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mauriceatkinson
mauriceatkinson
New Member
September 15, 2025
Question

Activating Device Owner in Android 16

  • September 15, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 443 views

I’m building a parental control app that relies on Device Owner mode. This worked fine on older devices (e.g. Samsung Galaxy S8 running Android 8/9), but it fails on a Pixel 10 Pro running Android 16.

Process:

  • I factory reset the Pixel.
  • At the welcome screen, I scan a QR provisioning code.
  • The QR downloads my signed APK, installs it, and should activate it as the Device Owner.

Problem:

  • On Android 16, the app is installed but Device Owner is not activated.
  • In Settings > Device Admin, my app is listed, but the toggle is off.
  • My MyDeviceAdminReceiver never fires — I see no provisioning broadcast (PROVISIONING_COMPLETE or PROVISIONING_SUCCESSFUL) and no debug logs.



Here is my provisioning json as a starter - juyst in case I am doing something stupid!!

{ "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_MODE": "device_owner", "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_DEVICE_ADMIN_COMPONENT_NAME": "com.xxxx.yyyy/.MyDeviceAdminReceiver", "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_DEVICE_ADMIN_PACKAGE_DOWNLOAD_LOCATION": "https://test.app.com/app-release.apk", "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_DEVICE_ADMIN_PACKAGE_CHECKSUM": "rePWsxWwsW2wycUDiE_hVHSczS3qaJIdk7fnzDMPDV0", "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_LEAVE_ALL_SYSTEM_APPS_ENABLED": false, "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_SHOULD_LAUNCH_RESULT_INTENT": true, "android.app.extra.PROVISIONING_ADMIN_EXTRAS_BUNDLE": { "provision_token": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx......." } }

 

3 replies

jeremy
jeremy
Level 1.6: Donut
September 19, 2025

Have you tried enabling it with adb afterwards to see if you see any logs/issues when doing so?

    Emilie_B
    Emilie_B
    Former Community Manager
    September 23, 2025

    Hi @mauriceatkinson and welcome! 

     

    I've consulted our team and this is what they said:

     

    Based on the information you've provided, it sounds like the issue you are experiencing is a direct result of increased security on newer Android versions. On Android 16, the system is much stricter about granting Device Owner privileges.

     

    Your app, while installed via QR code, is not being provisioned in a way that the system now trusts. On older devices, a simple QR code was enough. However, on Android 16, the OS requires a stronger method of trust before it will activate an app as the Device Owner.

     

    Since Android 10, the required method for new enterprise enrolments is to use a QR code that points to the Android Management API.

     

    Here’s a guide on how to get started with the Android Management API

     

    While we do not provide development advisory, all questions related to AMAPI and EMM development should go to Stack Overflow under 'android-management-api' tag, where we have a dedicated team of experts that will help with this topic.

     

    Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

     

    Chat soon, 

    Emilie 

    mauriceatkinson
    mauriceatkinsonAuthor
    New Member
    May 21, 2026

    Thanks ​@Emilie_B.  I have built my parental control and safeguarding app and it is now tamper proof which means children cannot uninstall or bypass it.  I have overlayed an educational AI chat bot, provided controls for doom scrolling, provided controls to monitor apps for key words and phrases to immediatly inform parents if their child is having inappropriate discussions.  This is along with the usual screen time, app controls and location tracking.  Imagine my fustration when I applied for more that 500 amapi devices to be told that Google does not see parental controls as a valid business case for amapi.  Why is Google not allowing its technology to be used to address one of the most pressing issues in the world?  I am at a loss as to why when Google has provoided this technology to all major corporations that it is saying it cannot be used by parents?  I have built an MDM explictly for parents and Google is saying it cannot be used.  Does anybody have any idea as to why Google refuses amapi to be used for parental controls.  I have been through their documentation and policies but have not found anything that explictly states it cannot be used.  I may be missing something but I am amazaed that Google cannot see parental controls via amapi as a major breakthrough in allowing parents to control their childs device.

    jasonbayton
    jasonbayton
    Level: 4.1: Jelly bean
    May 22, 2026

    Google will usually point back to their family link option as *the* parental control offering they support.

     

    In terms of the documentation, their permissible use page explicitly calls out monitoring outside of enterprise management. You can’t really have a parental control app that doesn’t monitor the user, as that’s the fundamental USP for it.


    > Solutions developed exclusively for the purpose of device or user monitoring, fingerprinting, or eavesdropping, independent of enterprise management. Source.

     

    Normally I’d have suggested switching to a custom DPC, however more recently these rules were applied to that, also

     

    Which leaves you effectively abusing special permissions and working around the limitations these rules impose for family management, which I agree is detrimental to the ecosystem compared to embracing the use case and carefully guiding it through the device owner management route; no one will stop developing this given the demand simply because one avenue becomes untenable..

     

    cc ​@Kirk for feedback.

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