Overview
There may be a situation where you wish to prevent remote users from installing or updating the apps installed on their devices. The Radix MDM has a Device Settings command, which allows you to control the settings on the remote devices. There is one device settings option for disallowing the user from installing or modifying an app by downloading an APK file. We will demonstrate how this is done through the Device Settings command.
Accessing the Device Settings Command
There are several ways of accessing the Device Settings commands:
From the Device Dashboard
1. Click on the Devices icon in the sidebar menu. The Devices Table opens.
2. In the Devices Table, find the device that you would like to limit the installation of apps.
3. Click on the row of the device displayed to open the Device Dashboard, and go to Repository Actions>Device Settings.
The Device Settings repository opens.
4. Proceed from Creating a Setting for Disallowing Installing Apps below.
From the Device’s Three-Dot Menu
1. Click on the Devices icon in the sidebar menu to open the Devices Table.
2. After locating your device in the Device Table, click on the device’s three-dot (“Device Actions”) menu in the far-right-hand column, and drill down to Configure>Device Settings.
The Device Settings repository opens.
3. Proceed from Creating a Setting for Disallowing Installing Apps below.
From the Bulk Actions Button
Another method to access the Device Settings command is from the Bulk Actions button. This has the advantage that it allows you to apply the device setting to several devices at once.
1. Click on the Devices icon in the sidebar menu to open the Devices Table.
2. Select the device, or several devices, that you would like to use to the Power commands by clicking on the checkbox in the far-left column of the device’s listing. The Bulk Actions button will become active.
3. Go to Bulk Actions>Configure>Device Settings to access the Device Settings repository.
4. Proceed from Creating a Setting for Disallowing Installing Apps below.
Creating a Setting for Disallowing Installing Apps
Once you have opened the Device Settings repository, you can create a new Device Setting that limits the user’s ability to install or modify apps.
To create a new device setting to limit the ability to modify apps:
1. Click Add New in the lower left corner of the Device Settings repository.
The New setting window opens.
2. Assign a name and description to our new setting.
3. Click on General Settings in the sidebar menu.
4. Click on Disallow install apps to set it to the blue (on) setting and click Confirm.
The new device setting will appear in the Device Settings repository.
5. Click on the device setting to select it and click Apply in the lower right corner.
A notification will appear that the setting has been sent to the remote device.
Note: The Disallow install apps setting will only prevent a remote user from installing apps by downloading an apk file to their device and installing it. It will not prevent them from installing apps from the Google Play Store or via the Install apps command in the Radix MDM.
Allowing Installing Apps
To undo the previous setting and allow the remote user to install apps, you must toggle the Disallow install apps switch back to the off (= red) setting:
1. Open the Device Settings repository as before and click on Add New to open the New Setting window.
2. Assign a name and description for the device setting, as before:
3. Click on General Settings in the sidebar menu.
4. Click on Disallow install apps to set it to the red (off) setting and click Confirm.
The new device setting will appear in the Device Settings repository.
5. Click on the device setting to select it and click Apply in the lower right corner.
A notification will appear that the setting has been sent to the remote device.
This will restore the remote user’s ability to install apps by means of their apk files.