Configure Policy Applications

With Samsara Mobile Experience Management (MEM), Samsara includes the following apps for your enrolled devices:

• Samsara Agent: Required to facilitate communication with the Samsara Cloud. This app always runs in the background and is responsible for authenticating devices and transmitting data such as the device location.

• Launcher App: Required if you want to customize the home screen of your devices and utilize focus mode.

• Samsara Driver App: (Optional) Used to manage driver HOS, dispatch and routing, and other driver workflows.

• Samsara Remote Support App: (Optional) Used to view and manage the device screen for enrolled devices.

As part of your managed devices MEM policy, you can also customize additional applications, Wi-Fi configurations, settings restrictions, and other rules by which your enrolled devices must adhere. You can create one or many policies that will be automatically pushed to all Wi-Fi connected enrolled devices.

To configure additional applications:

1. Select the Settings icon ( ) at the bottom of your Fleet menu to view dashboard settings.

2. Before you configure app and OS updates, Enroll Your Organization.

3. In MEM, select Policy.

4. Create or edit an MEM Policy.

5. On the Applications tab, select Add Applications.

6. Choose from the available options to add an application.

   

   • Add from Google Play Store

   • Add Private Apps

   • Add Web Apps

   • Add by Package Name

   • Add Samsara Launcher

   • Add Samsara Remote Support

   Add from Google Play Store

   Use the Google Play Search to quickly add an app to deploy to your managed devices.

   1. Browse to or search for the name of the app you want to add.

      

   2. Click the app, and then click Select.

   3. Enter identifying about the app and then Add Application.

      

      • Samsara pre-populates the Package Name.

      • Display Name: (Optional) Enter a name to identify the app.

      • Install Type: Choose your preference for how the app is installed.

      • User Permission: Enable the level of permissions with the app (Prompt, Deny, Grant).

      • Google Play Store Updates: Enable update preferences for apps downloaded from the Google Play Store.

        • Automatic with low priority: only update the application when the following conditions are all met:

          • The device is connected to the internet

          • The device is charging

          • The device is not being actively used

          • The application to update is not running in the foreground

            Note

            Samsara Agent and Samsara Launcher run in the foreground. As a result, they will only update automatically with this status if the system update in the policy is set to Windowed.

        • Automatic with high priority: Applications, even those that run in the foreground, will update as soon as possible after the device connects to the internet.

        • Postpone 90 days: Applications update 90 days after they first became out of date

          Note

          Samsara Agent and Samsara Launcher run in the foreground. As a result, they will only update automatically with this status if the system update in the policy is set to Windowed.

      • Display on Home Screen and Display on Driving Screen: If Samsara Launcher is installed, you will also have the option to show/hide the application on the device Home Screen while the vehicle is stopped. If you have a Focus Mode selected, you will also have the option to show/hide the application available on the Samsara Launcher Driving Screen while the vehicle is in motion.

        You can always visit all apps that are installed on the device by selecting the All Apps button at the bottom of the screen.

        For the configuration to appear on your device home screen, you must have provisioned and fully set up the Samsara Agent on your device.

      After you add the application, you will see it in the list of apps for your MEM policy.

   Add Private Apps

   If your organization uses a private app, you can upload the APK for distribution to your devices.

   1. Click the + in the bottom right.

      

   2. Enter a descriptive Title up to 50 characters for the app and then Upload APK.

      Ensure the APK is properly signed and has a package name that is globally unique from other APKs (including private APKs) in the Play Store.

      

   3. Click Create when finished to add the app to your list of apps in your MEM policy.

   Add Web Apps

   If your device users need to access an app over the web, you can create a custom tile for the app using the web URL.

   1. Click the + in the bottom right.

      

   2. Enter a descriptive Title and URL for the app.

      

   3. Choose the app Display mode: Full screen, Standalone, or Minimal UI.

   4. Click Upload icon to upload an image to use as the app tile on your managed device.

      Icons should be 512px square, and either png or jpeg format. You must also ensure that your app title and image follow the Google Play Developer Program Policies.

   5. Click Create when finished to add the app to your list of apps in your MEM policy.

   Add by Package Name

   If you prefer to add a package by package name, you can add it without searching.

   • Enter identifying about the app and then Add Application.

     

     • Enter the Package Name Google uses to identify the app.

     • Display Name: (Optional) Enter a name to identify the app.

     • Install Type: Choose your preference for how the app is installed.

     • User Permission: Enable the level of permissions with the app (Prompt, Deny, Grant).

     • Google Play Store Updates: Enable update preferences for apps downloaded from the Google Play Store.

       • Automatic with low priority: only update the application when the following conditions are all met:

         • The device is connected to the internet

         • The device is charging

         • The device is not being actively used

         • The application to update is not running in the foreground

           Note

           Samsara Agent and Samsara Launcher run in the foreground. As a result, they will only update automatically with this status if the system update in the policy is set to Windowed.

       • Automatic with high priority: Applications, even those that run in the foreground, will update as soon as possible after the device connects to the internet.

       • Postpone 90 days: Applications update 90 days after they first became out of date

         Note

         Samsara Agent and Samsara Launcher run in the foreground. As a result, they will only update automatically with this status if the system update in the policy is set to Windowed.

     • Display on Home Screen and Display on Driving Screen: If Samsara Launcher is installed, you will also have the option to show/hide the application on the device Home Screen while the vehicle is stopped. If you have a Focus Mode selected, you will also have the option to show/hide the application available on the Samsara Launcher Driving Screen while the vehicle is in motion.

       You can always visit all apps that are installed on the device by selecting the All Apps button at the bottom of the screen.

       For the configuration to appear on your device home screen, you must have provisioned and fully set up the Samsara Agent on your device.

     After you add the application, you will see it in the list of apps for your MEM policy.

   Add Samsara Launcher

   The Samsara Launcher is an app installed in a policy replaces the device home screen and allows the screen to be customized.

   Configuring the Samsara Launcher in the Samsara dashboard allows you to enable a locked driving screen and set which applications are available on device home screens while the vehicle is stopped and in-motion. In addition, you can create multiple launcher configurations and associate them with policies that are assigned to a subset of devices.

   1. To add the Samsara Launch App, select Add Samsara Launcher.

   2. If needed, you can later uninstall the Samsara Launcher from the action menu indicated by three dots ( ... ).

   Add Samsara Remote Support

   The Samsara Remote Support App enables you to view and control device screens of enrolled devices.

   1. To add the Samsara Remote Support App, select Add Samsara Remote Support.

   2. Configure Remote Support.

   3. If needed, you can later uninstall the Samsara Remote Support App from the action menu indicated by three dots ( ... ).

7. In the top right, Publish to <X> devices. Samsara will deliver the policy update to the devices as soon as they connect to the internet.

   

8. At any time, you can return to the Applications tab, and select the action menu indicated by three dots ( ... ) in the row of an app to:

   • Edit application details.

   • Manage advanced application settings, if supported by the application.

   • Remove and uninstall applications from your policy.

     Note

     Only applications with install type of available can be manually installed in the Play Store. Only applications with install type of pre-installed or available can be manually uninstalled in the Play Store.