Device ignores newly added Wi-Fi network and reverts to blueprint-saved access points: disable strict Wi-Fi enforcement settings

Android

When a managed device refuses to connect to a manually added Wi-Fi network and keeps reverting to the networks saved in its blueprint, two overlapping Wi-Fi enforcement settings are most likely blocking the connection.

Why this happens

When a blueprint has both Strict Wi-Fi Access Point Synchronization and Use only saved Wi-Fi Access Points enabled at the same time, the device is locked to only the networks explicitly defined in that blueprint. Any network added manually on the device is removed the next time the device syncs with its blueprint. This is intentional enforcement behavior — but it can be adjusted without compromising your broader network security policy.

Before you begin

Identify which blueprint is applied to the group containing your affected device. Navigate to Devices & Groups, select the device, and note the blueprint name shown in the device details panel.

Choose the option that matches your security requirements

Option 1: Allow the device to connect to networks outside the blueprint

Use this option when you want to keep your saved network list syncing from the blueprint but allow the device to join additional networks manually.

1. Log in to the Esper Console and navigate to Blueprints.
2. Open the blueprint currently applied to your device group.
3. Navigate to the Network section.
4. Disable Use only saved Wi-Fi Access Points. This lifts the restriction that prevents the device from joining networks not listed in the blueprint.
5. Save and publish the updated blueprint.
6. Wait for the blueprint to sync to the device — this typically takes up to 5 minutes.
7. On the device, manually connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Option 2: Add the network directly to the blueprint

Use this option when you want to maintain strict enforcement and simply need to authorize the new network through the blueprint itself.

1. Log in to the Esper Console and navigate to Blueprints.
2. Open the blueprint currently applied to your device group.
3. Navigate to the Network section.
4. Locate the Wi-Fi access points list and add the new network's SSID and credentials. This ensures the device recognizes the network as an authorized access point.
5. Leave both Strict Wi-Fi Access Point Synchronization and Use only saved Wi-Fi Access Points enabled.
6. Save and publish the updated blueprint.
7. Wait for the blueprint to sync to the device — this typically takes up to 5 minutes.
8. On the device, manually connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Option 3: Stop the blueprint from removing manually added networks

Use this option when you want the device to retain any networks added manually without the blueprint overwriting them.

1. Log in to the Esper Console and navigate to Blueprints.
2. Open the blueprint currently applied to your device group.
3. Navigate to the Network section.
4. Disable Strict Wi-Fi Access Point Synchronization. This stops the blueprint sync process from removing networks that were added directly on the device.
5. Save and publish the updated blueprint.
6. Wait for the blueprint to sync to the device — this typically takes up to 5 minutes.
7. On the device, manually connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Verify: On the device, connect to the previously blocked Wi-Fi network. The device should maintain the connection and not revert to previous access points after the next blueprint sync — confirm by checking the device's Wi-Fi settings 5–10 minutes after the sync completes. In the Esper Console, navigate to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] and confirm the Activity Feed shows a successful blueprint sync with no Wi-Fi-related errors.

If this doesn't resolve it

If the device continues to drop or block the manually added network after following the steps above, collect the following before contacting support:

• The name of the blueprint applied to the device and the specific settings currently enabled under the Network section
• The device serial number or Esper device ID, found under Devices & Groups → [Device Name]
• A screenshot of the Activity Feed showing recent blueprint sync events
• The Android OS version and Esper Agent version from the device details panel

Contact Esper Support with these details so the issue can be investigated further.

Still need help?

If disabling strict Wi-Fi enforcement doesn't resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket and include your device's blueprint configuration, the specific Wi-Fi network details that aren't persisting, and whether the device is reverting to access points saved in the blueprint after each reboot.