Block app, allow browser accessSolved

Participant
Discussion
3 years ago

Hi guys, we provide our interns with Android tablets for WFH assignments. Some of them use work devices for personal use and install apps such as Netflix and Prime, which end up eating into the device’s internal memory. Deleting the cache and data becomes a headache for IT later. So, we have to enforce more substantial restrictions. Would blacklisting apps block the installation of such apps???

Replies (3)

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Participant
3 years ago
Marked SolutionPending Review

I hear you, @Ezequiel. We had the same issue with our students. We provided a few students with devices for online classes and blacklisted YouTube, but kids are smart! They just typed it into the browser. So, if you are going to block apps, add a web content filter for their websites too.

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Hexnode Expert
3 years ago
Marked SolutionPending Review

Hi @Ezequiel,

Thank you for using Hexnode Connect!

Sure! You can use blacklisting apps for Android devices before they are installed. Users are not allowed to install or update a blacklisted app. Blacklisting won’t hide already installed apps unless the device is enrolled in Android Enterprise. Also, in Samsung Knox, blacklisting an already installed app will not remove an app or hide its icon, and the users are allowed to access the apps.  Instead, Hexnode will mark them as ‘non-compliant,’ and the admin is notified via email if notification is enabled from Admin> Notifications.
With web content filtering, blacklisting a URL blocks access to it in the browsers. However, it is possible to access the corresponding app. The blacklisting and web content filtering policies work separately. Applying policies that blacklist the apps and block their corresponding websites on your target devices would meet your requirements.

I hope this answers your query.

Regards,
Ethan Miller

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Participant
3 years ago
Marked SolutionPending Review

Thank you, @Ethan. Honestly, we wouldn’t be too mad if they stuck to the browser. That way, it is not as data-intensive.