Internal App Versioning

Internal and Enterprise apps get updated on a regular basis to offer latest functionality and security enhancements. Workspace ONE makes it easy to update these apps on end user devices over-the-air automatically, without having to connect the device to a computer. In this section, we are going to add an internal app on-demand and install it from Workspace ONE catalog. You will also see how to update the app in the Workspace ONE UEM console so that it gets updated on the enrolled device without any app data loss.

1. Install the Internal app from Workspace ONE Catalog

Since you do not have many apps deployed in this lab, you can see all the apps from the default view. However, you are will still validate the app category we assigned while deploying our internal app.

1.1. Validate the Category of the internal app

NOTE: The Menu icon only appears if your device is in portrait orientation.  If you are holding your device in landscape orientation, you will need to rotate it to see the Menu icon.

  1. Tap on the Menu icon in the top right corner.
  2. Tap on Productivity to filter the apps with that category.

1.2. Install 1.0.1 version of the internal app

Validate that you only seeing AppLifecycle v1.0.1 for the Productivity category. Click on Install to continue.

1.3. Confirm Installation in Workspace ONE Catalog

Click on Install to initiate the app installation.

1.4. Accept the App Installation (IF NECESSARY)

Click on Install to accept OS prompt for installing the internal app.

NOTE: If your device is supervised, then you will not see the OS prompt for installing internal and enterprise apps. iOS device supervision enables the internal apps to be installed silently.

1.5. Confirm app installation on the device

Click on the Home button of the iPad to return to the springboard. Confirm that the app AppLifecycle was installed successfully.

2. Add an updated version of the Internal app to the Workspace ONE UEM Console

You will now upload a new version of our internal app to see how this reflects in the Workspace ONE UEM Console as well as on the device.

Back to the Workspace ONE UEM console,

  1. Click on Apps & Books.
  2. Expand Applications.
  3. Click on Native.
  4. Click the Internal tab.
  5. Click on the hyperlink for AppLifecycle.

2.2. Add Version

Click on Add Version in the top right corner.

2.3. Upload the new version

  1. While updating the new version of the app, Workspace ONE UEM displays the current active version to help determine the app upgrade path.
  2. Click Upload.

2.4. Choose File

Click Choose File.

  1. Click on Downloads
  2. Select AppLifecycle_102.ipa
  3. Click Open

2.6. Save

Click Save.

NOTE: The application may take around 45 - 60 seconds to upload.

2.7. Complete the app update

  1. Validate that you have uploaded AppLifecycle_102.ipa
  2. Click Save to continue.

2.8. Save & Assign

While retaining all the defaults, click on Save & Assign.

2.9. Save & Publish

While retaining all the defaults, click on Save & Publish.

2.10. Publish to Devices

Preview your device assignment and click Publish to continue.

3. Install the updated version of the app from Workspace ONE Catalog

Let's view the update process on the device in Workspace ONE when apps are updated through the AirWatch Console.

3.1. Launch Workspace ONE

Back to the enrolled iPad, tap on the icon to launch Workspace ONE app.

3.2. Enter Passcode For Timeout (IF NEEDED)

In case you encounter a timeout, enter the iPad passcode to log back into Workspace App.

3.3. Refresh Workspace ONE Catalog and update the app

You may be seeing the old version of the app (1.0.1) after launching the Workspace ONE app. Swipe down in the screen to refresh.

  1. After the refresh, ensure that you are seeing v1.0.2 for AppLifecycle.
  2. Click on Update.

3.4. Confirm Installation in Workspace ONE Catalog

Click on Install to initiate app installation.

3.5. Confirm app update on the device

Click on the Home button of the iPad to return to the springboard. Confirm that you are seeing the blue dot next to the app AppLifecycle which indicates that app was updated successfully.

4. Uninstall the app from managed devices

As a part of the Workspace ONE UEM flexible deployment, the app removal from Workspace ONE UEM has three different phases:

  1. Retire - Removes an application from all managed devices. For iOS devices, if an older version of the application exists in the Workspace ONE UEM solution, then this older version is pushed to devices.
  2. Deactivate - Removes an application and all versions of it from all managed devices.
  3. Delete - Deletes the app from Workspace ONE UEM Database. If the application is currently installed on any devices, it puts the app in the Deactivated state first. You can then remove the app by changing the filter to Inactive.

Use the Retire option if you want to revert to an earlier version, without uninstalling the app from all the enrolled devices.

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