Offline devices stuck in remove queue: uncheck Factory Reset to force-remove from console

Android

If you have offline devices stuck in your remove queue in the Esper Console, you can force-remove them by unchecking the factory reset option. This article explains when and how to do this.

When you might need this procedure

You may encounter devices that cannot be removed from the Esper Console if:

The device is offline (powered off, out of network range, or disconnected from the MQTT connection)
A factory reset or wipe command was already queued before you attempted to remove the device
The remove action has been stuck for several hours without completing

When a device is offline, the Esper Console cannot deliver the remove command to the device. If a wipe command is also pending, the Esper Console waits for the wipe to complete before removing the device record. Since the offline device cannot acknowledge the wipe command, the remove action remains stuck indefinitely.

How to force-remove offline devices

Navigate to Devices & Groups in the Esper Console.
Select all affected offline devices using the checkboxes for bulk selection.
Click Actions → Remove Device.
In the Remove Device dialog, uncheck both of these options:
- Factory Reset
- Wipe External Storage
Click Continue to confirm.
Verify that the devices immediately disappear from the Devices & Groups list.

Unchecking these options breaks the dependency between the wipe and remove commands, allowing the Esper Console to remove the device record immediately without waiting for the device to come back online.

Important: What happens if the device comes back online

If a device reconnects to the network after you remove it from the Esper Console, any previously queued wipe command may still be stored locally on the device and could trigger a factory reset. This is an edge case, but it's important to be aware of it if you expect the device to reconnect.

Only use this procedure for devices you are decommissioning. Do not uncheck factory reset options for online devices unless you intentionally want to skip the wipe operation.

If devices still won't remove

If devices remain stuck after unchecking factory reset and wipe options, check the following:

Verify that the devices are in a fully enrolled state, not Provisioning or Pending state — removal flows differ for partially provisioned devices.
Confirm that your user account has sufficient permissions (Admin or Owner role) to perform device removal in that enterprise or group.
Check whether multiple removal attempts have already been made, as the Esper Console may require additional time to process the request.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, contact Esper Support and provide the following information:

Device serial numbers and Esper device IDs
Timestamps of when the wipe command was originally issued
Any error messages you see in the Esper Console

Still need help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions about removing devices from the Esper Console, submit a support ticket and our team will assist you.