Configuring Android applications for silent install

Please note: Silently installing Android applications requires that your organisation be set up to use Enterprise Mobility Management.

Google Play Store Applications

1. Navigate to Applications

2. Click on the Android button

3. Search for your deserved application on the Mobile Guardian dashboard

4. On the drop down list, select Application Search

5. Enter the desired application in the search box displayed and hit the Search button. From the search list, select your desired app by clicking the + symbol just beside the app.

6. Next click on the Add button at the bottom of the pop up. If you cannot see the Add button, please scroll down.

7. Your app will now appear on the app list. Click the edit button (pencil icon) to the right of your app details. 

Click on the Settings Tab. Then on the next screen, approve your application by clicking the APPROVE button.

8. On the pop up screen, please choose how you will like to handle new permission request. Then click on APPROVE button.

9. Once you get a confirmation that the app has been approved for your enterprise, you can allow the app for school owned and home owned devices. You can also set these for Self install settings.

10. Click on the Save Changes button at the bottom right of the screen. Once saved, click on the Devices tab.

From the Devices tab, you can see the list of all the devices that are eligible for auto install/silent install of the application. This can be done in 4 ways

1. When a sync occurs, the application gets silently installed on all the devices listed.
   
2. Click on the Re-Push to All button if you want to redistribute the app silently to all the qualifying devices listed.
3. Click on the Push to Missing button if you only want to silently install on all devices that do not have the app installed on them.
4. Click on the Install icon to the right of each device name to install silently on that specific device.

Android Private Applications

Prerequisite: Please ensure you add your Enterprise id to the private app’s list of allowed enterprise (This can be done by your Android developer). Once this is completed, you will be able to search for it on The Mobile Guardian EMM console.

You can follow the same process as above to install private applications.

Please Note: Loading of APK's that aren't uploaded to Google Play could be considered malicious behaviour and should be avoided if at all possible. The only way to silently install APK's on the device is to root it which is not recommended.

APK's can be installed manually by creating an enterprise application configuration via the Mobile Guardian dashboard which would be available via the "My Catalogue" menu item in the Mobile Guardian Android application. The device user would still be required to enable "Unknown sources" from their device settings.

The recommended option for silently installing applications is to register for a Google Developer account. This requires a one-time fee of $25 (USD) for a lifetime licence. Publishing of Free apps (including Private free apps) is free. To read more about this please see Publish private apps from the Play Console.