Remote Exit to System Launcher / Device Unlock on Android 15

Question

Hello,

we are using Headwind MDM to manage Android handheld devices in fully managed mode, and we would like to understand whether there is a supported way to remotely exit the MDM environment and return to the system launcher (i.e. fully unlock the device).

Our use case is related to remote support:
we regularly provide assistance via VNC-based remote control tools, and in some scenarios we need to temporarily exit the MDM and access the full system UI.

Starting from Android 15, screens that contain password or credential fields are automatically blacked out during screen sharing, which makes it impossible to complete certain troubleshooting or configuration steps remotely while the device is locked down by MDM.

We have already tested Headwind’s proprietary remote screen-sharing solution. Unfortunately, in our experience it does not meet our operational requirements in terms of stability and usability, so at the moment it is not a viable option for us.

For this reason, we would like to ask:

• Is there a remote command, policy, or API that allows:

  • temporarily exiting to the system launcher, or

  • disabling kiosk / MDM restrictions, or

  • otherwise unlocking the device from Headwind MDM without local user interaction?

If such a feature is not currently available, are there any recommended alternative approaches to achieve this kind of controlled, temporary unlock for remote support scenarios?

Thank you in advance for your guidance.

Answer 1

There are two available options to unlock the device:

1. Send a push message to the device with the “permissiveMode” option. This temporarily disables restrictions for 3 minutes. Please note that this option does not work in kiosk mode. You can send it to a specific device.

2. Enable the “Permissive (unlocked) mode” option in the configuration settings.

You can create a copy of your configuration with the “Permissive (unlocked) mode” option enabled and apply it to a specific device. Please note that this option also does not work in kiosk mode.

For devices operating in kiosk mode, you can temporarily switch them to a configuration where the “Permissive (unlocked) mode” option is enabled.

We are sorry that Headwind Remote didn't meet your expectations. Our users complained big delays in the screencast delivery. If that's your case, let me note that we have recently released a new version where this issue is reliably resolved - the screencast delay never exceeds a few seconds. Please contact the technical support to get a free trial.