Understanding Device Action Eligibility and State Rules

Managing a large fleet often means selecting a mix of devices at different stages of their lifecycle. Sometimes, you might select a group of devices for an action that they cannot perform either because of their current state or because the hardware is no longer supported by Google’s update rules.

When selecting devices, they are automatically checked before any action starts. If you try to perform an action that doesn't apply to a specific device, such as attempting to disable a device that is already deprovisioned, that device will be skipped, and the process will continue with the ones that are ready for the change.

Instead of the action failing or returning an incorrect success message, you will see a clear summary showing exactly how many devices are being updated and how many are being skipped. This ensures you perform only sensible actions, keeping your fleet organized and your audit logs accurate.

Device Action Rules

To ensure compatibility, certain device states will automatically be excluded from your chosen action. Below are the specific exclusion rules:

State-Based Rules

• Move OU: This action is always accessible, as it does not depend on the device's current status.
• Disable: Skips devices currently set to Disabled, Deprovisioned, or Pre-provisioned Disabled.
• Enable: Skips devices that are already Active, Deprovisioned, or in the Pre-provisioned stage.
• Profile Wipe: Skips Deprovisioned or Pre-provisioned devices.
• Factory Reset: Skips Deprovisioned or Pre-provisioned devices.
• Deprovision: Skips Deprovisioned or Pre-provisioned devices.

OS and AUE Requirements

In addition to the device states listed above, Google applies eligibility rules based on a device's software version and age. To ensure the command is successful, the system checks for the following:

• Version Requirements: 
  • A device may be skipped if it is running an OS version below the current minimum required by Google for remote management.
  •  Devices must be on OS version 136 or greater to receive remote management commands.
  •  If your devices are running a version below 136 but have not yet reached their Auto-Update Expiration (AUE), you should prioritize an OS update immediately to maintain functionality.
• Auto-Update Expiration (AUE)
  • Permanent Block: If a device is below the minimum OS version and has passed its Auto-Update Expiration date, it can no longer receive the updates necessary to process these actions.
  • Temporary Block: If a device is below the minimum OS version but has not yet reached its expiration date, it may be skipped until the OS is updated to a supported version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Execute button greyed out?

This happens if every single device you selected is ineligible for that specific action. For example, if you select five devices that are already Disabled and try to click Disable again, the button will stay off because there is nothing for the system to do.

How do I reactivate a Deprovisioned device?

Once a device is deprovisioned, it reaches a terminal state in Gopher for Chrome Premium. To bring it back to life, head over to your GAC to make that change.

What shows up in my Audit Log?

To keep your history helpful and accurate, the log only shows the devices that were actually updated. It won't clutter your history with skipped attempts for actions that weren't possible.