Airwatch and Silent App Install

[Stuarte]

Hi All,

 

We are in the early stages of testing Airwatch MDM with iOS. Our devices (iPads) have been upgraded to iOS 7.0.

 

This is the issue - we can't find a way to install free Apps silently, i.e without having to enter the central Apple ID password.

 

Is this even possible?

 

Help very gratefully received.

 

Cheers!

[fairm010]

As far as I am aware this is not possible, its a security measure put in place by Apple.

 

The only way we have got Apps to install silently was using Apple Configurator on our iMac.

 

Matt

[Stuarte]

Turns out this is indeed the case. Thanks for your reply, Matt.

[Mmorris]

I read that with iOS7 you can silent install and upgrade Managed ipad apps. Airwatch said this is possible but i can only get the ones that are in my itunes account to silent install. All others are prompting for a itunes account?

[SovietRussia]

Hi All,

 

We are in the early stages of testing Airwatch MDM with iOS. Our devices (iPads) have been upgraded to iOS 7.0.

 

This is the issue - we can't find a way to install free Apps silently, i.e without having to enter the central Apple ID password.

 

Is this even possible?

 

Help very gratefully received.

 

Cheers!

 

iOS 7 brings this feature, you could do this previously on iOS 6 with a Mac Server running Profile Manager. But with iOS 7, you can push any app silently from a "Secured" location (The device needs to be remotely managed by the server sending the request)

[tj2419]

iOS 7 brings this feature, you could do this previously on iOS 6 with a Mac Server running Profile Manager. But with iOS 7, you can push any app silently from a "Secured" location (The device needs to be remotely managed by the server sending the request)

 

Do you know how to actually set this up or have a guide any where? We have IOS 7 and OSX server 3 but i can't get them to silently install i have to login to the server via safari then the apps will deploy :S

[Edu-IT]

I'm struggling too on getting apps to silently install, on iOS7.

[tj2419]

I'm struggling too on getting apps to silently install, on iOS7.

 

Glad it's not just me. We can do the silent installs but only if we log in via safari to macserver.local/mydevices. Which basically defeats the object

[Mmorris]

I have been dealing with this for a few weeks! I get it working and then it stops working. I have airwatch and if its managed under apple configurator you are supposed to be able to silent install apps. It works on some devices and then I get a few that wont work on! Airwatch support has not been much help they just keep saying it works on there environment! Anyone else with airwatch trying to do this? How are you getting it to work?

[Edu-IT]

I have been dealing with this for a few weeks! I get it working and then it stops working. I have airwatch and if its managed under apple configurator you are supposed to be able to silent install apps. It works on some devices and then I get a few that wont work on! Airwatch support has not been much help they just keep saying it works on there environment! Anyone else with airwatch trying to do this? How are you getting it to work?

I think it's a problem across the board, not just with that provider. Have you tried to re-supervise your devices? I've just given that a go to see if it offers any improvement as it was suggested by a few people.

[Edu-IT]

So I have tested two different MDM products with a supervised iOS device and both keep prompting for the password to install apps. So if you push 15 apps, it wants the password 15 times. Has anyone got this to work or is it an Apple issue? Starting to drive me mad.

[lmgtfy]

So I have tested two different MDM products with a supervised iOS device and both keep prompting for the password to install apps. So if you push 15 apps, it wants the password 15 times. Has anyone got this to work or is it an Apple issue? Starting to drive me mad.

 

 

Can confirm this is the same with the setup we have here which is latest IOS7, latest Apple configurator using Meraki MDM. Although I have found information about IOS7 having this new feature (silent install) I can't find any information about how to implement it being MDM info or Apple info.

[Edu-IT]

Can confirm this is the same with the setup we have here which is latest IOS7, latest Apple configurator using Meraki MDM. Although I have found information about IOS7 having this new feature (silent install) I can't find any information about how to implement it being MDM info or Apple info.

That is one I was trying with. I've come to the conclusion that it just doesn't work. I've spent a good few hours trying to figure and testing various combinations but nothing has any affect. So it's just broken!

[lmgtfy]

That is one I was trying with. I've come to the conclusion that it just doesn't work. I've spent a good few hours trying to figure and testing various combinations but nothing has any affect. So it's just broken!

 

Yes I have tried a number of things too, got so angry I had a little rant on another thread http://www.edugeek.net/forums/netbooks-pda-phones/126276-shared-ipads-using-apple-configurator-1-4-ios7-shortcomings.html#post1079489 LOL

[tj2419]

I think i have it. Seems to be working on my test iPad.

 

1. Supervise the iPad (If it was already supervised, update Apple Configurator to the latest version on OSX mavericks and plug it in and click refresh)

2. Remove the current management profiles off the iPad.

3. go to macserver.local/mydevices (What ever your mac server is called and /mydevices)

4. Log in as the admin and install the enrolment profile.

5. Install the trust profile. (on the second tab)

6. Log out of the safari browser.

7. Check on your OSX Server Profile Manager that it has picked up the iPad.

8. Choose an app that you have uploaded to profile manager and add it to the device.

9. Hit save and it should deploy without needing to login.

 

Ensure you are also logged in on the iTunes account on the iPad in the settings. I also removed any profiles i had added using configurator and am just using profiles delivered via Profile Manager.

 

Let me know if this works for anyone else. Going to try it on some more and i'll feedback.

[Edu-IT]

That won't work when you are using a third party MDM.

[tj2419]

Ah right i just use OSX Profile manager to manage them.

[gbaylis]

you can do silent app installation if you use licensed based vpp - works really well...

[elearnSCC]

hi, first post here!

 

I am looking at this issue now...I think that by enrolling a series of Apple IDs on the Meraki VPP Managed Distribution user management page, and then setting up iPads with these IDs we can distribute apps without requiring login for each app on every device. When the app licences are associated with the ID they will appear under the purchased apps in the App Store on each ipad set up using that ID. I imagine this will mean one Apple ID will only work with up to 10 devices.

However I am unsure if this is permitted as in effect it is only using one licence for 10 devices?

[Tricky_Dicky]

you can do silent app installation if you use licensed based vpp - works really well...

Hi,

Don't suppose you care to elaborate on how you do this?

 

Thanks

[browolf]

So if you push 15 apps, it wants the password 15 times

 

I saw this happen with lightspeed mdm the other day. I wondered why it kept asking. must be an ios7 "feature"

[gbaylis]

Hi TD... You'll need to enrol into the Apple VPP programme. Download the VPP token from the site, upload this to Airwatch environment. It will then send an email to all enrolled iOS7 device users inviting them to join the VPP programme. This will allow the console administrator to push applications to the device that has that users Apple ID logged on to it. For silent app installs, the iOS devices need to be supervised. From the VPP site, search for the applications you want, select the required quantity, purchase the app(s). The token then sync's with the Airwatch console, so your VPP apps appear under the purchased apps section. From there, the admin can distribute those apps to the devices enrolled to the MDM environment.

 

Please note, I work for Airwatch.

[gbaylis]

This is worth a read too : https://www.apple.com/education/docs/vpp_education_guide_en_Oct2013.pdf

[rezilient]

Hi TD... You'll need to enrol into the Apple VPP programme. Download the VPP token from the site, upload this to Airwatch environment. It will then send an email to all enrolled iOS7 device users inviting them to join the VPP programme. This will allow the console administrator to push applications to the device that has that users Apple ID logged on to it. For silent app installs, the iOS devices need to be supervised. From the VPP site, search for the applications you want, select the required quantity, purchase the app(s). The token then sync's with the Airwatch console, so your VPP apps appear under the purchased apps section. From there, the admin can distribute those apps to the devices enrolled to the MDM environment.

 

Please note, I work for Airwatch.

 

How can we deploy "free" apps silently?

[gbaylis]

How can we deploy "free" apps silently?

 

In the same way. You add the number of required copies of the free app in the VPP website, and they will sync with the AirWatch console. You can then push these applications out in the normal way.