How to perform Android OS upgrades on enrolled devices (Android 14 to 15/16)

Question

I'm managing multiple Pixel devices using Headwind MDM with two configurations:

• "Kiosk Pixel" - locked down kiosk mode for our custom application.
• "Background (Agent) Mode" - for maintenance purposes 

Our devices came with Android 14 pre-installed, but we need to upgrade to Android 15/16. However, when I switch devices to the maintenance configuration and navigate to Settings > System > Software updates, I get the message "System software update of this device is controlled by your organisation."

I've tried:

1. Setting System Update to "Immediately" in Common Settings
2. Enabling "Permissive (unlocked) mode" in MDM Settings
3. Removing most restrictions from the maintenance configuration
4. Various push message commands

None of these allow manual OS upgrades. The only option seems to be factory resetting devices, updating during setup, then re-enrolling.

Questions:

1. Is there a way to enable Android OS upgrades (not just security patches) on enrolled devices?
2. Does the device owner enrollment type fundamentally block major OS upgrades?
3. Are there any configuration settings or API calls that would allow OS upgrades without factory reset?

We have many devices to manage, so factory resetting each one is time-consuming. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Environment: Pixel devices, Android 14, Headwind MDM 5.19, Device Owner enrollment via QR code

Answer 1

Headwind MDM manages the policy of system updates, so the system applies updates itself. Setting the "System update" to "Immediately" should let system install all update s automatically.

Probably your devices do not support update to Android 15/16?

To switch updates to the manual mode, set the "System update" to "Default". This will turn off managing the update policy by MDM.