Last updated: July 24, 2026

How to recover a device which has lost connection to the MDM server?

Description

Managed iOS devices might lose connection with the MDM server due to various reasons like

• Restriction on wifi ssid that prevents the devices to connect to wifi that are not distributed by MDM
• Global HTTP proxy restriction that routes the internet traffic on the devices through a single proxy
• A device in lost mode loses connection to the internet
• A device locked into kiosk mode loses internet connection. Follow the steps given here to remove device from kiosk mode.

When the device loses connection with the MDM server, no action performed on the server will reach the device which essentially makes the device unmanaged. Follow the steps given below to recover such unmanaged devices mannually

Steps

iOS Devices

To recover these device, we need to use Apple Configurator on the Mac machine that is already trusted by the mobile device

1. Install Apple Configurator on a Mac machine.
2. Connect iOS devices to the Mac machine using a USB cable.
3. Open Apple Configurator on the machine.

The first step will be to try and restore connection with the MDM server by pushing a wifi profile to the device using Apple Configurator:

1. Click on File and select New Profile .
2. Enter the wi-fi details to which the device should connect to.
3. Save and Add the profile to the blueprint.
4. Apply the blueprint to the device.

If the device is still unable to connect to the MDM server, we can manually remove the device from management and re-enroll the device

1. The connected device will be listed out. Control-click the device name and click Remove and select Profiles.
2. Select MDM profile and delete it.

Once the profile is removed the device will be unmanaged, you can re-enroll the device for management.

In case you have applied profiles on the device that restrict the device from connecting to other devices, then the device will have to be reset by putting it in Recovery Mode.

Android Devices

To recover the device, Device Administrator must be revoked from the device, this can be done by following the steps given below:

1. Click to open the ManageEngine MDM Self Service app (previously ManageEngine MDM app) on the device
2. Tap 4 times on the top pane where the app name is displayed
3. You will be prompted to enter the Revoke Administrator password available on the server
4. This will revoke Device Administrator from the device

The device can be re-enrolled once the server connectivity issues have been fixed.

Frequently asked questions

Why would a managed iOS device suddenly lose connection to the MDM server?

This can happen due to a Wi-Fi SSID restriction that blocks the device from connecting to networks not distributed by MDM, a Global HTTP Proxy restriction that routes traffic through a single proxy, the device being in Lost Mode, or the device being locked in Kiosk mode.

How do I reconnect an iOS device that has lost contact with the MDM server?

Connect the device to the Mac machine it already trusts using Apple Configurator and first try pushing a corrected Wi-Fi profile to restore connectivity; if that doesn't work, remove the MDM profile via Apple Configurator to unmanage the device, then re-enroll it.

How do I recover an Android device that has stopped responding to the server?

Open the Self Service app (previously ME MDM app) on the device, tap 4 times on the top pane where the app name is displayed, and enter the Revoke Administrator password available on the server - this revokes Device Administrator so the device can be re-enrolled once connectivity is fixed.

What if the device has a profile that restricts it from connecting to other machines?

In that case, the Apple Configurator method can't be used, and the device must be reset by putting it into Recovery Mode.