TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction


When using an MDM, different use cases require different levels of access to the Google Play store. Some will allow open access to the Play store and others will restrict users to a pre-selected list of applications.

 

This guide will go in-depth regarding each way to set up the Google Play Store.


Managing Google Play Application Availability


To modify this setting, navigate to Project | Policies | Google Play Settings | Application Availability.



This policy can be set to "All Play Store Applications", or "Only Project Content".


All Play Store Applications

If you select "All Play Store Applications", the Play Store is completely open. Users can search for and download any application:



Expected behavior in different kiosk modes:

  • None: the device is not kiosked and the Play store is open.
  • Single: the device is kiosked to one app. The Play store is open, but access is hidden unless the kiosked app provides a way to access the Play Store application.
  • Multi-app: the device is kiosked to Ensemble's launcher. The Play store is open, but access is restricted unless there is a shortcut added for the Play store or the app drawer was added to the favorites bar.


Only Project Content

If you select "Only Project Content", the Play Store is restricted to apps added to Project | Content. Users can only search for and download applications from that list:




What if you want applications to appear in the restricted Play store, but don't want them installed automatically? Set Project | Content | Options | Auto-Install Mode to Do Not Auto Install. The application will appear in the restricted Play store, but will not install until the user chooses to install it. See the below picture for an example of this, with Spotify being set to Do Not Auto Install.




Expected behavior in different kiosk modes:

  • None: the device is not kiosked and the Play store is restricted to the applications on the project.
  • Single: the device is kiosked to one app. The Play store is restricted to the applications on the project, but access is hidden unless the kiosked app provides a way to access the Play Store application .
  • Multi-app: the device is kiosked to Ensemble's launcher. The Play store is restricted to the applications on the project, but access is restricted unless there is a shortcut added for the Play store or the app drawer was added to the favorites bar.