App Protection also Locks Managed Playstore

Question

Hello, 
 
 i want to define a policy where I am locking an app as a Admin using App protection. i don't want user to control that app. problem is when locking an aap this policy also locks Managed Playstore. any idea.

Jasmin · Answer

Hi Zeeshan Siddiqui 
 Would you please suggest whether you are using Sophos Central mobile or Sophos Mobile Control on-prem? 
 I am assuming that you are using Android Enterprise to manage devices. You need to check the application group which is defined under the application protection policy in the Sophos Mobile as App protection will block all the applications mentioned in that application group.

Jasmin · Answer

Hi Zeeshan Siddiqui 
 Android devices can be enrolled through two methods. First is device Profile enrollment where you directly assign policies when you don't have managed google account/domain. Another one is Android Enterprise enrollment where you have google managed account/domain through which you can control allowed application and other policies on the company devices. 
 Now, when you have enrolled the device through Device Profile where Google play store account is user-generated not managed by Organization. To make App protection effective on those devices, by design, google play store will be locked, so the user can't uninstall the application from the device. 
 For Android Enterprise, as google account is managed through Organization, this can be changed but by design Android enterprise also has the same functionality as device enrollment in this feature but this can be changed for Android Enterprise. They will take this into the consideration and will try to change this functionality but there is no timeline for it. 
 Please let us know if you have any other query.