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Unable to contact the device

Problem

You are trying to execute remote security commands such as corporate wipe, device lock etc., and you get the error "Unable to contact the device"

Cause

You might get this error message, due to one of the following reasons:

  1. Connectivity-based issues
  2. Device-based issues

Resolution

Connectivity-based issues

This occurs when the MDM Server cannot reach the managed device and/or the device cannot reach the MDM Server.

For MDM On-Premises

  • Ensure the MDM Server is connected to the Internet.
  • Ensure the managed device can access MDM Server. The device must be able to reach http://<Server FQDN>:9020
  • Ensure these domains and ports are allowlisted.

For MDM Cloud

Following are the steps to check the connectivity between the FCM server and the mobile devices:

  1. Open the dialer on the device
  2. Dial *#*#426#*#*
  3. Google Play Services app with the information about the connectivity with the FCM server will be shown as displayed in the below screenshot.
  4. Click Connect if the device is in the disconnected state.
  5. Once connected, perform any task from the MDM server to check if it is executed instantly.

Device-based issues

Some Android device manufacturers have a power-saving mode, which prevents the activities of the apps. ME MDM app must be allowlisted to ensure the power-saving mode doesn't affect background activities including remote command execution.

  • If you're managing Huawei devices, enlist MDM under Protected Apps, located in Settings -> Battery Manager .
  • If you're managing Sony devices, enlist MDM under Stamina Mode or Ultra Stamina Mode, located in Settings -> Power Management.
  • This can also occur if background processes are restricted. Users can be prevent from limiting background process using restrictions as shown here: Restrictions -> Miscellaneous and restrict Background process limit.
  • For Android 7.0 and above devices, if the Work Profile is turned off, the server cannot contact the device. To enable Work Profile on the device, Settings -> Accounts -> Work Profile Settings and turn it ON.