Apps@Work in Mobile@Work for Android

Apps@Work enables device users to view, install, update, reinstall, and search for the apps made available to them by the MobileIron Core administrator. On Android, Apps@Work is available to users as a menu item in the Mobile@Work app. Apps@Work authenticates to MobileIron Core using either certificate authentication or token-based authentication.

Apps@Work displays the apps that you make available to the device through labels. In the Admin Portal, you assign an app to one or more labels. A device that is assigned to the same label as the app will have access to that app in Apps@Work.

Within Apps@Work, apps are organized into the Featured and Category tabs. If you have enabled ratings and reviews, the device user sees reviews, and can rate apps and write reviews. You can choose apps to be displayed as Featured Apps in the Apps@Work home screen.

Apps@Work for Android authentication to MobileIron Core

You determine whether Apps@Work authenticates to MobileIron Core using:

  • Token authentication - Apps@Work uses a token to authenticate to Core. Core sends Mobile@Work the token when Mobile@Work registers with Core.

  • Certificate authentication - Apps@Work authenticates to Core using an identity certificate.

    This certificate is specified by the certificate enrollment setting in the mutual authentication setting in the Admin Portal at Settings > System Settings > Security > Certificate Authentication.

    Using certificate authentication for Apps@Work on Android devices requires:

    • mutual authentication is enabled on Core.
    • the device is running Mobile@Work 10.2.0.0 through the most recently released version as supported by MobileIron.
    • the device is running Android 5.0 through the most recently released version as supported by MobileIron.

Note The Following:  

  • If certificate authentication is selected, but some of the requirements for certificate authentication are not met, token-based authentication is used.
  • If certificate authentication is selected, and all of the requirements for certificate authentication are met, if the authentication fails for some reason, the device user cannot use Apps@Work. There is no fallback to using token-based authentication in this case.
  • By default, certificate authentication is selected.

Related topics 

Configuring Apps@Work for Android authentication to MobileIron Core

To configure how Apps@Work authenticates to MobileIron Core:

Procedure 

  1. In the Admin Portal, go to Apps > Apps@Work Settings.

  2. To enable certificate authentication to Core, in the App Storefront Authentication box, select Certificate Authentication.

    Note that requirements for using certificate authentication are listed in Apps@Work for Android authentication to MobileIron Core. If any of these requirements are not met, Apps@Work uses token-based authentication to authenticate to Core, even when Certificate Authentication is selected.

  3. To disable certificate authentication to Core, and use only token-based authentication, in the App Storefront Authentication box, deselect Certificate Authentication.

    Note that deselecting certificate authentication also means that Apps@Work on iOS devices does not use certificate authentication.

Related topics 

Adding apps to Apps@Work for Android devices

Apps in the App Catalog must be assigned to one or more labels to be available in Apps@Work on the devices.

Procedure 

  1. In the Admin Portal, select Apps > App Catalog.
  2. Select Android from the Platform list.
  3. Select the app you want to work with.
  4. Click Actions > Apply to Label.
  5. Select the label that represents the Android devices on which you want the selected app to be listed.
  6. If, during the installation of the selected app, the Enforce this version for Mandatory Apps field was selected (checked), the Apply to Label dialog box will display Yes in the Mandatory field. Otherwise, the Mandatory field displays No.

  7. Click Apply.

    To set the prerequisite app for a dependent app, see App management action workflows.

Device user experience of Apps@Work on an Android device

The device user taps Apps@Work on the menu in Mobile@Work to access the app store. Apps@Work organizes the apps under three main tabs:

  • Featured tab
    • The featured screen lists all apps that are designated as featured apps by the administrator.
  • Categories tab
    • An app can be listed under Featured as well as under multiple categories.
    • Uncategorized apps are displayed under Uncategorized in the Categories tab.
    • Only categories that have at least one app are displayed.
    • Categories are defined by administrators as they add apps in the App Catalog in Core.
  • Updates tab
    • When a user’s device checks in, the Update tab displays a badge number indicating the number of in-house and public app updates available for the device user to download. Once the user updates the apps, the badge number will disappear on next device check-in.

Apps are listed in alphabetical order.

Notification of newly-published apps

When a featured app or an update to an installed app is published to device users, those users receive a notification in the form of a badge that appears next to the appropriate app list. The number on the badge indicates the number of apps available.

If the user deletes a published app, that app will not become available for reinstalling again until the next sync interval causes MobileIron Core to be updated. You can address device user concerns by using the Force Device Check-In command to force Mobile@Work to update Core.

App details in Apps@Work on an Android device

Tap the app to view its details screen. If the administrator enabled ratings and reviews, tap the Reviews tab to read reviews, or write a review if you have already installed the app.

One of the following buttons appears on the details screen:

  • View: takes you to view or install the app in the Google Play Store.
  • Install: installs the app.
  • Reinstall: downloads and reinstalls the app.
  • Open: launches the app.

Searching for an app in Apps@Work on an Android device

Tap the search icon on the title bar to initiate a search within Apps@Work. Type any part of an app’s name and tap the return key. The search results are displayed. Tap Cancel next to the search text entry box to exit search mode.

Localized Apps@Work on an Android device

Apps@Work is available translated to the languages supported by Mobile@Work. The text and messages in Apps@Work appear in the device’s local language when the language is enabled in the MobileIron Core language preferences.

To enable languages in the MobileIron Core Admin Portal:

  1. Go to Settings > System Settings > General > Language.
  2. In the Language section, select the desired languages.
  3. Click the right arrow to move the selection to Enabled Languages.