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Best Practices for Managing Android Apps at Scale with Hexnode
In today’s digital era, the potential for innovation and growth is vast, but so are the risks posed by cyber threats. As organizations strengthen their security, cyber attackers exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to critical data. Confidential and sensitive information is often targeted, and resulting data breaches can lead to severe security risks and compliance violations. Without a comprehensive mobility management solution, the integrity of organization’s data remains vulnerable to external threats, undermining the security framework organizations have worked to establish. Integrating endpoint management like Hexnode ensures that all devices, including those running Android apps, are securely managed and compliant with internal and external policies, helping to mitigate these risks.
Why app management?
App management plays a critical role in maintaining the app lifecycle, from deployment to retirement. Ideal app management includes tasks such as deploying apps efficiently, managing app permissions, automating updates, and retiring apps when they are no longer needed. By implementing these best practices, organizations can optimize both the security and user experience while reducing the risks of outdated or unauthorized apps.
Hexnode plays a pivotal role in app management by offering a comprehensive suite of features that streamline the entire app lifecycle, ensuring apps are securely managed, updated, and properly retired. With Hexnode, manual app deployment and troubleshooting have become a thing of the past. The Hexnode UEM platform brings full transparency to your app management process, making it easy to view all the apps installed on a device with just a click. From app deployment to retirement, Hexnode handles it all. By effectively managing apps and data, Hexnode ensures a secure workspace for employees while minimizing disruptions to productivity.
Key Best Practices in App Management
Android devices can be enrolled in Hexnode UEM through several methods, including Android Enterprise, Android Zero-Touch, Samsung Knox enrollment, Custom ROM/OEM enrollment, and options like QR code, Email, or SMS enrollment, offering flexibility for different organizational needs.
App inventory
Organizations often have diverse app management needs, and Hexnode addresses this by providing multiple options for app deployment. Apps can be sourced from the Play Store, added as web apps, enterprise apps, or managed Google apps, or even through bundle IDs. This flexibility allows organizations to tailor their app management strategy to suit their specific requirements—whether it’s deploying apps for a specific department, creating custom enterprise apps, or ensuring compliance with organizational policies for managed Google apps.
For added flexibility, admins can create app groups and catalogs, allowing them to organize apps based on user roles, departments, or project needs. Once the apps are in the inventory, Hexnode’s centralized platform makes it simple to deploy apps to devices, ensuring that all users have the tools they need while maintaining control over app distribution and compliance.
The App Catalog feature in Hexnode offers a flexible solution for app management, allowing administrators to create a customized app store tailored to the specific needs of their organization. With the ability to design a custom layout for the Play Store and add apps to it, organizations can ensure that users only have access to the apps relevant to their roles. This feature is supported on Android Enterprise-enabled devices, providing a seamless app management experience across the organization. Once the apps are selected and added to the app catalog, end-users can seamlessly download all the required applications directly from the catalog. This streamlined process ensures users have the right tools without unnecessary distractions or unauthorized apps.
App deployment and update
Hexnode provides two options for deploying apps: the Install Application action and the Required Apps policy, each serving specific use cases. The Install Application action is a one-time remote command that instantly deploys apps to devices. This option is best suited for urgent requirements, such as deploying a critical app to a specific group of devices. However, if the app fails to install, the action must be reinitiated manually.
In contrast, the Required Apps policy remains associated with the device and ensures continuous app compliance. This policy not only installs the specified apps but also handles follow-up actions like app updates and automatic reinstallation of missing apps without requiring additional input from the administrator. If an app deployed via the Required Apps policy goes missing on the device, the device becomes non-compliant. During the next scheduled device scan, the Hexnode UEM portal detects the missing app and automatically reinitiates the installation, ensuring the device meets organizational compliance standards.
This dual approach enables administrators to choose the deployment method that aligns with their requirements, whether it’s immediate action or persistent enforcement.
App removal
Certain apps must be removed from organizations to ensure compliance, enhance security, or improve overall device performance. Hexnode UEM provides multiple approaches to app removal, each tailored to specific scenarios, enabling organizations to manage apps remotely without the need for physical access to devices. One such approach is the Uninstall Application action allows for the immediate removal of apps, which is ideal for addressing urgent situations such as security threats, app misuse, or policy violations.
Alternatively, apps installed via the Required Apps policy can be configured for automatic removal when the policy is disassociated from the device. Policies can also be automatically removed based on device non-compliance through automation, ensuring associated applications are removed as part of the remediation process. This helps maintain streamlined app lifecycle management during transitions, offboarding, or project completion. These flexible options ensure organizations can effectively manage their app ecosystems while maintaining control and compliance.
App reporting
To maintain compliance and troubleshoot device issues effectively, IT teams need full visibility into installed applications. The Applications tab on the Device Details page provides a complete app inventory, allowing organizations to monitor compliance, or detect missing apps. For example, IT teams can filter reports to check if required apps are installed or identify blocklisted apps that violate security policies. These reports are exportable in PDF or CSV formats, can also be customized to display details like Bundle Size, Version, and Identifier. For Android devices, configuring the Hexnode App Logs policy enables IT to set logging levels and define retention periods, ensuring that critical troubleshooting data is available when needed.
App Usage insights
With Network Data Usage Management, organizations can effectively monitor and control data consumption across devices and apps. Administrators can view Mobile Data, Wi-Fi data, and Total data usage for individual devices, along with detailed consumption statistics for installed apps. Hexnode UEM supports setting alert notifications via email to inform users and administrators when data usage exceeds predefined limits, enabling immediate action to prevent overages.
Additionally, Data Usage Restrictions and App Usage Restrictions can be configured using policies to enforce long-term control over data consumption, such as limiting app-specific usage or restricting background data. While alerts are ideal for real-time intervention, policies are better suited for consistent governance across devices.
Reports detailing data usage trends can be generated from the Reports tab, and summaries are accessible via the Data Usage Summary tab in the Device Details page. By combining actionable alerts and enforceable policies, organizations can identify high-consumption apps, track usage patterns, and minimize excessive carrier costs.
Wrap up
Hexnode simplifies app management by delivering the right apps to the right devices, ensuring seamless user experience, and enhanced productivity. It helps organizations efficiently organize app deployments and maintain secure, compliant environments.
