Can Hexnode remotely delete photos from the DCIM folder on Samsung Knox Android Enterprise devices?Solved

For Samsung Knox devices enrolled as Android Enterprise Device Owner, Hexnode cannot directly browse or delete files from shared local storage locations such as the DCIM folder. This is due to Android’s privacy and storage restrictions. MDMs can manage the device and apps, but they do not get unrestricted file-level access to shared storage for selectively deleting gallery photos. What you can do is:

1. Clear app cache or app data remotely: If the images are stored inside a specific app’s sandbox or local app database, clearing that app’s data may remove the locally stored content for that app.
2. Factory reset the device: If the requirement is to ensure that all locally stored photos and files are removed from the device storage, a full remote wipe/factory reset is the reliable option.

If the photos are saved directly in DCIM, clearing app data will not remove those files.

That makes sense. In our case the photos are definitely in DCIM, not inside an app data folder. So clearing the Gallery or Photos app data would not actually remove the image files, right?

Correct. Clearing the Gallery, Google Photos, or another photo app may reset that app’s local cache, thumbnails, or database, but it does not delete the original image files stored in the DCIM folder. For photos saved in shared device storage, Android does not allow Hexnode or another MDM to selectively delete those files remotely. If you need guaranteed removal of all local photos from DCIM, the available option is a factory reset.

Got it. We’ll avoid the wipe for now since these devices are already deployed. Good to know this is an Android storage limitation and not just a missing setting.