The Apps tab of the Groups page is used for viewing and managing applications assigned to the group. This is the primary way to assign apps to segments of devices en masse, streamlining the app deployment process.
Managing App Assignments for Groups
Assigning Apps to a Group
- Navigate to Devices > Groups and click the group name in the list.
- On the right-side of the screen, click the Apps tab.
- Click into the search bar and start typing the name of the app you want to assign. Alternatively, you can search for apps by bundle identifier - to do this, click the filter button in the search bar and select “Bundle ID”.
- From the search, a list of available apps will appear in the dropdown. Click the checkbox or app name in the dropdown to add it to your group.
- Quick tip: If you are adding multiple apps at once, click the checkboxes - this will keep the search dropdown open to quickly add more apps. If you are only adding one app, click the app name - this will close the dropdown immediately after adding the app.
- Once finished adding apps to the group, click “Review” and save the changes. The app assignments will be updated immediately for all devices in the group upon saving.
Unassigning Apps from a Group
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Navigate to Devices > Groups and click the group name in the list.
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On the right-side of the screen, click the Apps tab.
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Under the Apps tab of the group, check the box next to the names of the Apps to be unassigned.
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Click the “Unassign” button near the top-right corner next to the assignment search bar. This will stage the apps to be unassigned from the group.
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To confirm the changes and update the app assignments for the group, click “Review” and save the changes.
Note: Unassigning apps from a group does not uninstall the apps from devices. To uninstall apps from devices, see this article [link relevant KB here].
Modifying App Deployment Settings
The Apps tab in the Groups interface allows admins to edit settings related to how apps are deployed to devices. The available settings will vary depending on the app type, compatibility, and other factors.
Install Method
This is mechanism used to install the app on devices. macOS Only. Options:
- MDM: Installs the app via the MDM protocol.
- Munki: Installs the app via SimpleMDM’s Munki integration.
Install Type
Depending on whether the app is installing via MDM or Munki, there are different options for the way the app is installed.
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MDM install types:
- Manual: apps are only pushed to devices when “Push Assigned Apps” is selected via Actions.
- Auto Deploy: apps are pushed to devices automatically when a device joins the group.
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Munki install types:
- Managed: These apps are automatically installed to devices without user intervention. Users will not be presented the option to uninstall them via the Managed Software Center.
- Self Serve: These apps appear in the Managed Software Center on the user's computer. They may choose to install them at any time. They are not automatically installed.
- Default Installs: These apps are optional installs that users have the option to say no to installing, as well as the option to uninstall them via the Managed Software Center.
- Managed Updates: This method allows admins to update software through Munki even if the software was not originally installed on the devices via Munki.
Version Pinning
The Version dropdown allows admins to pin specific versions of apps so that they are not updated automatically beyond that version. This is only available for Shared Apps deployed via the SimpleMDM Munki integration.
- Selecting “Latest” will automatically make the latest version of the app available to devices to update.
- Selecting a specific version will only provide that version of the app to devices. Devices will not automatically receive updates to the app beyond the selected version.
