Enabling Esper Remote Control Without Modifying Existing Blueprint: Supervisor Plugin Method

Android

This article explains how to enable Esper Remote Control on new devices assigned to existing Blueprints without modifying your shared Blueprint configuration. You can use the Supervisor Plugin method to grant the necessary permissions at the system level, avoiding Blueprint changes that could affect your production devices.

Before you begin

Remote Control requires that the Esper Management Service has Android Accessibility permission on your device. The Supervisor Plugin grants this permission at the system level, eliminating the need to expose Settings in your Blueprint.

This method works best when:

You cannot safely modify your shared Blueprint without affecting production devices
Your device is running Esper Agent version 9.3 or earlier, and you cannot immediately update
Your device model has a pre-signed Supervisor Plugin available from Esper

Note: Esper Agent version 9.4 or later is required to view the Supervisor Plugin status in the Esper Console. If you're running 9.3 or earlier, the plugin may be installed but won't show as active until you upgrade.

Step 1: Identify your device model

In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Your Device Name] → Device Details → Hardware.
Note the exact device model identifier (for example, rk3566_r).

Step 2: Request the Supervisor Plugin

Contact Esper Support and request the Supervisor Plugin for your device model.
Provide the exact model identifier from Step 1.
Esper Support will check whether a pre-signed plugin build exists for your model:

If a signed build exists: Esper Support will upload it directly to your tenant. No further action is needed from you.
If no signed build exists: Esper Support will provide you with an unsigned APK. You must have your OEM sign this APK using their platform keys, then return the signed APK to Esper Support for backend upload.

Step 3: Bring your devices online

Once Esper Support uploads the Supervisor Plugin to your tenant, the plugin will install automatically on your target devices within:

30–40 minutes of the device coming online, or
Immediately following a device reboot

No manual installation is required.

Step 4: Update Esper Agent to version 9.4 or later

To see the Supervisor Plugin status in the Esper Console, your devices must run Esper Agent 9.4 or later. Follow the update procedure at Deploying Esper Software Updates.

Step 5: Verify the plugin installation

In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Your Device Name] → Overview → Software → Active Plugins.
Confirm that Supervisor Plugin appears in the list.
If the Esper Console shows "No data available," verify that your Esper Agent version is 9.4 or later by checking Device Details → Software → Esper Agent Version.

Note: The Supervisor Plugin does not appear as a user-visible app on your device. It installs silently as a system-level component.

Troubleshooting

Plugin not appearing after 40+ minutes and a reboot:

Confirm that your device is reporting as online in the Esper Console.
Verify that you provided the correct model identifier to Esper Support.
Contact Esper Support to request a backend re-push.

Console still shows "No data available" after updating Esper Agent:

Go to Device Details → Software → Esper Agent Version.
Confirm the version reads 9.4 or later. If the update didn't complete, retry the software update.

Remote Control still fails after the plugin shows as Active:

Check whether any network policy, firewall rule, or VPN on your device is blocking the Remote Control WebSocket channel.
Contact Esper Support with your device model, Esper Agent version, and a screenshot of the Active Plugins status.

OEM signing required but the OEM is unavailable:

Contact Esper Support to confirm whether an alternative signing path or pre-signed build exists for your device.
Unsigned plugin installation is not possible on devices with locked bootloaders.

Still need help?

If you've completed these steps and Remote Control is still not working, submit a support ticket. Include your device model, Esper Agent version, and a screenshot of the Active Plugins status.