Android required apps not installing silently and system apps missing after Allowlist policySolved

Participant
Discussion
1 month ago Oct 07, 2026

We enrolled a batch of Android Enterprise phones and assigned a Required Apps policy to all enrolled Android devices. The devices detect the apps as required/missing, but users only see notifications saying the apps are available for install and they have to tap each app manually.

One phone started installing apps after a factory reset and re-enrollment, but the same remediation did not work consistently on the other phones. A few devices also showed “Work account creation failed”.

Another issue is that default apps like Phone, Contacts, Camera, and Clock disappeared after the policy was applied. We are using an Allowlist policy, but I expected the required apps to be added in addition to the default system apps.

Where can I check app installation progress, and how do I make the system apps visible while keeping the allowlist?

Replies (3)

Marked SolutionPending Review
Hexnode Expert
1 month ago Oct 07, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review

Hello @sarahmiller ,

There are a few separate Android Enterprise behaviors involved here that dictate app installation and visibility.

1. Checking App Installation Status

  • App-level status: Navigate to Reports > Built-in Reports > Application > All applications. Search for the specific app to view all devices where it is currently installed or assigned.

  • Device-specific status: Navigate to Manage > Endpoints and select the affected device. Click Action History on the left pane to view individual installation commands, scans, and device responses.

2. Silent Installation Requirement

Silent app installation on Android requires the device to be enrolled as an Android Enterprise Device Owner. You can verify this by checking the Enterprise Management Type under Device Summary > Device Basics on the device details page.

3. “Work Account Creation Failed” Impact

If the Android Enterprise work account fails to create, Managed Google Play cannot reliably complete app installations. Required apps will remain missing or fail to silently install until this account is successfully provisioned.

4. System Apps Missing with Allowlist

When Policies > Android > App Management > Blocklist/Allowlist is set to Allowlist, Android strictly hides every application not explicitly included on that list. This natively hides default system apps like Phone, Contacts, Camera, and Clock. You must explicitly add these system app packages to your allowlist alongside your required apps to make them visible and usable.

Regards,
Simon Scott
Hexnode UEM

Marked SolutionPending Review
Participant
1 month ago Oct 07, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review

I checked a few devices and some of them show “Work account creation failed”. I don’t see a bulk option for fixing it. Is there a place to retry that without wiping the devices?

Marked SolutionPending Review
Hexnode Expert
1 month ago Oct 07, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review

Yes, you can retry the Android Enterprise work account creation on a per-device basis without wiping the device. There is currently no bulk retry option for this specific failure.

  1. Navigate to the affected device in Hexnode UEM. Under Device Summary > Enrollment details, locate the failed Work Account Creation status and use the refresh option.
  2. Click Actions in the top right corner of the device page and select Scan device.
  3. Wait for the scan to complete in Action History, then check if the Work Account Creation status changes from failed/pending to successful.
  4. Retry the required app installation command from the Hexnode UEM portal if the applications do not begin downloading automatically.

Common causes for work account creation failures include:

  • Network or firewall interruptions while contacting Google services (play.google.com or android.googleapis.com).

  • Incorrect device date, time, or time zone breaking SSL validation.

  • Policies restricting account modification before Android Enterprise setup completes.

  • Temporary Google Play Services or Google API provisioning delays.

Save