Android Enterprise COPE on Android 16: Wipe Device only removes work profile instead of factory resetSolved

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4 weeks ago Sep 18, 2026

I’m testing Android Enterprise COPE / Work Profile on Company-Owned Device enrollment for Android 16 devices in Hexnode.

Under Actions > Security, I only see the Wipe Device option for my test device. When I run it, it removes only the work container from the device and does not perform a full factory reset.

Since this is a company-owned device, I expected to have both options: wipe only corporate data or factory reset the whole device. Is full factory reset supported for Android Enterprise COPE devices from the Hexnode console?

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Hexnode Expert
4 weeks ago Sep 18, 2026
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Hi @cameron,

For Android Enterprise COPE, also known as Work Profile on Company-Owned Device, the behavior you are seeing is expected.

In COPE mode, the device has a work profile for corporate data and a personal side for user data. The Wipe Device action is restricted by the Android Enterprise management framework to remove only the work profile / work container. It does not trigger a full hardware factory reset.

This is designed to preserve personal data on the device while securely removing corporate data.

If your requirement is to trigger a complete factory reset from the Hexnode console, the device must be enrolled as a Fully Managed Device instead of COPE. Fully Managed enrollment gives the MDM device-owner privileges over the entire device, which allows full device wipe / factory reset actions.

Regards,
Sienna Carter
Hexnode UEM

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