In the previous post I have covered adding Private apps via the Google Play Managed iFrame for Android Enterprise. This time let’s deal with the Web Apps (links, web clips).
Honestly, it is much quicker to add a web application to WorkspaceONE Identity Manager and expose via the WS1 Intelligent Hub, but if you really want that icon to appear in the native launcher on the device, you do have a few options..
In iOS we can push a profile with Web Clip payload. In Android – you can add the link to your Managed Play Store and manage it just as another Public app.
Let’s add another Public Android app with blank name to see the Play Store Managed iFrame, and then select Web Apps
After clicking [+] there will be some options, such as UI parameters, URL and Icon
As usual, it may take a while to publish. (~30 minutes in my case), so I have closed the iFrame and came back later once the app was available.
Once the app is processed go back to Web Apps, select the app and click Select.
Finally, the app appears in the AirWatch console, agent/catalog Work Play Store and launcher just like any other public app
In my case, however, no matter which UI option I had chosen (Full screen, etc) the web site always loaded with the full Chrome UI (menu, address bar etc)
Lessons learned
Even though the Web apps use the same Google Play Managed iFrame experience as the Private and Public apps, the process of adding and managing them is different and confusing at first.
They do offer some cool features, such as UI restrictions, but unless you need them (and absolutely want the link to be listed in the Play Store and available in Launcher) – adding Web Links apps in WS1 Identity Manager and exposing via WS1 Intelligent Hub is 10 times faster and simpler.
What do you think? Am I missing any crucial use cases?
Read next: App Collections in the Managed iFrame.
Arsen Bandurian: Technical Blog 