Sending App-Updates to managed iOS devices

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Test-User Author

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Sending App-Updates to managed iOS devices

Hello together,

we are using Apple's Profile Manager for device rollout.

Now we are chancing how to provide apps to our users.

Since now we invited all of our users to our vpp with their own apple id.

After the release of iOS 9 we started pushing apps directly to the devices.

Now we wanted to update some of the apps that we pushed directly to the iOS devices because they are not visible in users app store.

Actually we did not found the function to push update request especially for the installed Apps.

Did someone know how its done?

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Nov 23, 2015 11:51 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 24, 2015 5:23 AM in response to Test-User

You can not "push" apps to iOS devices. You can only send a push notification to pull the apps from the App Store. Keep in mind that when you are connected to the VPP, you gave users the illusion of "pushing apps" because you may have defined the setting to automatically download "purchased" content. In the case of VPP, the assignment of an app to an invited member is effectively a "purchase from another device." This allows the apps to magically appear on enrolled devices. But you and your Profile Manager do not store or distribute the apps. All apps are secured and distributed only from Apple.

Now, you are asking to update the apps. I would suggest enabling automatic downloads of updates on the user devices. This will allow the user's device to manage the updates transparently in the background. But there is no way for you to push updates because you do not have access to them.

Now, just to be sure, we are talking about App Store apps and not enterprise developed apps that you are hosting in your store.

Reid

Apple Consultants Network

Author "El Capitan Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Author "El Capitan Server – Control & Collaboration" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Author of Yosemite Server and Mavericks Server books

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Answer 2

Test-User Author

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Nov 25, 2015 2:56 AM in response to Strontium90

Thanks for your fast Reply.

You are right, there is no way to push apps directly to iOS devices with VPP, thats clear.

But is the only possiblity to update apps that are directly assigned to an iOS device to activate the automatic download?

Apps that are assigned to the device are not listed in the Users app-Store, so the user is not involved by updating normaly.

I thought with apps that are assigned to the device directly, there would be a possibility to keep the users away from updating the apps without testing the functionality. In my thought i would test a new version first in our test enviornment, than send the push notification for update to the single chosen ios device.

Now back to the facts.

In case of sending a new push notification to the device, that they should download the new app version, today the old apps stay on the ipad and then the apps got to crash on the device.

I do not exactly know why apple don't give the admin the oppinion to force a special version on the ipad and manually update it when the admin thinks thats time for a newer version of this installed app.

Maybe there is also a bug that will be fixed soon.

Now i would think that its not workling correctly to assign apps directly to devices and not assign apps to the users apple-id.

what is your meaning about that?

Thanks for your help.

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