With the upcoming release (v8.70) of MaaS360’s Android agent app, a new feature is being introduced that will enhance security and reduce costs for the shared device use case.
Prerequisites:
- The feature is applicable only for Corporate shared, Device owner and for Android 9+ devices.
- Apps distributed with "Install once" or "Retry Installation" will benefit more from this feature.
Settings:
To enable this feature, IT admins need to configure the settings. A representative screenshot is shown below.
Configuration Path : SETUP -> Settings -> App Settings -> Basic -> Apps settings for shared mobile devices
Feature Usage:
Once the configuration is applied to the device, when shared device users sign out, all the distributed apps for that user , as well as all the accounts on the device, will be removed.
- This feature enhances security and helps prevent data leaks.
- For example, if a shared device user uses the Box or Outlook app, signing out will remove the app and all associated account details.
Another key benefit of this feature, in addition to enhanced security, is cost savings:
- When a new or the same user signs back in, the apps installed for the previous user won’t need to be downloaded again. The OS retains the app package and installs the apps immediately once they’re available in the App Catalog, without consuming additional data.
- Only the apps applicable to the new shared device user will be downloaded, which conserves data.
IMPORTANT:
To maximize the benefits of this feature and reduce data consumption, it is recommended that Admins distribute common apps across shared device users. This way, the apps won’t consume additional data.
Note:
It is highly recommended to distribute the apps with "Retry installation" instead of "Install once" to ensure this feature works smoothly.
Exemptions:
- System apps cannot be removed or uninstalled during sign-out, but the accounts associated with them will be removed.
- For modes other than Device Owner and devices running below Android 9, the "Configure at app level" behaviour will follow existing production settings. It will still respect the "Remove on Sign-out from Shared Device" setting, regardless of the above configurations.
