Custom keyboards in AppConnect apps

Device users often install and use third-party custom keyboards rather than the pre-installed keyboards on a device. When used in AppConnect apps, custom keyboards have the potential to leak sensitive data. Therefore, you can:

  • Disable the use of all custom keyboards in AppConnect apps.

    This action means that if any custom keyboard is enabled on the device, even if it is not currently the default keyboard, the device user cannot access AppConnect apps.

  • Disable the use of all custom keyboards in AppConnect apps except for the keyboards that you specify in a whitelist.

    This action means that the device user can access AppConnect apps only if the custom keyboards on the whitelist and the pre-installed keyboards are enabled. If any other custom keyboard is enabled on the device, even if it is not currently the default keyboard, the device user cannot access AppConnect apps.

To disable custom keyboards and set up a whitelist, add the following key-value pair

  • Key: MI_DISABLE_CUSTOM_KEYBOARD
  • Value: true

To allow only certain custom keyboards, add the following key-value pair:

  • Key: MI_CUSTOM_KEYBOARD_WHITELIST

  • Value: Package names of the whitelisted keyboard apps, separated by semi-colons.

    Example  

    com.touchtype.swiftkey;com.google.android.inputmethod.latin;com.syntellia.fleksy.keyboard

You add the key-value pair:

  • For MobileIron Core deployments, on the AppConnect app configuration for Secure Apps Manager.

Note the following:

  • These actions have no impact on keyboard use in the Secure Apps Manager.

  • When using this feature, even when the default keyboard is not one of the unallowed keyboards, if any non-whitelisted, custom keyboards are enabled, the device user cannot access AppConnect apps. Therefore, instruct your device users to disable non-whitelisted custom keyboards to access AppConnect apps.

    In the device’s Settings, in for example General Management > Language and input, device users can:

    • View the pre-installed keyboards and the custom keyboards that they have installed.

    • Manage the custom keyboards, which involves disabling or enabling them.

    • Choose the default keyboard from the set of enabled custom keyboards and pre-installed keyboards.