How to use Single App Mode (SAM) in iOS

Updated 2 years ago by Sriram Kakarala

For Supervised iOS devices deployed for kiosk usage it becomes important to set one application to run always. Scalefusion offers you a mechanism where you can set one application run always. This is referred to as Single App Mode.

This document guides on how to configure Single App Mode using Device Profiles.

Before you Begin

Make sure to read our How to Create a Device Profile help document.
Note that this feature works only on Supervised device and devices enrolled as corporate devices. Devices enrolled as User devices (via User invites) does not support Single App Mode.

Single App Mode can be set only on Supervised devices with Device Profiles set to Allow or Block applications.

How to use Single App Mode

Login to Scalefusion Dashboard.
Choose to Create or Edit an existing profile.
In the Select Apps section enable the application that you want to set up in Single App Mode.
Navigate to the Restrictions section and click on the SINGLE APP MODE tab.
Choose Single App Mode option as shown in the reference image.
From the Default Application Dropdown, select an application that you want to set in Single App Mode. You can choose one app from the applications that you have allowed in the Select Apps section of Device Profile.
Additionally, you can control the following settings when in Single App Mode.

Setting	Description
Enable Auto Lock	Allow the devices to be Locked.
Enable Screen Rotation	Allow the orientation to be changed if the setting has been enabled in Settings.
Enable Volume Buttons	Allow users to change volume.
Enable Sleep & Wake Button	Enable the power button to function.
Enable Touch	Allow the screen touches to function.
Enable Ringer Switch	Allow the user’s to use the ringer switch.
Enable Additional Website	Lets users allow unique URLs per device if Safari is set in Single App mode. This setting gets enabled only when Safari is selected as the Default application. After selecting the checkbox, Enter a custom property based URL that is $device.url Enter a name as the website title and then save it. For all the devices where this custom property based URL is available this will be added to the list and the URL will be allowed for that device only.

7. Click on Create Profile or Update Profile to save the settings.

8. On all the iOS devices this profile is applied, the selected app will run in Single App Mode.

Note that Disabling Touch and Enabling Sleep & Wake Button can lock-down the iOS device if the device is protected with a passcode.

If you have set an application that you have enabled in Apple App Store or Enterprise Store, then first the application will be installed if not present and then the device will be set in single app mode.

In Single App Mode, even though you have allowed multiple apps in Select Apps section, only the selected app will be allowed to run.

Applications shown in Single App Mode Dropdown

When you are in Restrictions > Single App Mode section, you see a list of applications in the dropdown. These applications are,

You can choose from the list of Applications that are allowed in Select Apps section, including your Enterprise applications.
1. From the Allowed applications, only a subset of iOS default apps are allowed to be set as default. These are,
  1. FaceTime, Files, Home, iBooks, Maps, Apple Music, Photo Booth, Podcasts, Videos, Camera, Clock, Photos, Safari.
Applications added to your Apple App Store OR Enterprise Store are first installed if they are already not before setting the single app mode on device.

Updating the Single App Mode Application

Apps Published from Apple Store

Currently, we don’t support in-place updates for Apple App Store applications due to the way they are handled in iOS. We advise to switch the device(s) to a profile with only this application, but not set as Single App Mode. Then update the application from Apple App Store and then switch back to the profile with Single App Mode.

For Unsupervised devices, users will be shown a dialog and they have to click Update.

Apps Published from Enterprise Store

There is nothing special to do. Please update the IPA file or Plist link file as described in How to Publish Enterprise Apps document to update the app and then publish to the Profile. The Enterprise application will be updated in-place and relaunch.