Android managed app configuration disappears randomly for Store apps after deploymentSolved

Hi @casper,

Managed app configurations for Android Enterprise apps are applied through Google’s Android Enterprise framework. Hexnode sends the configuration to the managed Google Play framework on the device, and Android exposes it to the target app through the system’s RestrictionsManager.

You can verify exactly what is stored on the device using ADB. Here is how:

1. Find the package name of the app: adb shell pm list packages
2. Dump the managed restrictions for the device:
   1. For Windows Command Prompt: adb shell dumpsys restrictions | findstr 
   2. For macOS/Linux Terminal: adb shell dumpsys restrictions | grep -A 10

In the output, look for the section named Application restrictions for user. Under the relevant package name, you should see the key-value pairs delivered for that app. If the bundle is empty or the package is not listed, the configuration has dropped from the Android framework.

Regarding your second question—yes, you can pause automatic updates! If the app is in your Required Apps policy, Hexnode periodically checks for and pushes updates. To pause this without uninstalling the app from devices:

1. Open the associated policy and select Manage > Modify.
2. Go to Android > App Management > Required Apps.
3. Make sure Remove apps from the device on policy removal is unchecked.
4. Remove the app from Required Apps and save the policy.

Pro tip: For future deployments where an app only needs to be installed once, use the Install Application remote action instead of a Required Apps policy to avoid triggering continuous background updates.

Best regards,
Eden Pierce
Hexnode UEM

That helps a lot. In my case, Hexnode shows the app configuration command as successful and the app behaves correctly initially. The problem is that the configuration drops later with no clear pattern. 

So if the configuration disappears only for specific apps like UKG Pro or Teams, is it safe to assume the issue is with those apps rather than the hexnode policy? 

Hi @casper,

That is a very strong possibility! Managed app configurations should normally persist through both app and OS updates. If the configuration is visible on the device initially but disappears later—especially only for certain apps—it is often caused by how that specific app handles its internal data or managed restrictions during a background update.

A practical isolation approach would be:

1. Use the steps above to temporarily stop automatic updates for the affected app.
2. Apply the managed app configuration to a small test group.
3. Monitor whether the configuration still disappears.
4. Compare affected devices for common patterns like Android version, device model, or aggressive battery optimization settings.
5. Manually update the app to see if that instantly drops the configuration.

You can periodically use the ADB dumpsys restrictions command we discussed earlier to catch the exact moment the payload drops. Please let me know what you find during your testing!

Best regards,
Eden Pierce
Hexnode UEM