With Endpoint Central, you can define certain rules based on which apps will be updated. This can be done by setting up a 'policy' for all apps, only store apps, or selected apps. This specific schedule can also be set to update apps at a certain date, time, and even during a time span/interval.
For Store apps, you can choose to update apps immediately, once the product collects them from the App Store or Play Store; or at a convenient/preferred deployment time. More about these options are explained in this section. For Enterprise apps, you can choose when the update should be deployed to devices.
Note:
Updates pushed through app update policy are always given high priority bypassing the constraints i.e. updates pushed by the IT Admin from the product console don't obey the Google's app update constraints. In order to push high priority updates only after IT Admin's approval, the same can be configured via app update policies.
Note: i)If you are unable to view the app(s) you require, check the availability in the App Repository and try again. ii)The section below (Approving app updates) is applicable only for Store App updates. If you want to set up the policy only for Enterprise apps, jump to this section.
Admins can choose how Store app updates should be approved. This depends on the requirements of your organization and the importance of the devices. You can either automatically approve Store apps, or choose to approve them manually.
Note: Owing to certain constraints from Google, Mobile Device Manager Plus can only retain Play Store app updates for 90 days. After this duration, Play Store will automatically distribute the updates to Android devices. You can read more about Play Store's conditions here.
Now that you've decided how to approve updates for a certain category of apps, it's time to select how to distribute the updates. This is applicable for both Store and Enterprise apps. You can choose to distribute app updates either Immediately or at a Preferred Time.
Similarly, qualify the ideal options to suit your enterprise's app management workflows and then set up policies for different scenarios. Or if you need to set up a policy for your test devices, you can schedule it to be during your working hours, and with the 'Immediately' option configured. This can help you immediately receive the updates and test them out at once.
Each option available in the window is explained in the section below:
Note: Apps that are added via Managed Google Play (previously known as Android For Work) cannot be updated using the 'Weekly' option. These apps will be updated on a Daily basis, based on the Preferred Time.
Endpoint Central will distribute the updates to the devices from the entered Start Time to the End Time. The time interval should be a minimum of 3 hours. Ex: If you have set the Start Time as 6:30, the End Time should be 9.30 or later.
The product server will not initiate app update distribution after the specified End Time, to avoid confusions and unforeseen challenges. If at all the update does not get distributed to the device due to connectivity issues, the server will re-try distributing the update only on the next set Day/Time.
Example, You have distributed an update for Zoho Creator to a Group of devices. Device A had a network issue and did not receive the update. The policy you've configured has 'Daily' as the App Update Frequency with 8:30 - 11:30 as the Preferred Deployment Time. The Endpoint Central server will re-distribute the app update to Device A on the next day, during 8:30 to 11:30.
Setting up multiple scheduled windows for the same device is not supported for Managed Google Play (AFW) apps. In cases where there are multiple scheduled windows configured for the same device, Endpoint Central will distribute all apps mentioned in all the policies at the earliest time. (Earliest time mentioned in the windows)
You can apply created app policies to both User Groups and Device Groups. The devices present in the selected Group(s) will receive app updates as per the policy you have configured.
Follow the steps below to associate an app update policy with Groups:
The app update policy will be associated with to the Group(s) selected.
You can associate an app update policy to multiple Groups. If different app update policies are associated with a Group, Endpoint Central will allow this, however with a few constraints to handle the variations between the policies.
Learn more about conflicts in policies, how they may occur, and how these are handled by Endpoint Central.
To fetch the Store app updates from the respective stores, Endpoint Central automatically initiates a sync with the App Store, Play Store and Windows Business Store.This Sync takes place once every 24 hours.
However, if you want to check for app updates immediately, you can manually initiate a sync by using the Sync Apps option in the App Repository. You can choose to carry out an individual sync to Sync App Store apps, Sync Play Store apps, and Sync Windows Business Store apps.
Once an app update policy is modified, we will automatically apply the modified policy to the associated devices. You do not need to re-associate the modified policy.
Follow the steps below to modify settings on an app update policy:
To stop the automation of app updates from certain Groups, the policy needs to be disassociated from the required Groups.
Follow the steps given below
The policy will be removed from the Group. The Devices in this Group will not receive app updates based on the policy.
Note: Disassociating the policy only removes it from the selected Group. The policy will still be available on the Endpoint Central console.
Note: Ensure that you Disassociate Groups from the policy which needs to be deleted. Endpoint Central will not permit policy deletion if there are still Groups associated with the policy.
When a policy deleted, it is permanently removed from the Endpoint Central server and cannot be restored. The Group(s) which had been associated with the policy will not receive app updates based on the deleted policy's schedule. Follow the steps below to delete an app update policy:
The selected policy will be deleted permanently from the product console.
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