This article shows how you can set up android work profile on your android devices.
requirements
- your miradore site must have the premium plan or free trial enabled
- managed google play enterprise has been configured for your site
- devices are running android 6.0 or newer
- devices are connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data
- devices are not work-managed devices
although most do, some older android devices do not support managed profiles. If you run into errors and you are not sure if your device supports managed profiles, please download google testdpc from google play and try to create a managed profile using the app.
why set up android enterprise work profile?
Once the requirements are met, administrators can create a work profile on managed devices. The purpose of the work profile is to create a secure container for your work data and to separate private apps from work apps. Administrators can remotely manage the working container and silently deploy apps to any device running Android 5.1 or higher.
This is a particularly important solution for enterprises that support personal device deployment scenarios, allowing employees to bring personally owned devices to work and use those devices to access information and company’s privileged applications securely. , making sure that e.g. work contacts will not be filtered through private instant messaging applications.
When a work profile is created on the device, the miradore client functions as the profile owner of the work data and has only limited control outside of the job profile. This means that our client is no longer the administrator of the device and cannot, for example, install the samsung knox/safe configuration profiles or wipe the device. however, you can lock the device, install Wi-Fi networks, collect device location, and apply password policies as you normally would. the work profile can also be removed from the device at any time by either an administrator or the user.
how to enable work profile for legacy registered android devices
If you already manage an android device in device administrator mode, you can enable work profile from management > devices using the managed google play page > create account/work profile action button.
how to configure work profile on android devices
The following video explains what the android work profile is and guides you through the simple enrollment process. you can also follow the instructions written below.
see also article registration instructions for android users.
1. if the device is not yet managed with miradore, go to enrollment > enroll the device on your miradore site and choose the android platform.
2. select light to register a device using work profile mode.
3. add a device user: Enter the user’s email address and choose work profile. You can also choose to send the registration invitation by email and/or SMS to the user if necessary.
The system generates credentials for enrollment. read the qr code with the device or follow the steps to register in the work profile. if you have chosen to send the invitation to the device user, the system sends the credentials to the device user.
The following images show how the enrollment process continues at the end of the device. First, the user must click the enroll now button in the email. this will take you to the google play store. then clicks install now and install, which starts the installation of the miradore client application.
The user waits for the miradore online client installation to complete and clicks open to open the application. after that, the app displays a privacy lockout explaining what data the app collects and what it is used for. the user must carefully read the information provided and give their consent for data collection before continuing.
Next, the device user must allow all permission requests from the miradore app.
note that miradore respects user privacy and security. no one can access personal contacts, phone calls, text messages, instant messages, files or photos of the user through miradore.
The actual creation of the work profile begins immediately after the miradore online client installation is complete and the client has successfully connected to your miradore site for the first time.
The device user can see a round lookout icon in the notification area when the client asks the user to approve the creation of the work profile.
Please note that your device must be encrypted before continuing. the encryption process may require the device’s battery to be charged to 80% and the device to be plugged in. when encryption is complete, creation of the managed profile continues.
Setting up your android enterprise work profile takes a few minutes. the miradore app will display the managed profile created screen to the device user when the profile creation has completed successfully.
After a successful configuration of the work profile, the miradore online client can be removed from the main user profile running on the device. the uninstall will prompt the user automatically. after the uninstallation of the client, the configuration is ready on the device end. the device user can recognize work profile apps by the orange briefcase icon.
The show device button is activated in miradore once enrollment is complete. you can open the device form to view details about the device. you can track the enrollment in the device action log and also on the enrollment log page.
The default profile owner tag is added for each device where the work profile has been successfully enabled. this helps identify work profile devices on your lookout site and can be used, for example, to create a separate business policy for work profile enabled devices.
A work profile can also be automatically enabled for devices during the device admin enrollment process. simply add an afw tag to the enrollment or user and the work profile will be automatically installed on the android device that is registered with the created credentials.
Note that after a successful registration of the work profile, the tag “profile owner” (not “afw”) will be added for the device in miradore.
troubleshooting
If the device’s google play store is older than the required version, it must be updated to ensure that a managed google play account can be created in the work profile. The play store should update automatically in the background, as long as the user is logged into google play.
We have noticed that sometimes on android 6 devices, work profile creation fails because the version of play store on those devices is out of date and automatic updates do not work. You can try to solve this problem by manually starting the installation of updates from play store. You can do this by tapping the build number option in the play store settings.
more information
- about managing android devices
- how to install managed apps from google play