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M
mma_OCWS
Level 1.6: Donut
January 15, 2025
Solved

Hide an app in the private Google play store

  • January 15, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 3 views

Hello,

 

I have a client who would like to deploy applications while hiding them directly from the Google Play Store.

 

The customer is on the EMM solution "Ivanti Neurons for MDM (formerly MobileIron Cloud)

Ivanti has made an option available to hide applications but this only allows applications to be hidden on Ivanti's own application store (and not on the Google Play Store).

 

Do you know if there is an option outside of the EMM console (e.g. via play.google.com/work) to deploy an app to a user but while hiding it on the client's private Google Play Store ?

Best answer by mattdermody

The particular use case doesn't make sense to me but if I was trying to achieve this goal I would likely leverage some form of kiosk mode and then block the end user access to Google Play completely. 

2 replies

M
mattdermody
Level 3.0: Honeycomb
January 18, 2025

I am not sure about the capabilities of Neurons but some custom DPC based EMMs like SOTI MobiControl, 42Gears, and, WS1 allow you to install APKs directly on the devices without involving Google Play at all. That would certainly solve this particular problem.

    M
    mma_OCWSAuthor
    Level 1.6: Donut
    January 23, 2025

    Hello,

     

    Thank you for your feedback.

     

    I think you are talking about being able to import an application in Application In House mode:

     

     

    In fact, this functionality allows the application to be deployed silently and with the “hide the app” option.

     

    However, this feature is only for private applications and for versioning.

     

    My customer would like to be able to deploy a public app (like Adobe acrobat reader for example) and make it hidden on the Google Play Store

    M
    mattdermodyAnswer
    Level 3.0: Honeycomb
    January 23, 2025

    The particular use case doesn't make sense to me but if I was trying to achieve this goal I would likely leverage some form of kiosk mode and then block the end user access to Google Play completely. 

      M
      mma_OCWSAuthor
      Level 1.6: Donut
      January 27, 2025

      Hello,

       

      Thank you very much for your feedback.

       

      I conclude that it is not possible to hide applications on the Google Play Store, except by directly hiding the package name of the Google Play Store application.

       

      I will provide this feedback to the customer

        Moombas
        Moombas
        Level 4.4: KitKat
        January 28, 2025

        As said, you can do this only with sideloading (ideally by EMM) and/or not granting access to playstore by using a kiosk screen.

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