Connecting to Wi-Fi When a Device Is Stuck Offline in Kiosk Mode: Use the Hidden Dock to Access Esper Settings

Android

When a kiosk-mode device loses its Wi-Fi connection and goes offline, remote commands from the Esper Console become unavailable — making it impossible to push network settings or restart the device remotely.

Why this happens

Kiosk Mode locks the device to a single app or restricted interface, preventing users from accessing Android system settings directly. When Wi-Fi drops, the Esper Agent loses its connection to the Esper Console, and all remote management commands are queued but undeliverable until connectivity is restored manually on the device.

Before you begin

• Physical access to the device is required. Dispatch a technician to the site before proceeding.
• Confirm that the Hidden Dock is enabled in the device's active Blueprint before the technician arrives. If it is disabled, remote recovery is not possible without a factory reset. See Accessing Esper Settings from the Hidden Dock for how to verify this in the Esper Console.
• Obtain the correct Wi-Fi credentials from your network or IT team before dispatching.

Step 1: Access the Hidden Dock on the device

1. Unlock or approach the offline device at the physical location.
2. Trigger the Hidden Dock using the gesture or PIN configured for your device model. Refer to Accessing Esper Settings from the Hidden Dock for model-specific instructions, as the trigger method varies by hardware.
3. From the Hidden Dock menu, select Esper Settings.

Step 2: Reconnect to Wi-Fi

1. In Esper Settings, navigate to Wi-Fi.
2. Select the correct network from the list of available networks.
3. Enter the Wi-Fi credentials and confirm the connection. The device will attempt to join the network immediately.
4. Wait for the Wi-Fi indicator to show a connected state before leaving the screen.

Step 3: Confirm the device is back online

1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview.
2. Confirm the device status changes to Online. Remote actions, including command delivery and policy sync, will resume automatically once the device reconnects.

Verify: The device should show a status of Online in Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview within 2–3 minutes of a successful Wi-Fi reconnection. The Activity Feed for the device will also show a new check-in event confirming the Esper Agent has re-established contact.

Preventing this issue in the future

Pre-configure multiple saved Wi-Fi networks in your Blueprint under Apps & Configuration → [Blueprint Name] → Network. If the primary network becomes unavailable, the device will automatically attempt to connect to a saved fallback network without requiring manual intervention.

If this doesn't resolve it

Work through the following before contacting support:

• Hidden Dock does not appear: Verify the Hidden Dock is enabled in the device's current Blueprint in the Esper Console. If it was disabled by a previous Blueprint push, a factory reset may be required — contact Esper Support before wiping any device.
• Device shows Online but the Esper Agent is unresponsive: From Esper Settings, use the reboot option to restart the device. If the agent remains unresponsive after reboot, perform a physical power cycle.
• 10 or more devices offline across a site: Do not attempt individual device recovery. This pattern indicates a network-level or infrastructure issue. Contact Esper Support immediately.

When contacting Esper Support, provide the device model, Esper Agent version (visible under Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Overview), the Blueprint name applied to the device, and a description of the steps already taken.

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Improved title: Kiosk device offline with no Wi-Fi — reconnect using the Hidden Dock

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.