Disable Packages

Disable Packages is a Launcher feature that enables disabling packages at start up (after configuration is loaded).

Overview

Disable Packages is a Launcher feature that enforces the organization's security policies on your Android enterprise devices. It prevents users from installing unwanted apps that can take up more storage space, compromise data security, and even distract users from focusing on their tasks.

User Guide

This feature disables packages after start-up. Packages can only be disabled after loading the configuration. Only packages that are not in the ‘protected’ list of applications will be disabled. For instance, a device administrator cannot disable com.bluefletch.ems.support.

1. After loading the configuration is loaded, this feature will disable all packages in the disablePackages collection.

2. If the package exists within the Protected List collection, it will not be disabled.

Feature Configuration

To set up the Disable Packages feature for a particular device profile or device group, please follow the steps below:

Setting Up Packages to be Disabled

The example below shows a list of packages to be disabled:

"disablePackages": [
         "com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox",
         "com.android.browser"
 ]

Disabling Individual Activities in Various OEMs

The capability around disabling individual components/activities within a package differ by OEM.

• Zebra: EMDK does not support disabling individual activities; attempting to disable an activity will disable the whole package.

• Samsung: Knox supports disabling individual activities.

• Platform-signed OEMs: The BlueFletch Platform Service APK supports disabling individual activities, so OEMs that platform sign can support this functionality while the Platform Service app is installed and running.

The format for a disabled activity string is "<package name>/<package.activity>".

Example:

"disablePackages": [
         "com.android.settings/com.android.settings.applications.InstalledAppDetails"
 ]

Disable Packages was introduced in Launcher 2.8.x.