To distribute apps from the Apple App Store, you need to create an App Store App bundle and assign these bundles to users or devices. On distributing the bundle to the device, the device will connect with the Apple store and install the app on the device.
Ensure that the device has an iTunes account in place, so that the iOS devices to which these bundles are distributed, can receive and install the apps.
Creating an iOS bundle involves choosing the app to be installed from the Apple App Store. For this, you need to use ZCC of an MDM Server or any other server that has outbound connectivity.
On the Modern Management > Getting Started > Managing iOS/iPadOS Devices, navigate to the Deploy Applications section and click Create Bundles. Alternatively, from the left hand side navigation pane of ZCC, click Bundles > New > Bundle.
On the Select Bundle Type page, click iOS/iPadOS Bundle.
On the Select Bundle Category page, click App Store App.
On the Define Details page, specify a name for the bundle, select the folder in which to place the bundle, then click Next.
On the Search iOS App page:
Specify the following information to search for an app from the Apple store:
Search for: You can search the app by specifying the app name, publisher name, or App description.
Region: Select the country. The app is displayed only if it is available in the specified country.
Compatibility: Select a device such as iPhone, iPad, or All Devices. Apps that are compatible with these devices are displayed in the search results.
NOTE:You can search and create bundles only for apps that have no cost associated with it.
Click Search to view the search result.
(Optional) Click Reset to clear the search and search result.
Specify a filter to further narrow down the app results in the search results. The search result displays the following:
Bundle Name: The application name. Mouse over the icon to view the app description.
Publisher: The app publisher name.
Cost: The cost associated with the app.
Size: Size of the app (KB, MB, or GB).
Devices: Displays whether the app is compatible on iPhone, iPad or both.
NOTE:Sorting is supported on the Name, Publisher, Cost, and Size columns.
Select an app. Click Next.
On the Bundle Details page, the following details are displayed. View or specify the relevant details and click Next.
Name: Displays the default name of the app. You can edit the app name.
Folder: Displays the default folder in which the bundle will be created. You can edit the folder location by clicking the search icon.
Description: Specify a description for the new bundle. Alternatively, you can select Use App Description, which will populate the default description of the app as displayed in the App Store.
App Details: The App Details page displays additional information on the chosen app:
Publisher: The name of the entity that has published the app.
Size: The size of the app.
Categories: The App Store categories in which the app is included. For example: Games, Education, Business.
iTunes Store ID: The App Store ID which is linked to the App Store. Click the ID to view the app in the iTunes Store.
Cost: The cost associated with the app.
App Region: The country associated with the app.
Device Compatibility: The supported devices that can run the app.
OS version compatibility: The supported operating system versions of iOS.
Supported Languages: The supported languages for the app.
On the App Settings page, you can configure additional settings for the app:
Allow ZENworks to take ownership of the app, if the app is already installed on the device: If the app is already installed on the device, this option allows ZENworks to manage the app on the device. If this option is selected, then the ownership will be retained by ZENworks even if it is unchecked in the subsequent versions of the bundle.
Retain app on the device if the bundle is deleted or unassigned, or if the device is removed from the zone: Retains the app on the device if the bundle is deleted, unassigned, blocked, or disabled, or if the device is removed from the zone. Subsequently, ZENworks will no longer manage the app on the device.
Prevent backup of app data to iCloud: Prevents the app data from getting synced with iCloud. You will not be able to retrieve the app data if the device has unenrolled from the ZENworks Management Zone.
Create Sandbox: Creates a Sandbox-only version of the bundle. A Sandbox version of a bundle enables you to test it on your device before actually deploying it.
Click Finish to complete the activity.
You can continue to assign this bundle to an iOS device. For more information, see Assigning Bundles.