MDM silent installation allows IT teams to remotely install approved apps on Android and iOS devices without requiring manual user action, depending on the device ownership, enrollment method, and platform permissions. It helps businesses deploy work apps faster, maintain app consistency, reduce setup effort, and ensure managed devices have the required applications for productivity, security, and daily operations.
Key Takeaways
Silent app installation allows IT teams to remotely deploy required Android and iOS applications without user prompts, reducing setup time and ensuring devices remain work-ready.
- Eliminate User Intervention: Silent installation pushes applications directly to managed devices without requiring employees to approve, download, or manually complete the installation process.
- Meet Platform Requirements: Android devices generally require Android Enterprise enrollment, while iOS deployments rely on Apple Business Manager and Apps and Books licenses for unattended installation.
- Deploy Apps at Scale: IT administrators can add approved applications to a centralized repository and publish them to individual devices, device groups, or profiles in bulk.
- Support Free and Paid Applications: Organizations can silently distribute managed Google Play apps on Android and both free and licensed App Store apps on supervised iPhones and iPads.
- Improve Consistency and Productivity: Automated deployment reduces configuration errors, keeps application versions current, minimizes IT involvement, and ensures employees receive essential work apps promptly.
The default behavior of operating systems–iOS and Android–prompts users to click Next at the end of each step. Silent app installation, also referred to as unattended installation, allows installation of apps on a user’s mobile device without any prompts to update or install an app.
The main benefit of silent app installation is that it requires minimum IT involvement. Moreover, the procedure enables enterprises to provide bulk installation of apps over the air.
What is silent app installation for Android devices
A silent app installation is a feasible option when companies need to install mandatory apps on company-owned devices or work profiles that do not require user consent. Devices enrolled in the Android Enterprise Management program support the silent installation of apps on Android devices and IT admins can install apps without any end-user installation.
Benefits of Scalefusion UEM for silent application installations
- Zero user interaction: Push apps to devices without requiring any user input.
- Fast deployment: Install applications instantly across all endpoints.
- Fewer errors: Reduce mistakes from manual installations.
- Always updated: Keep every device current with the latest versions.
- Scalable management: Handle bulk deployments easily, irrespective of the number of devices
How to silently install an app on Android devices:
1. Log in to the Scalefusion dashboard and go to the Application Management section of the dashboard.
2. Click Play for Work Apps > Add from Playstore
3. Select apps from the list or search for the required app(s)
4. Click the app of choice. Then click Select to add the app to the repository
5. Click on Publish for silent installation
6. Select the Silent Installation button
7. Select Device Groups / Device Profiles / Devices to publish the app
8. Click on Publish to silently install the app
Silent App Installation for iOS Devices
Organizations that use Apple Business Manager and its’ VPP (volume purchase program) can opt for silent app installation on their iOS devices. Scalefusion MDM can be used to silently install free as well as paid apps via VPP.
Step 1. Purchasing the Required Apps
1. Go to the Apple Business Manager portal and login with your account credentials. The VPP is available within the ABM account unique to your organization
2. Click your name on the bottom half of the screen and go to Preferences > Payments and Billing
3. Click on Apps and Books; search and select the app to purchase the licenses
4. Under Quantity, specify the number of licenses required and click on Get
Note: The total number of app licenses purchased by a user applies to the same number of enrolled devices the user manages on Scalefusion
Step 2. Installing the Purchased Apps
The purchased apps can now be deployed on iOS devices enrolled in Scalefusion. To install the application:
1. Go to the Application Management section on the Scalefusion dashboard. Click Apple App Store > Add from App Store. Now, you can select the apps and click Publish to continue the silent app installation process.
2. Select the Silently Install button > Choose the devices to install the app > Click Publish
Once the above steps are complete as per the OS, the selected devices on Scalefusion MDM are all set for silent installation of the required apps.
Wrapping Up
With heavy usage of mobile devices at work, IT teams need to ensure that devices are ready for use by installing all the necessary work apps. Scalefusion installs apps silently without any user action, making bulk installation of apps easier.
