Environment
- Knox Manage (KM)
- Android Enterprise
Overview
This knowledge base article provides information on managing personal Gmail accounts in a Managed Google Play Store, including how to allow or block users from adding their personal accounts using Knox Manage (KM), and how to restrict users from downloading certain apps.
A Managed Google Play Store serves as a content marketplace for devices on Android Enterprise—here, you can browse and manage apps for your organization. Applications that have not been approved or assigned in KM do not appear in a Managed Google Play Store.
How do I allow users to download public apps not in the Managed Play Store?
To download an app from the public Play Store, users must add and switch to a personal Google account on the device. To do this:
- Navigate to Settings > Accounts and Backup > Accounts.
- Under Add personal Google account, enter the credentials for your personal Google account.
- From your work profile, launch the Managed Play Store and switch to your personal Google account.
You can now download public apps outside of the Managed Play Store.
How can I block users from downloading unapproved applications with a personal Google account in Knox Manage?
Account Blacklist
- In your KM console, select Profile > Add to create a new device profile.
- In the profile settings, ensure Android Enterprise is selected under Platform.
- In the Set Policy menu, navigate to Android Enterprise > System.
- Under Account Modification, select Allow.
- Under Account Blacklist, add “com.google” to prevent users from adding personal Google accounts.
- In KM, approve and assign the Samsung Email app to your device’s organization or group.
- On the device, launch Samsung Email and add a personal Google account.
Account Modification
- In your KM console, select Profile > Add to create a new device profile.
- In the profile settings, ensure Android Enterprise is selected under Platform.
- In the Set Policy menu, navigate to Android Enterprise > System.
- Under Account Modification, select Disallow.
- After configuring this policy, users are unable to add any personal accounts, including Google accounts, in the Managed Google Play Store.
Additional information
- To learn more about KM policies, please refer to the KM admin guide.
- Read more about the Managed Google Play Store on the Samsung Insights blog.