Device stuck in semi-provisioned state and cannot be reset or removed from Esper Console

Android

If your device is stuck in a semi-provisioned state after a failed provisioning attempt, you may not be able to access the device, factory reset it, or remove it from the Esper Console. This article walks you through recovery steps to regain control of your device.

Before you begin

This issue typically occurs when a Blueprint-based provisioning flow is interrupted mid-way (due to network loss, power interruption, or user cancellation). The device becomes partially locked, preventing you from accessing Settings or performing a standard factory reset. Before attempting recovery, gather the following information:

Your device's serial number
Whether USB debugging was enabled on the device before it became locked
Your device model and Android version

Step 1: Try a hardware factory reset

The first recovery method bypasses the software-locked Settings menu by using your device's hardware recovery mode.

Power off your device completely.
Boot into Recovery Mode using your device's hardware key combination. For Motorola devices, hold Power + Volume Down until you see the bootloader screen.
Use the Volume buttons to navigate to Recovery Mode, then select Wipe data/factory reset.
Allow the reset to complete and wait for the device to reboot.

If your device reboots successfully, skip to Step 4: Remove the device from Esper Console.

Step 2: Use ADB to remove the Device Owner (if USB debugging is enabled)

If Recovery Mode is blocked by a Device Owner lock, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB) to clear it—but only if USB debugging was enabled before the device became locked.

Connect your device to a computer via USB.
Open a terminal or command prompt and run the following command to remove the Device Owner:
```
adb shell dpm remove-active-admin com.esper.Esper Agent/.DeviceAdminReceiver
```
Once the Device Owner is removed, trigger a factory reset using ADB:
```
adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.MASTER_CLEAR
```
Wait for the device to reboot and complete the factory reset.

If the ADB commands succeed, skip to Step 4: Remove the device from Esper Console. If you see a java.lang.SecurityException error, the Device Owner may be set at a level requiring OEM involvement—proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Request OEM support for a factory reset (if ADB is unavailable)

If USB debugging was not enabled on your device before it became locked, ADB commands will not work. In this case, contact your device manufacturer's support team.

Gather your device's IMEI and serial number.
Contact your device manufacturer (for example, Motorola support) and request a carrier-level or OEM-level factory reset or unlock procedure for your specific device.
Provide the IMEI and serial number to the OEM support team.
Follow the OEM's instructions to complete the factory reset.

Step 4: Remove the device from Esper Console

Once your device is fully factory reset, remove it from the Esper Console so you can re-provision it cleanly.

Log in to the Esper Console.
Navigate to Devices & Groups and find your device.
Open the device details page and select Actions → Remove Device.

If the Remove Device action is greyed out or returns an error, use the Esper API instead:

First, retrieve your device ID by running this API call (replace placeholders with your values):
```
GET /v0/enterprise/{enterprise_id}/device/?serial_number=[device_serial]
```

Once you have the device ID, delete the device using:

DELETE /v0/enterprise/{enterprise_id}/device/{device_id}/

Step 5: Re-provision your device

Now that your device is factory reset and removed from the Esper Console, you can re-provision it cleanly.

Add the device serial number back to the Esper Console.
Assign a Blueprint to the device.
Re-attempt provisioning using one of these methods:
- QR code-based provisioning
- Zero-Touch Enrollment (if supported by your device)
Ensure your device has a stable network connection throughout the provisioning process.

Step 6: Verify successful provisioning

After provisioning completes, confirm that your device is functioning correctly.

Log in to the Esper Console and navigate to Devices & Groups.
Find your device and verify its status is Online.
Open the device details page and navigate to Blueprint.
Confirm that your assigned Blueprint shows as Applied.

Still need help?

If none of the above steps resolve your issue, or if you encounter errors that prevent you from completing these steps, contact Esper Support. When you submit your ticket include:

Your device's serial number and model
Your device's Android version
The exact error message you encountered (if any)
Which step you were unable to complete
Whether USB debugging was enabled on your device before it became locked