NOTE: The Workflow actions available to you depend on the Workflow model you select, the MDM system you use, and the OS of your devices.
Mobile Access Management can arrange the app icons on your devices. This action can be applied either before or after the apps have actually been installed on the device. If you set the icon arrangement before the app is installed, the app will appear in the position you had specified once it’s downloaded.
App positions are now locked in place, which means they can’t be deleted or moved. Also, adding Web Clips no longer breaks the arrangement.
About App IDs
App IDs the unique identifiers developers give their apps. Every iOS app has a bundle ID — public apps, enterprise apps, B2B apps. App IDs almost always use a sort of “reverse hostname” scheme to identify the app:
- com.apple.games
- com.apple.Preview
- com.apple.mobilephone
- com.air-watch.agent
- com.google.chrome.ios
For more information, see the list of common App IDs. For other apps, you can find the App ID within your MDM system. Note that capitalization is important.
Basic Icon Arrangement Structure
The structure of the Icon Arrangement is a JSON object with two items, Dock and Pages. MAM supports HOCON, which is a much simpler format – you just need to ensure you use the square brackets correctly.
While not required, you can add as many extra spaces, returns and even commas which may make it easier to read and arrange.
Dock: [ ] Pages: [ ]
The Dock item is a simple array of App IDs. For example:
Dock: [com.apple.mobilesafari, com.apple.Preferences]
The Pages item is a double array of App IDs. Each inner array represents a page on the device.
Pages: [ [com.apple.mobilemail, com.apple.facetime] [com.apple.mobilecal] ]
The structure above puts Mail and FaceTime on the first page, and Calendar on the second page.
Folders
You can add a folder by using an array where the App ID would have been.
- The first item in the array is the folder name.
- The second item is an array of App IDs.
- Additional arrays may be used, and will represent additional pages within the folder.
[ Extras [com.apple.MobileAddressBook, com.apple.videos] [com.apple.reminders, com.apple.news] ]
The structure above represents a folder named Extras. The first page of the folder includes the apps Contacts and Videos. The second page includes Reminders and News.
Overloading Apps
There is no problem if you include App IDs that the device will never see.
This technique is useful so you can re-use the same structure with different workflows. iOS will automatically shift apps to remove any blanks. You can even put too many apps in the Dock, or in a folder. Any additional apps, once installed on your device, will move themselves to the last page.
Web Clips
iOS is able to arrange Web Clips pushed through MDM as well as apps, just add your Web Clip to the icon arrangement in quotes.
For example, if you’re adding https://www.imprivata.com, add it as “https://www.imprivata.com”.
Default Structure
The default Icon Arrangement has no apps in the dock, and all Apple apps in a folder named Extras. We have included a combination of apps from iPhones and iPads. You may find the list below helpful as you create your own arrangements.
Dock: [ com.apple.Preferences com.apple.mobilesafari com.apple.camera ] Pages: [ [ [ Extras [ com.apple.mobilephone com.apple.facetime com.apple.mobilecal com.apple.mobileslideshow com.apple.MobileAddressBook com.apple.mobiletimer com.apple.videos ] [ com.apple.news com.apple.MobileStore com.apple.AppStore com.apple.iBooks com.apple.MobileSMS com.apple.mobilemail com.apple.Music com.apple.Photo-Booth ] [ com.apple.gamecenter com.apple.tips com.apple.podcasts com.apple.mobileme.fmf1 com.apple.mobileme.fmip1 com.apple.Maps com.apple.mobilenotes com.apple.Passbook ] [ com.apple.Health com.apple.calculator com.apple.compass com.apple.VoiceMemos com.apple.Bridge com.apple.weather com.apple.stocks com.apple.reminders ] [ com.apple.mobilegarageband com.apple.iMovie com.apple.itunesu com.apple.Keynote com.apple.Numbers com.apple.Pages com.apple.tv ] [ com.apple.Home com.apple.PlaygroundsBeta com.apple.clips ] ] ] ]