Blocking specific app components/activities: use managed configurations if supported by the app

Android

Title: Block specific app features — use managed configurations

When a device user can access parts of an app you need to restrict — such as a specific settings screen, browser feature, or in-app function — Esper does not provide a direct way to block individual app components without removing the entire app. If the app supports managed configurations, you can use key-value pairs to restrict those features without uninstalling it.

Why this happens

Android's permission model controls whether an app is installed and what system resources it can access, but it does not expose a platform-level mechanism to disable components within an app. Restricting individual features is only possible when the app developer has built managed configuration support (also called AppRestrictions or App Config) into the app itself.

Step 1: Confirm the app supports managed configurations

1. Check the app's official documentation or the vendor's website for a managed configuration schema or AppRestrictions reference.
2. Contact the app vendor directly and ask whether they support managed configurations and request the list of available configuration keys and accepted values.
3. As a technical alternative, inspect the app's APK for the file res/xml/restrictions.xml — its presence indicates managed configuration support and lists available keys.

Step 2: Create the managed configuration in the Esper Console

1. In the Esper Console, navigate to Apps & Configuration → Apps → [App Name] → Manage Configurations.
2. Select Add Configuration and enter a name for this configuration so it is easy to identify later.
3. Enter the key-value pairs that correspond to the features you want to restrict. Use the exact keys and accepted values from the app vendor's documentation — incorrect keys are silently ignored by the app.
4. Save the configuration.

Step 3: Attach the managed configuration to a Blueprint

1. Navigate to Blueprints and open the blueprint applied to your target devices, or create a new one.
2. Go to the Apps section of the blueprint and locate the app you configured in Step 2.
3. Under App Configuration, select the managed configuration you created.
4. Save and publish the blueprint. Navigate to Devices & Groups → [Group Name] → Blueprint, select the updated blueprint, then select Save & Publish to push it to your target device group.

Verify: Open the app on a device in the target group and confirm the restricted feature is blocked or unavailable. In the Esper Console, go to Devices & Groups → [Device Name] → Activity Feed to confirm the blueprint was applied successfully. Blueprint changes typically take effect within 5 minutes on connected devices.

If the app does not support managed configurations

If the app has no managed configuration support, the following alternatives may help depending on your goal:

• Request support from the app vendor. Ask the developer to implement AppRestrictions keys for the specific feature you need to control. This is the most reliable long-term solution.
• Use Kiosk Mode. If your goal is to limit which apps users can access overall, Kiosk Mode or Multi-App Kiosk with an allowlist may meet your needs. Note that Kiosk Mode does not block individual components within an allowed app.
• Use Esper ADB (one-time action only). On debug-enabled devices, you can run the following command via Esper's remote ADB to disable a specific component:

  pm disable-user --user 0 <package/component>

  This change is not enforced by a Blueprint policy and will not survive a factory reset or app update. It is not suitable as a persistent management strategy.

Example: Blocking URLs in Google Chrome

Google Chrome on Android supports managed configurations for URL blocking and other feature restrictions. You can define blocked URL lists and other Chrome policies using key-value pairs through the managed configuration interface described above. For a full walkthrough, see Blocking URLs with App Configurations in the Esper documentation.

If this doesn't resolve it

If the app supports managed configurations but the restrictions are not taking effect, collect the following before contacting support:

• The app name, package name, and version installed on the device.
• The exact configuration keys and values you applied.
• A screenshot of the Activity Feed for the affected device showing the blueprint application status.
• The app vendor's documentation confirming the expected behavior of the keys used.

Contact Esper Support with this information so the issue can be investigated efficiently.

Still need help?

If the steps above don't resolve the issue, submit a support ticket with your device model, Android version, Esper Agent version, and a description of what you've already tried — this helps the support team investigate without a follow-up.