How to migrate WearOS device from Device Admin to Device Owner enrollment in SureMDM

Purpose

This article is intended to assist customers in migrating the WearOS device from Device Admin to Device Owner enrollment, which helps to fully manage the WearOS devices from the SureMDM console. 

By default, WearOS devices get enrolled in Device Admin mode, which is a legacy mode of enrollment. Migrating the WearOS device from Device Admin to Device Owner enrollment provides greater control over the devices.

Key benefits

1. Complete Device Control.
2. Silent App Management.
3. Kiosk / Lockdown Mode.
4. Advanced Security Policies.

How to identify if a device is enrolled in Device Admin or Device Owner:

1. The Enrollment Mode in the Device info section will show as Not Supported if it is enrolled as Device Admin.
2. The Enrollment Mode in the Device info section will show as Fully Managed if it is enrolled as Device Admin.

Prerequisites

1. There should be no accounts on the WearOS device. Remove any existing Google accounts if present.
2. ADB tools should be installed on the computer.

Steps

1. Connect the device to ADB by following the steps.

1.1. Developer options should be enabled on the device.

1.2. Open Settings on the WearOS device.

1.3. Go to System → About.

1.4. Tap Build number until it says “You are now a developer”

1.5. Go back to Settings → Developer options.

1.6. Turn on: ADB debugging and Debug over Wi-Fi.

1.7.  In Developer options → Debug over Wi-Fi, note down the IP address along with the

         port number.   

1.8. Launch the ADB tool on the computer. 

1.9. Then run the command: adb connect <watch-ip-address:port number>

1.10. Example: adb connect 162. x.x.x: port number

1.11. You should see: connected to 162.x.x.x:port number

1.12. To confirm the connection, run the command: adb devices 

1.13. It should list the device.

2. Now run the command: adb shell dpm set-device-owner com.nixwear/.NixDeviceAdmin 

2.1. You should see success.

3. Reboot the device.
4. Once the device is rebooted, refresh the device in the console.
5. The Enrollment Mode in the Device info section should show as Fully Managed.

Conclusion

Migrating WearOS devices from Device Admin to Device Owner enables full device management through SureMDM, including advanced security, silent app installation, and kiosk mode. This upgrade ensures better control, enhanced security, and improved device administration.

Need more help? Here’s how to get help from our experts. 

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