Ignoring the auto-lock time

An Ivanti server administrator can specify that a particular secure app is allowed to ignore the auto-lock time. Ignoring the auto-lock time is important for apps in which staying on a screen is critical. The auto-lock time specifies the length of a period of inactivity. After this period of inactivity, the device user is prompted to reenter his secure apps passcode to continue accessing secure apps. This interruption to the app is sometimes not acceptable.

For example, in a navigation app, the device user taps the screen only infrequently, but the screen must continue displaying. Therefore, the app is designed to ignore the Android screen timeout setting, which turns off the screen after a period of time.

Such an app also requires that when the auto-lock time expires, the app’s screen continues displaying. The normal behavior of having the Secure Apps Manager prompt for the secure apps passcode is not compatible with the app’s functionality.

Ivanti server configuration

The Ivanti server administrator configures whether an app is allowed to ignore the auto-lock time in the app’s app-specific configuration on the server’s Admin Portal. The administrator creates a special key-value pair that turns on the feature. The key is AC_IGNORE_AUTO_LOCK_ALLOWED with the value to true.

The AppConnect wrapper around your app handles this key-value pair. Your app does not receive the key-value pair.

App requirements

If the administrator allows your app to ignore the auto-lock time, a screen continues to display uninterrupted only if one of the following are true:

  • The app has set the KEEP_SCREEN_ON flag to true for the android.view object.
  • The android:keep_screen_on element is set to true in the app’s layout XML file.
  • The app has set the FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON flag to true in the android.view.WindowManager.LayoutParams class.

IMPORTANT: Your app’s documentation must indicate that it requires the Ivanti server administrator to allow your app to ignore the auto-lock time. Explain to the administrator the compelling reasons for ignoring the auto-lock time.