Blueprint mobile data and data roaming settings not applying: use Supervisor Plugin or Knox

Android

When you apply a Blueprint with JSON settings to enable mobile data or data roaming, these settings may not take effect. This article explains why and how to fix it.

Why mobile data and data roaming settings aren't applying

Android restricts write access to certain system settings for security reasons. The standard Device Owner permissions that Esper has aren't enough to write mobile_data and data_roaming settings to your device. To apply these settings, your device needs one of the following:

• Esper Supervisor Plugin — required for both mobile_data and data_roaming on non-Samsung devices
• Samsung Knox — provides the necessary permissions on Samsung devices

Additionally, your device must have an active SIM card inserted and recognized by the operating system. Without a SIM, these settings won't have any effect.

Before you begin

Make sure your device meets these requirements:

• A SIM card is inserted and active in the device
• Either Esper Supervisor Plugin or Samsung Knox is installed and active

How to fix this

1. Check that your device recognizes the SIM card. On the device, go to Settings → Network & Internet → Mobile Network and confirm a SIM is active.
2. Determine your device manufacturer and verify the required permissions are active:
   • For Samsung devices: In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Device Info and confirm that Samsung Knox is enrolled and active. If it's not, re-enroll the device under a Knox-enabled Blueprint.
   • For non-Samsung devices: Verify that the Esper Supervisor Plugin is installed and active on the device.
3. Once you've confirmed the required plugin or Knox is active, re-apply your Blueprint. In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Blueprint → Apply Latest.
4. Make sure your Blueprint contains the correct JSON structure:

   {
    "settings": {
    "global": [
    {
    "key": "mobile_data",
    "value": "1"
    },
    {
    "key": "data_roaming",
    "value": "1"
    },
    {
    "key": "wifi_scan_always_enabled",
    "value": "0"
    },
    {
    "key": "ble_scan_always_enabled",
    "value": "0"
    }
    ]
    }
   }

5. Verify that the settings applied on the device. Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Mobile Network and check that "Mobile Data" and "Data Roaming" are enabled. You can also verify with ADB:

   adb shell settings get global mobile_data
   adb shell settings get global data_roaming

   Both commands should return 1 if the settings applied successfully.

If the settings still aren't applying

• If you have the Supervisor Plugin installed, make sure its version is compatible with your device's Android OS version. Mismatched versions can cause settings to fail silently.
• If your device is a Samsung with Knox active but data_roaming still isn't applying, confirm that your Knox license tier includes MDM policy write capabilities.
• If your device doesn't support either the Supervisor Plugin or Knox, mobile data and data roaming settings cannot be applied via Blueprint JSON.

Still need help?

If you've completed all the steps above and the settings still aren't applying, contact Esper Support. Provide the device model, Android version, and whether Supervisor Plugin or Knox is active on your device.