Deploy Managed Google Play Apps

This article describes the process of adding a Managed Google Play store app to Microsoft Intune and assigning it to Android Enterprise devices.

Before you begin

Confirm that the following requirements are met before proceeding:

• Intune and Android Enterprise connection. 
  Your Intune tenant account is already connected to your Managed Google Play account.
   
• Admin role. 
  You must have the appropriate Intune administrator permissions to add and assign apps.
   
• Managed Google Play app types. 
  Ensure you understand the difference between Managed Google Play store apps (publicly available), private apps (Line-of-Business apps), and web links. This guide focuses on adding publicly available store apps.

Add a Managed Google Play store app

Use the Microsoft Intune admin center to browse, select, and synchronize public apps from Managed Google Play.

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
2. Go to the following location: 
   • Apps » All Apps » Create
      
3. In the Select app type pane: 
   1. Select Store app from the Category dropdown. 
   2. Select Managed Google Play app. 
   3. Click Select.  
      Select the Store app and Managed Google Play app options, then click Select.  
       
4. The Managed Google Play app store will display within Intune.
   1. Browse or search for the app you want to add 
   2. Click on the app card to view its details page. 
   3. On the details page, click Select to mark the app as approved.
       
5. Click the Sync icon on top to add the app to Intune's All apps list.

To verify, go back to Apps » All Apps and check that the new app now appears in the list. Note that app sync between Intune and the Managed Google Play store is not automatic. Admins must manually click Sync each time a new app is marked as approved.

Assign the app to devices

Once the app appears in the All Apps list, you can assign it to your Android Enterprise devices. We advise that you organize your ViewBoard panels into device groups for easier assignment.

1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
2. Go to the following location: 
   • Apps » All Apps
      
3. Select the Managed Google Play app you just added.
    
4. Once the Properties page of the app opens:
   1. Select Properties under the Manage section.
   2. Scroll down to Assignments and click Edit.
       
5. The next page presents  Assignment types available for this app. Decide on a type for your app and perform the following under that type's section:
   1. Click the Add group link.
   2. Select groups that contain the devices you want to assign this app to.
   3. Click Select to confirm the group selection.
       
6. Click Review + save to finalize the assignment.

App package names

When troubleshooting sync issues or restoring hidden system apps, be aware that Intune will often use the app's package name instead of the app's published name in the event logs. Refer to the table below for the package names of commonly installed apps on ViewSonic ViewBoards.