Unable to delete devices from Esper console: customer self-resolved after identifying active license set

Android

If you're unable to delete devices from your Esper Console, the issue is usually related to device state, user permissions, or confusion between removal options. This article walks you through the correct deletion procedure for different scenarios.

Before you begin

Confirm that your user account has the necessary permissions to delete devices. You must have Admin or Enterprise Admin role:

Go to Company Settings → User Management.
Click your user account.
Verify your Role is set to Admin or Enterprise Admin.

If your role is lower, ask your account administrator to grant the required permissions.

How to delete online devices

If the device is currently online or reachable, use the Wipe + Remove option to factory reset and remove it from your console.

Navigate to Devices & Groups.
Select the device(s) by checking the checkbox next to each device name.
Click Actions → Wipe + Remove.
Confirm the action in the dialog prompt.
Wait for the operation to complete. The device will be factory reset and removed from the Esper Console.

Verify: After a few moments, refresh the Esper Console. The device should no longer appear in Devices & Groups. Check Company Settings → Subscription to confirm your active license count has decreased.

How to delete offline devices

If the device is offline, unreachable, or already factory reset outside of Esper, use the Remove Only option to remove it from your console without triggering a wipe command.

Navigate to Devices & Groups.
Select the offline device(s).
Click Actions → Remove Only.
Confirm the action in the dialog prompt.

Verify: Refresh the Esper Console. The device should no longer appear in Devices & Groups, and your active license count should reflect the expected number.

How to delete devices in bulk

To delete multiple devices across groups:

Use the search or filter options in Devices & Groups to identify and display only the devices you want to remove.
Select all target devices by checking the box next to each one (or select all displayed devices).
Click Actions and choose Wipe + Remove (for online devices) or Remove Only (for offline devices).
Confirm the bulk action.

Troubleshooting

The Remove or Wipe + Remove options are greyed out:

Confirm your user role is Admin or Enterprise Admin (see "Before you begin" section above).
Refresh the Esper Console and try again.

The device count did not decrease after removal:

Wait up to 15 minutes for license reconciliation to complete, then refresh the Esper Console.
If the license count still hasn't updated, contact Esper Support.

Deleted devices reappear in your console:

This indicates devices are being re-enrolled automatically. Check your Zero-Touch Enrollment or KME (Knox Management Enrollment) configurations to see if they are re-provisioning these devices.
Disable re-enrollment for decommissioned devices, or contact your OEM to prevent automatic re-enrollment.

You cannot delete a specific device despite having the correct permissions and the device being offline:

Contact Esper Support and provide the device serial number. This may indicate a backend entitlement or database issue that requires investigation.

Important notes

Remove Only vs. Wipe + Remove:

Remove Only deletes the device record from your console but does not factory reset the physical device. Use this only when the device has already been wiped or decommissioned outside of Esper.
Wipe + Remove triggers a factory reset on the device and then removes it from your console. Confirm with device owners before proceeding, as this will erase all data on the device.

License seats:

Removing a device should free up a license seat. If seats do not free up as expected after waiting 15 minutes, contact your Esper account manager to verify your contract terms.

Still need help?

If you've tried the steps above and still cannot delete your devices, submit a support ticket. include:

The device serial number(s) you're trying to delete.
Whether the devices are online or offline.
Your user role in the Esper Console.
Any error messages you see (if applicable).