[android] Setting up android tablets in bulk

[Dragon]

A member of staff handed me 12 tablets to set up for use on our network. We have never set up android tablets before so I am starting from fresh and I was wonder what the best method of set up is? They are going to be shared classroom devices and unfortunately the tablets do not have NFC.

 

iPads I do via apple configurator. But I can't find anything for android. Also any recommendation for locking them down and removing the add user/guest user from the lock screen without rooting the device?

 

Thanks!

[mavhc]

There's things like https://github.com/kobotoolbox/android-deploy

 

Then there's https://support.google.com/a/answer/1734200?hl=en

 

With GSuite for Education you can do basic stuff, disable cameras, whitelist apps, have apps auto install, set wifi passwords

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/6328701#whitelist_android

 

Not set them up recently but what I'd do would be:

 

1. Set up a temp wifi ssid if possible with a password that's easy to type, for initial connection

2. Set up 1 email address, [email protected] or something

3. Log into wifi and that account, to get Device Policy

4. Hopefully the rest will be automated

 

Off to test now

[Cazale]

There's things like https://github.com/kobotoolbox/android-deploy

 

Then there's https://support.google.com/a/answer/1734200?hl=en

 

With GSuite for Education you can do basic stuff, disable cameras, whitelist apps, have apps auto install, set wifi passwords

 

https://support.google.com/a/answer/6328701#whitelist_android

 

Not set them up recently but what I'd do would be:

 

1. Set up a temp wifi ssid if possible with a password that's easy to type, for initial connection

2. Set up 1 email address, [email protected] or something

3. Log into wifi and that account, to get Device Policy

4. Hopefully the rest will be automated

 

Off to test now

Just a heads up: I turned G-Suite on to test at one school (on a single device). I was messing with it one Friday afternoon. The next Monday morning a few teachers came in with their mobile phones, they'd downloaded the gmail app and signed into it with their school e-mail address (prior to me enabling the MDM), and their phones were automatically added to the MDM! (no approval stage by default!). The problem is made worse because users are directed to download the gmail app when they go to the gmail site on Chrome on Android, so end users are encouraged to download the app.

 

Had a look on here and it seems quite a few others had discovered this the hard way, and people were frothing at the mouths about it on Google forums.

 

Quite happy to accept some of the blame (I know, I know; RTFM), but I only wanted to test something on one device and spent the next two days removing stuff from users phones. Very frustrating! I thank the lucky stars I never tested the "wipe remote device" feature!

[mavhc]

One thing you can't do with Education version is set up devices owned by the corporation, it seems, annoying

[Dragon]

Which seems what I need, to disable add user or create guest. Useless really!

[LeMarchand]

Just a heads up: I turned G-Suite on to test at one school (on a single device). I was messing with it one Friday afternoon. The next Monday morning a few teachers came in with their mobile phones, they'd downloaded the gmail app and signed into it with their school e-mail address (prior to me enabling the MDM), and their phones were automatically added to the MDM! (no approval stage by default!). The problem is made worse because users are directed to download the gmail app when they go to the gmail site on Chrome on Android, so end users are encouraged to download the app.

 

Had a look on here and it seems quite a few others had discovered this the hard way, and people were frothing at the mouths about it on Google forums.

 

Quite happy to accept some of the blame (I know, I know; RTFM), but I only wanted to test something on one device and spent the next two days removing stuff from users phones. Very frustrating! I thank the lucky stars I never tested the "wipe remote device" feature!

 

Not just me then! On the plus side, none of them seem to be aware of what they've done.

 

Anyone know how to safely remove the devices?

[mavhc]

Weird that they specifically removed it compared to the business version, who needs devices locked down more than schools?

 

Seems to imply you can buy licences for MDM, but can't see where.

[Blue_Cookeh]

You need a real MDM too, like Meraki or Lightspeed.

[mavhc]

Which is best?

 

I'd want pupils to be able to alter nothing, wifi, bluetooth settings, homepage layout. And I'd want automatic deployment of apps, app updates and OS updates

[markwilfan]

@mavhc I've got a feeling this isn't possible with the majority of android devices. IIRC there are a small amount of devices google allow you to do this with.

 

Chromebooks are the way forward with this kind of device. Android apps are coming to some chromebooks and all from 2017 devices onwards.

 

I think if it were possible more people would have gone this route

[mavhc]

It's weird they don't care that they're losing money and market share to Apple over this

[sted]

It's weird they don't care that they're losing money and market share to Apple over this

i think its more a case of everyone seeing devices as being user owned these days rather than business(or school) owned devices, so the trend is towards "lite touch" remove your data from it but the user is the devices admin and can do pretty much what they want. I also dont think google care about people using android devices in education thats what as others have said chromebooks are for

[TwistedHelixis]

If you want them locked down, cant you simple add a restricted user from the device settings / users. They will be stopped from editing settings etc.

 

Also you can use device policy without taking over every teachers phone, there is a check box in the settings for adding devices that have device policy installed only.

[mavhc]

i think its more a case of everyone seeing devices as being user owned these days rather than business(or school) owned devices, so the trend is towards "lite touch" remove your data from it but the user is the devices admin and can do pretty much what they want. I also dont think google care about people using android devices in education thats what as others have said chromebooks are for

 

But they've added "Company owned devices" for business uses, but removed it from Education

[mavhc]

Got a reply from google, can't do company owned with education version, but they say to make a feature request here https://support.google.com/a/answer/6284762?hl=en