Managing apps is one of the most important use cases across Esper’s services. In this article, we highlight guidelines and best practices to make your app management experience successful, from development to deployment.
In this article:
Developing Apps
Android Apps
Test Apps
Esper cannot install Test apps on devices. Ensure that the Manfiest file is set to android:testOnly=false to avoid installation errors.
Correct Keys
Installations will fail if the signatures do not match. Sometimes, developers may use different keys when debugging. Use the correct version and production keys for the production app.
Guidelines
Ensure the app follows the Play Store guidelines if you are utilizing the Play Store. Apps that do not follow these guidelines may be flagged or removed from the Play Store.
Blocking Mechanisms
In order to use Remote Viewer, ensure your app doesn’t block or circumvent any onPause() or moveTaskToFront() activities.
Updating Apps
Updating App and Build Versions
Always update your version and build numbers incrementally when updating an app. For large-scale deployments, we recommend installing the update on a few devices to test user experience before deploying the update to your production fleet.
Downgrading Apps
You may need to downgrade an app version on a device if you observe a bug. To do this, remove the app from the device by either removing it from its blueprint or removing it at the device level. Then, use a blueprint or install command to install a previous version of the app.
Apps installed through the Play Store and VPP cannot be downgraded.
Removing Apps
Removing Older Versions
Esper allows you to upload multiple app versions to your tenant. You have the option, but aren’t required, to remove older app versions.
You can remove apps from the Enterprise App section as long as they aren’t associated with any blueprint.