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I had an Android phone that was actively checking in to Hexnode, but the Clear Password remote action would not complete. The action stayed queued even after restarting the device and trying another network. We eventually wiped the device after getting approval, and the wipe worked immediately. I’m trying to understand why Device Wipe worked but Clear Password did not, especially since the device looked online in the portal.
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Hexnode Expert
2 days ago
Aug 01, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review
This behavior can happen on Android devices because of Direct Boot mode.
When an Android device restarts, it remains in Direct Boot mode until the user unlocks the device for the first time after boot. During this state, Android keeps credential-encrypted storage locked. Since clearing or modifying the screen lock password requires access to that protected storage, the Clear Password command may remain queued until the device is unlocked once.
Device Wipe works differently. A wipe is a low-level system action and does not need to access the user’s credential-encrypted storage. That is why the wipe action can complete even when Clear Password remains queued.
For future cases, try this before wiping the device:
1. Unlock the device manually once after reboot using the existing passcode.
2. Make sure the device has direct network access. During Direct Boot, Wi-Fi networks that depend on user credentials or certificates may not connect properly, so cellular data or a basic pre-shared Wi-Fi network is preferable.
3. Once the device is unlocked and online, run Actions > Sync Device from the Hexnode portal.
After the first unlock and sync, the pending Clear Password action should be able to process.
Regards,
Mary Romero
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