Troubleshooting Error: Unable to Invite User to App Store License Account Due to Disabled App Store

When attempting to push an app onto a device, the following error appears in the device logs on the Web Console:

"Failed to invite the user to the App Store License account because the App Store is disabled. Please remove this restriction from the Feature Control payload and try again."

This error indicates that the App Store restriction is enabled in the Feature Control settings, preventing the app from being pushed to the device.

This issue occurs on iOS devices when an app is pushed but fails to appear on the device. It can happen regardless of whether a Feature Control configuration is applied. Although the error message references the Feature Control payload, the problem is not limited to that configuration.

This issue can be caused by several factors, including restrictions set by Feature Control, Application Run Control, Apple Business Manager Licensing, and App Policy configurations.

Follow these troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:

Feature Control

Verify that the relevant toggles in Feature Control are correctly configured to allow the App Store and app installations.

Application Run Control

If an Application Run Control configuration is applied to the device profile, ensure that necessary apps are not blacklisted or excluded from the whitelist. According to SOTI MobiControl Help: “Whitelisted applications are allowed to run on a device while all other applications not specified on the whitelist are blocked from running.”

To troubleshoot:

1. Remove the Application Run Control configuration temporarily and try pushing the app to see if the issue is resolved.
2. If a whitelist is in use, confirm that the missing app is included on the whitelist.

App Policy

Check the Assignment Type in the applied App Policy. Setting this to Device Based assigns licenses directly to the device rather than the Apple ID. 

To update this setting:

1.Navigate to App Policy > Apps tab.

2. Select the three dots next to the app and select Configure.

3. Under Installation Options, enable Licensing and set Assignment Type to Device Based.

Apple Business Manager

Ensure that if Licensing is enabled, the Apple Business Manager account has enough licenses available.

To verify:

1. Go to Global Settings > App Store License Management.

2. Select the three dots next to the relevant account and select Edit.
   

3. Scroll down to review licensing information for the app in question.
   

Following these steps should help resolve the issue with apps failing to appear on iOS devices.