Configuring Custom Apps and Distributing using Scalefusion
Custom apps are apps developed to meet your organisation’s specific business needs by you or a third-party developer. These are the apps which are designed to be used internally within an organization and therefore not hosted on App Store. They are distributed privately and securely to members of your organisation through Apple Business Manager.
Once custom apps are configured, Scalefusion offers a provision which is a simple and easy way to distribute them to all the managed devices or devices in selected Device Profiles.
This document guides you through the process of configuring custom apps and distributing the apps on Mac and iOS devices using Scalefusion.
How Does it Work
The developers submit custom apps through App Store Connect and assign the apps to Apple Business Manager account. Once approved, they are available to your organisation, so that only you can view and access them.
Before You Begin
- You should have an account on App Store Connect and Apple Business Manager portal
- VPP should be setup on Scalefusion Dashboard. To learn more about how to set up VPP, please visit here.
How to build and configure a custom app
Custom app development follows the same process as a normal app does. Custom apps are configured through App Store Connect.
To configure a custom app in Appstore Connect portal, please follow the below steps
- Login to App Store Connect portal on your browser.
- On AppStore Connect dashboard, tap on plus icon next to Apps and select New App option
- In the New App dialogue box that opens, enter the details like Name of app, Platform (iOS, Mac etc.) as per requirement and click Create.
- The app gets created and starts reflecting on the Apps page (shown in Step #2)
- Now click on the created app and select Pricing and Availability from the left menu.
- Scroll down to the App Distribution Methods section and select Private as App Distribution method.
- Enter the organisation/developer details (Organization Id, Organization name) to whom the custom app should be available in Apple Business Manager.
- Click Save and continue.
- The app will undergo review process and once approved, it’ll be available in the ABM accounts of the organizations that were specified in Step #6.
Distributing a custom app using Scalefusion
The organizations that you identify can see your app and purchase it in the Content section of Apple Business Manager and seamlessly distribute it through Scalefusion. Following is the procedure:
- Login to Apple Business Manager portal. Click on Custom Apps in the left menu.
- The list of available custom apps are displayed. Purchase the custom app(s) by selecting the app and entering all details in Buy Licenses section.
- Now, on the Scalefusion dashboard, navigate to Application Management > Apple AppStore.
- Your custom app should be displayed here. If not, click on the Sync VPP Apps button. Once available, you can publish your custom app to the devices.
To know about how to Sync and View your VPP assets please refer to our guide on How to Install VPP Applications on iOS Devices OR How to Install VPP Applications on macOS Devices.
