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Silent notification of in-house app on Android

JK
James Knight

I've been grappling with this issue for some time, and have posted about it before but I'm starting a fresh thread as suggested by Soti and following confirmation from them that this is an Android OS issue which cannot be fixed by Soti.

The issue is that in-house apps cannot be successfully deployed to Android devices automatically, when using BYOD or COPE profiles.

In work managed enrolments, updates to the in-house app deploy seamlessly without problem.

In work profile (BYOD) and COPE enrolments, MobiControl attempts to deploy the app but Android requires user permission, and no notification or request is displayed. A silent notification does appear in the notification tray if the user looks for it, but they need to seek it within 30 minutes of the update being pushed out, otherwise MobiControl abandons the update attempt.

I would have expected that, with a COPE (company owned, personal profile) device, the app deployment would be automatic, and that with a BYOD profile the user would be asked for permission to update. But the actual behaviour is the same with both BYOD and COPE profiles, and requires each user to be personally asked to deploy the update within 30 minutes. There are no notifications displayed under any circumstances.

The behaviour is the same regardless of whether deploying the app via an app policy or a profile.

It is also the case that, in order even to get to this point, the "Allow installation of apps from unknown sources" permission must be given to MobiControl in the work profile (undocumented), AND a similar permission must be expressly enabled in the Restrictions -> Security section of the device profile on the MobiControl server.

After 10 months of troubleshooting, Soti have finally told me that this is the 'expected behaviour' according to Google.

Has anyone else experience this and, more importantly, found a way to work around it?

Thank you

James

MobiControl server 15.6.3.1018

Work Profile byod cope
a year ago
SOTI MobiControl
ANSWERS
RC
Raymond Chan Diamond Contributor
a year ago

If there is really such SILENT notification issue which you currently need to personally ask each end user to grant manually within 30 minutes on their work-profile/COPE devices, then have you considered adding pre-script or post-script in .pcg package deploying this inhouse app such that some explicit messages pop up on the device screen to remind user where/how to grant the permission(s).?

JK
James Knight
a year ago

Thanks Raymond

Please can we work on the assumption that I'm not making this up, and that there is a genuine issue which SOTI have been unable to resolve for the past 10 months.

I can't see how adding pre-script or post-script in the package could help, because the package isn't being installed/executed in the first place. 

What happens is this:

1. I deploy an updated package to MobiControl
2. MobiControl pushes the update to devices
3. Work managed devices accept the update without a hitch
4. Work profile (BYOD and COPE) devices DO NOT accept the update and instead create a silent Android notification which the user does not see (unless I ask them individually to look for it). The silent notification tells them that there is an update available and asks if they want to install it.
5. If they see this notification within 30 minutes and accept it, the update is successfully installed.
6. If they do not, then MobiControl gives up.

To be clear, according to Soti, this is an Android OS issue, a deliberate policy to give users control over what is installed on their devices. It seems that, no matter how I configure the settings for the user, there is no way of either a) bypassing the notification or b) making the notification non-silent.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has experienced this issue and found a way to work around it.

Thank you 

P
PMMOD@SOTI
a year ago

Hi James Knight,

Thank you for your post on SOTI Pulse

Apologies for the inconvenience caused by not being able to provide a solution to your issue. Could you please share the SOTI case reference number with us? We will promptly investigate and provide you with the necessary information.

Please let us know so we can proceed further accordingly.

JK
James Knight
a year ago

Hi Pavan

Cases C00733849 and C00668680

Thanks & kind regards

James

P
PMMOD@SOTI
a year ago

Hi James Knight,

Thank you for your post on SOTI Pulse

Apologies for the delay in response. After analyzing the mentioned cases, we have raised a Feature Request (MC-243392) for your issue. Our team is currently checking the feasibility of your concern. If you require urgent support on this issue, we can reopen the case and start working on it immediately.

Please let us know so we can proceed further accordingly.

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