination to enter recovery mode. The combination varies by manufacturer:
   • Most Android devices: Power + Volume Down
   • Some Android devices: Power + Volume Up
   • If neither works, check your device manufacturer's documentation for the exact recovery mode combination for your model.
3. When the recovery menu appears on screen, use the volume buttons to highlight Wipe data / Factory reset (exact wording varies by device) and press the power button to select it.
4. Confirm the action when prompted and wait for the wipe to complete.
5. Highlight Reboot system now and press the power button to select it.

Verify: The device reboots into the Android setup wizard with no Esper management present. No Esper Settings app or managed launcher should appear after the reboot.

If recovery mode is locked or unavailable

Some enterprise and ruggedized Android devices have recovery mode disabled or protected at the firmware level by the manufacturer. If the hardware button combination does not produce a recovery menu, the device's firmware may be restricting access. In this case, contact your device manufacturer's support team directly and provide your device model number — they can confirm whether recovery mode is available and supply the correct procedure for your hardware.

If this doesn't resolve it

If you have followed all applicable options and the device remains in managed mode, contact Esper Support with the following information:

• Your former Esper Console URL (for example, https://<yourtenantname>.esper.cloud)
• The device manufacturer, model, and Android version
• Which option you attempted and the exact point where the process failed
• Any error messages displayed on the device screen

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.