Adding a public app for Android

You can add an Android public app to the App Catalog from the Google Play Store so it can be managed and distributed to enrolled devices . Public apps are free apps that are generally available in the Google Play Store.

About this task

You can search public apps directly from Google Play Store and add them to MaaS360® App Catalog
Note: The apps added through this workflow can be deployed only to Android devices that are enrolled in Device Admin mode. To deploy apps to Android Enterprise devices, see Adding a public app for Android Enterprise

Procedure

  1. From the IBM® MaaS360 Portal home page, select Apps > Catalog.
  2. Click Add, expand the Android section, and then select Google Play App.
    The Add Google Play App window is displayed.
  3. In the iTunes App Store App window, go to the App Details tab and enter the following details.
    Option Description
    App Name The name of the app. When you start typing, MaaS360 automatically populates the entry with the corresponding public apps from the Google Play Store.
    Provide URL (Optional) Provide app details such as Google Play URL and app name manually.
  4. Select the Policies and Distribution tab and enter the following details.
    Option Description
    Remove app on The app is automatically removed in the following scenarios.
    • MDM Control Removal
      When MDM control of a device is ended by the administrator or a user.
    • Selective Wipe
      When a selective wipe is issued to the device.
    • Deletion from portal or stopping Distribution
      When the app is deleted from IBM MaaS360 Portal or distribution to a specific distribution list is stopped.
    • Sign out from Shared Device
      When a user signs out of a shared device. When the user signs back into the device, the app is restored on the device.
    Security Policies The following policies are enforced on the app.
    • Enforce Authentication
      Requires authentication to access the app. Based on authentication type, users are prompted to provide a corporate or local MDM password.
    • Enforce Compliance
      The app cannot be accessed if the device is out of compliance. The Usage data access permission must be enabled on the device for the MaaS360 app to restrict access to the app when the device is in out-of-compliance (OOC). To enable, go to Settings > Usage data access > MaaS360 > Allow usage tracking.
      Note: Samsung, LG (up to Android 9.0), Honeywell, Zebra, Kyocera (up to Android 8.0), Bluebird, and M3 SM10 devices that are enrolled in Device Admin mode do not require the Usage data access access.
    • Feature As Corporate Container
      On the device, the app is displayed in the WorkPlace App section of the Featured tab in the user's App Catalog.
    Distribute to The devices that receive the app. Use the plus icon to add multiple distributions. MaaS360 allows you to distribute an app to devices in the following ways:
    • None: The app is loaded in the App Catalog, but the app is not distributed to devices immediately.
    • Specific Device: The app is loaded in the App Catalog and deployed to a specific device.
    • Group: The app is deployed to a group of devices.
    • All Devices: All devices receive the app.
    MaaS360 supports the following distribution options:
    • Send Email
      Use MaaS360 to send an email to the recipient about the new app.
    • Send Notification
      Use MaaS360 to send a notification to the device when a new app becomes available.