22.6 Distributing Android Apps

ZENworks lets you distribute Android work apps to Android devices enrolled in the work-managed or work profile modes. ZENworks distributes work apps to users through managed Google Play, which is Android’s app management platform for enterprise users. Subsequently, all app licenses are managed by ZENworks through managed Google Play.

ZENworks also lets you distribute the System App bundles and Android Enterprise App bundles to enable or disable apps on Android devices.

22.6.1 Approving Apps in Google Play

NOTE:The Approving Apps feature is not applicable if you are using ZENworks 2020 Update 2 - FTF 1008 and above.

After creating an Android Enterprise Subscription in ZCC, visit managed Google Play to approve apps for distribution. For more information on creating an Android Enterprise Subscription, see Enrolling the Organization to Android Enterprise.

The type of apps that are made available for distribution are:

Public Apps: : Available to the general public in Google Play.
Private Apps: : Customized apps developed for specific enterprise customers. These apps are of two types; Google-hosted private apps and Self-hosted private apps. For more information, see https://developers.google.com/android/work/distribute.

For more information on approving apps, see the managed Google Play Help Center.

As soon as the apps are approved in managed Google Play, ZENworks identifies these apps and populates them in ZCC. Simultaneously, bundles are created for these apps within the Android Enterprise Subscription folder, thereby enabling you to distribute the apps to users and devices. You can view these apps in the Apps Catalog page.

For more information on assigning Android bundles, see Assigning Android bundles.

22.6.2 Distributing System Apps

ZENworks lets you distribute bundles to enable or disable System Apps on Android devices. To distribute these apps:

In ZENworks Control Center, click Bundles.
In the Bundles page, click New, and then select Bundles.
In the Select Bundle type page, select Android Bundle, and then select System Apps.
Specify the bundle details, and then click Next.
On the Specify System App Details page, click Add to search or specify the details of the System App that you want to enable. This page lets you specify multiple system apps. If a system app that is already enabled on the device, is not a part of the System App bundles assigned to the device, then the app will be disabled on the device. However, this does not apply to the Google Play Store and the ZENworks Agent app, which will continue to remain enabled. Therefore, ensure that you include all the critical system apps in the bundle for the devices to function effectively.

To add a system app, you can chose from either of the following options:
- Specify app Package ID: Select this option to specify the exact package ID in the Package ID field. For example: if you want to install the Google Search app, then specify the package ID as com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox. After specifying the package ID, the App Name is automatically populated.
- Search app from ZENworks Inventory: Select this option to search for the system app based on the Package ID, App Name or Device Manufacturer. Based on your search criteria, the system apps present in the inventory data are listed and you can select one or more apps from this list
Click Finish to complete creating the bundle.

IMPORTANT:When you assign an Android System App bundle to the device, only the system apps defined in the bundle are enabled, and the default system apps that are available on the device will be disabled. If the System App bundle is removed or unassigned, then the default system apps are not restored on the device and the apps enabled through the bundle are also disabled. Hence, once you assign a System App bundle to a device, ensure that the bundle is always assigned to the device so that the relevant system apps are available on the device.

Let us assume that the Gmail app is hidden after assigning or unassigning the system app bundle, then for such apps, an administrator has to add the package name in the system app bundle. After the bundle flows down to the device, it will unhide the app and users can use the app.

For more information on assigning Android bundles, see Assigning Android bundles.

22.6.3 Distributing Android Enterprise Apps

NOTE:The Android Enterprise Bundle is available only if you are using ZENworks 2020 Update 2 - FTF 1008 and above.

To distribute apps from the Google Play Store, you need to create an Android Enterprise App bundle and assign these bundles to users or devices. On assigning the bundle to a mobile device, the assigned app will be distributed to the device based on the assignment schedule.:

In ZENworks Control Center, click Bundles.
In the Bundles page, click New, and then select Bundles.
In the Select Bundle type page, select Android Bundle, and then select Android Enterprise App.
Specify the bundle details, and then click Next.
On the Search for an App in Google Play Store page.
- Specify the app name in the search field and click the Search icon.
- Choose the app. You can view additional details of the app on this page.
- Click Select and then click Next.
Click Select and then click Next.

The bundle details page displays additional information about the new bundle. Review the information on this page and proceed further.

The following details of the new bundle are displayed:
- Bundle Name: Displays the default name of the app; however, 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 browse icon.
- Description: Displays the default description of the app as displayed in the Google Play Store.
The App Details Panel displays additional information about the app. The name of the app and the publisher is displayed along with the following information:
- Android Package Name: Unique identifier of the app in Google Play Store. On clicking this link, you will be directed to the app’s page on the Google Play Store.
- App version, Track: All the published app versions along with the track that indicates whether the app is published in the Alpha, Beta or Production version.
- Categories: Google Play Store categories in which the app is included. For example, Games, Education, and Business.
- Distribution channel: Android apps can be published as public apps.
- Cost: Cost associated with the app.
- Content rating: The rating of the app content that is provided by the rating authority, which denotes for what type of audience the app is suitable. The possible values are All, Mature, PreTeen, and Teen.
- Last published on: The timestamp to indicate when the app was last published.
You can configure additional settings of the app, before creating a bundle:
- Create as Sandbox: (Optional) Select the Create as Sandbox option to create a sandbox-only version of the bundle. A Sandbox version of a bundle enables you to test it on your device before deploying it.
- Define Additional Properties: (Optional) Select the Define Additional Properties option to display the bundle’s Action page after the wizard completes. You can use the various tabs to edit the bundle’s assignments, system requirements, actions, settings, and content replication settings.
Click Finish to complete creating the bundle.

22.6.4 Updating Android Apps

NOTE:The option to update Android apps is only available if you are using ZENworks 2020 Update 2 - FTF 1008 and above.

Based on the schedule selected while creating the Android Enterprise Subscription, ZENworks syncs with Google to retrieve the latest apps. However, irrespective of the schedule selected, ZENworks automatically syncs with Google on a daily basis to retrieve the latest apps. Bundles are not created for any newly purchased apps during this sync.

You can also initiate this sync immediately by performing either of the following:

Click Run Now by navigating to Subscribe and Share > Quick Tasks > Run Now or by navigating to the Summary page of the subscription.
Click on the App Catalog page.