Apps open then close immediately on Supervised device

Apple iOS
1

I’ve got a whitelist defined in Apple Configurator that allows a custom vendor app, the Mobile@Work app for MobileIron, and calculator. Calculator opens, but the other two apps close immediately after opening. Removing the supervised profile changes the behavior - they don’t close immediately - but they still don’t work.

What am I missing? I suspect something is being restricted that is preventing the apps from launching properly, but I have no idea what that could be.

2

An application closing immediately generally means the application has crashed, try checking the app crash logs on the device.

Instructions here:

Can you explain what is not working?

3

I’ve determined that it’s because I am setting up iPhone 5c’s with a Supervised configuration and pushing the apps using Configurator - they close immediately because the iTunes store is prohibited on these devices, so they cannot launch because there is no iTunes user set up. I’m guessing they (the apps) don’t know where their licensing is.

Now the challenge is how to get them enrolled in MobileIron so the configuration and licensing for apps is pushed, but I can’t launch the app to enroll them from the device.

4

Are you enrolled for Apple DEP?

I would avoid using configurator and instead just enrol the device via DEP and push configuration profiles, you can then assign the apps via VPP to the device rather then the user which in turn should resolve the licensing issue.

5

Can’t use DEP on these… they are 5c iPhones that can’t run iOS 11, which DEP requires. Thanks, Apple. The only workaround I can think of is to temporarily sign in to the iTunes store to get the MobileIron app working, at which point I can enroll them. But that sucks as a solution for 50 or so devices.

6

Can you enable the iTunes App in configuration and then just hide the app store icon instead?

7

Do an agent-less enrolment and use VPP to push the client

8

Thanks Drew. The core problem is that the network these devices are attached to does not have access to VPP, although I am pushing that with management. I’ve been working with MobileIron and we’ve made progress; we sideload the apps using Configurator and then let MobileIron take over. In MobileIron we have set the app to a device-based license. This seems to work, but without VPP access on that network, the apps will never update. We’re getting there!