Relution Signet Customer Hub

Manage APK apps

There are three possible ways to deploy self-developed enterprise apps on Android devices enrolled via Android Enterprise. The official way provided by Google and recommended by us is the distribution via the managed Play Store.

Since Relution 26.2, APK apps uploaded to the Relution App Store can also be distributed as custom apps on fully managed devices, including those with a personal profile. Security mechanisms of Android Enterprise do not have to be deactivated for this. This option is not available on devices enrolled as a work profile.

The third way is the direct distribution of an APK file, e.g. via the Relution Legacy app, web or email. Since various security mechanisms of Android Enterprise have to be deactivated, this way is not recommended and only makes sense in exceptional cases.

Distribution via the Play Store

There are two ways to upload apps to the Play Store. In both cases, a developer account is necessary. A Google developer account costs a one-time fee of $25.

The app is regularly uploaded to the Play Store via any developer account (Google Play Console →). We recommend using an official enterprise account for this purpose.

Here, all the setting options of the Play Store are available, such as the possibility to pre-publish development versions of the app only for certain groups of people.

If the app is not to be available to the public, its availability can additionally be restricted to a specific organization. Caution: This setting cannot be reversed afterwards. If the app is to be offered publicly in the future, it must be published again under a different package name.

The big advantage is that the app can then be released for other companies or company accounts. This can be helpful, for example, in the event of a server relocation, but also if the access data to the Google account used for Android Enterprise is lost.

To restrict the app to that organization, its organization ID can be stored under Setup → Advanced settings → Managed Play Store. The ID starts with LC0.... This ID is visible e.g. in Relution under Settings → Device platform specific → Android Enterprise.

Relution Android Enterprise Settings

Google Play Console

Upload via the Play Store dialog in Relution

Instead of uploading the app via the Google Play Console, it can also be uploaded directly from Relution. However, the Google account used to set up Android Enterprise must be a corresponding developer account.

Apart from the name of the app, no other settings can be made here and there is also no possibility to activate the app for other companies or enterprise accounts afterwards. Due to these restrictions, we generally advise against this option.

An app is uploaded as a private app as follows:

  1. In Relution, Devices → Policies is opened.
  2. Any Android Enterprise policy is opened and a Manage apps configuration is added.
  3. Add is clicked in the configuration.
  4. Managed Google Play Store App (Android Enterprise) is selected.
  5. The link Private Apps is opened.
  6. + is clicked to add a new app.

Caution: The package name of the app must be unique. If the app is already available in the Play Store, even as a private app from another company, it cannot be uploaded again. We therefore generally recommend uploading via the Play Store, which can then also be used to unlock the app for other organization IDs.

Adding a managed Android Enterprise app in Relution console

Select Managed Play Store

Select and add private app

Upload private app

Distribution of an APK file

Since Relution 26.2, native apps uploaded to the Relution App Store in the .apk format can be distributed directly on fully managed devices, including those with a personal profile:

  • In the Manage apps policy configuration via Add → Relution App Store app. The app is added with the installation type Custom.
  • Via the Install app from the Relution Store action. Native apps can only be selected there if exclusively fully managed devices are selected.

In both cases, Relution must have determined the signing certificates of the APK. The relaxed security settings described below are not required for this option.

On devices enrolled as a work profile, custom apps are not installed. The Select Play Store app from the Relution Store action available there only offers Play Store apps.

For these devices and for installing downloaded APK files (e.g. from email or the web), the following policy settings are required:

  1. configuration Advanced security overrides.

    • The option Allow from unknown sources must be set to Allow untrusted app installs on entire device.

  2. configuration Play Store Management

    • The option Enable the restricted Play Store must be deactivated.

      If the restricted Play Store is active, the device will remove apps that have not been installed on the device using the Manage apps configuration or are part of the system after about 10 minutes.

Once these settings are made it is again possible to install any APK files on the device. Since users can install APK files from any source in this mode, we generally advise against enabling these settings. Furthermore, there is no easy way to ensure the up-to-dateness of apps.

Alternatively, the package name of the corresponding app can be manually added in a Manage apps configuration to allow it. This should prevent the app from being automatically removed by the device.

There are various options for distributing APK files, for example:

Installation via the Relution Legacy app.

For this, the Relution Legacy App is installed on the device via a Manage apps configuration. Afterwards, users can log in to the app and get access to all native Android apps that are stored in the Relution Store. Users can download and install these apps via the Legacy app. Depending on the Android version, users must also grant the Relution app the right to request app installations.

If the Companion (Legacy) is additionally enrolled (requires another device license!), administrators can alternatively install apps via action on devices enrolled as a work profile. Depending on the device type, users may still have to agree to the installation manually. On fully managed devices, including those with a personal profile, this is not necessary: the Install app from the Relution Store action is available there without additional enrollment or device license (see above).

Installation via email

Users receive the APK file to be installed from the company via email.

Installation from the web

Users receive the APK file to be installed via a download link that is distributed via email, Messenger or SMS, for example.

Android Enterprise Help →