Option for MDM to place app shortcuts on home screen

Hey Lizzie​,

even I'm from same spot as Stinus​ i think i can add more relevant information why a "kiosk" mode isn't a solution to us in any way. Just put on some facts:

• We provide configurations somehow globally to entire fleet if possible (if settings are the same).
• We try to have the settings in any country the same where "country" is the minimum to have the same setup from mobile side.
• But we can have different apps provided per country (yes many are the same but some countries have additional specific ones like voip app,...).

Negatives of a kiosk/lockdown (such in our scenario, there are ofc in other scenarios positives):

• With lockdown we remove the ability for stores to find more effective ways to sort the apps (we might be get notified about new order wished because was tested already by stores)
  • Result: Less flexibility / improvement
• With lockdown we remove the ability to freely remove/add other shortcuts (even for ex. chrome web-shortcuts) if a (single) store finds it usefull.
  • Result: Less flexibility
• If we would go with kiosk mode, we most likely would need to provide (worst case scenario) one kiosk (Lockdown called in our MDM) profile configuration per country (~30) to provide stores all relevant apps.
  • Result: Massive workload in configuration and MDM distribution
• On each change (app removed, app added, placement changed) we would need to change it for minimum one country, most likely many countries (so up to ~30 times).
  • Result: Massive workload in configuration/management

If we could arrange icons on homescreen from Android:

• We keep the flexibility for the users
• We don't need to take care of any app regarding shortcut (we only want to place some of the most important ones to defined places)
• A change (app or placement changes) would be a change in one profile (way less configuration/management effort)
• If it would be implemented in native Android:
  • No need of external launchers
    • maybe saving money (if a chosen launcher would come with costs)
    • one less app/license to be managed
    • still using native Android (troubleshooting is easier as external launchers also can be the cause of issues)
  • making Android more flexible in this area which would mean also more attractive to enterprise
  • some OS (partially) provide this already 
    • Motorola via oem config (in total)
    • Samsung via oem config (only for DEX screen)

And yes, there are few things which also need to be defined (maybe by options), like: Should these icons be "sticky" on their position or after first placement being allowed to be moved around? Should they moved back when they got deleted or moved? And so on...

In general we would need ideally X and Y placement + page + option if sticky or not (maybe per app). Everything could be an option by MDM (if you want to move them back if they got moved, just provide this setting again on a checkin resulting the icons to be moved to their defined position again).