SkieWhat if another app is already the device owner?
Android allows only one device owner at a time, so provisioning Skie fails if another management app already holds the role. The fix is to remove that app's ownership, usually through its own console, and then factory reset the device. After the reset, skip the Google account and provision Skie.
A device that used to belong to another programme can still carry another MDM or a kiosk app as its device owner. Android allows exactly one. Skie cannot take the role from it, and neither can any other app, which is the point of the design.
The cleanest path has two steps. If you still have access to the old console, release or retire the device there first, because a clean release is better than leaving a stale record. Then factory reset the device. A reset clears the owner, so the device returns to a first-boot state.
If the old console is gone, the reset is still the answer on most devices. A device that came with a locked company enrolment from a previous employer or reseller may ask for that organisation's Google account after the reset. That is Android's Factory Reset Protection doing its job, and only the previous owner can clear it. If you are buying second-hand tablets, ask for proof that they have been released.
After a successful reset, the usual rules apply. Skip the Google account, turn on USB debugging if you provision from a laptop, and run the command from a new token. The Provision app shows the stage where it stopped and why.
Practical tip: when buying used or donated devices, test one before buying fifty. See why a Google account must be skipped and Factory Reset Protection after a reset.
- Only one device owner is allowed
- Release it in the old console if you can
- Then factory reset the device
- Check second-hand devices for reset protection