Provisioning stuck on "Starting Provisioning" or "Installing Apps" with agent crash: update provisioning version

Android

If your Android 16 devices are stuck during provisioning at "Starting Provisioning" or "Installing Apps" and the Esper Agent is crashing, the issue is likely that your Default Provisioning Version is outdated. This article walks you through updating it to the latest Esper Agent version and re-provisioning your devices.

Before you begin

This issue occurs when:

Your devices are running Android 16
Your tenant's Default Provisioning Version is set to an older Esper Agent build
The older agent version is incompatible with Android 16

The outdated agent crashes mid-provisioning because it doesn't support Android 16 system APIs. Updating to the latest Esper Agent version resolves the incompatibility.

Step 1: Update your Default Provisioning Version

In the Esper Console, navigate to Esper Software Updates → Esper Agent → Default Provisioning Version.
Select the latest available version from the dropdown.
Save your changes.

Step 2: Factory reset each affected device

Each device stuck in provisioning must be factory reset before you can re-provision it.

On the affected device's provisioning screen, tap the Esper logo 6–7 times continuously until a reset option appears.
Confirm the factory reset when prompted.
Repeat this step for all devices affected by the provisioning failure.

Step 3: Re-provision your devices

Use your standard provisioning method (QR code, Zero-Touch Enrollment, or other) to re-provision each device.
Provisioning should now complete without stalling.

Step 4: Verify successful provisioning

Check the Esper Console to confirm each device now appears as Active in its assigned group.
Confirm provisioning completed the full flow without errors at "Starting Provisioning" or "Installing Apps".

Troubleshooting if provisioning still fails

If devices still fail to provision after updating the Default Provisioning Version and re-provisioning:

Test provisioning on a different Android 16 device of the same model to determine if the issue is specific to one device or affects your entire tenant.
Take a screenshot of the exact error state and note the Esper Agent version shown on the provisioning screen.
Pull agent logs via ADB during a failed provisioning attempt to check for crash messages or permission errors:
```
adb logcat
```
If the issue persists across multiple devices, gather your device model, firmware build number, Esper Agent version, provisioning method, and ADB logs, then contact Esper Support.

Important notes for Android 16 devices

The Default Provisioning Version is a tenant-level setting and does not update automatically. When you introduce a new major Android version (like Android 16) into your device fleet:

Always update your Default Provisioning Version to the latest available Esper Agent build.
Do not rely on older agent versions; they may lack support for new Android APIs and system changes.

Still need help?

If the steps above do not resolve your issue, contact Esper Support. include your device model, firmware version, the Esper Agent version you are using, your provisioning method, and any error screenshots or ADB logs you collected.