Operational Defect Database
BugZero updated this defect 33 days ago.
Data sources
All data on this page is proprietary to BugZero® or gathered from public sources
VMware | 95399
Action Required: Retiring Android Legacy Device Management
Last update date:
4/16/2024
Affected products:
Workspace ONE
Affected releases:
No affected releases provided.
Fixed releases:
No fixed releases provided.
Description:
Details
Note: This article has been updated to reflect new, final timelines for removal of Android (Legacy) code from Workspace ONE Android Intelligent Hub. The article also reflects that action to prevent automatic updates is only required on Android 8+ GMS devices (previously Android 7+ GMS devices).Managing Android devices using the Android Legacy framework, also known as Device Administrator, reached End of Support (EOS) on March 31st, 2022. To further solidify our focus on management of devices through the modern Android Enterprise framework, Android Legacy device management will cease to work on versions of Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub released after Google's final release of Android 15. This will also coincide with the end of support for Android 7.x in Workspace ONE UEM. Google's release of Android 15 is expected to come as early as August, 2024.More information on Google's release timeline for Android 15 can be found here. Removal of Android Legacy Device Management from Intelligent Hub Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub 24.01 and higher no longer allow enrollment in Android Legacy mode for all devices – irrespective of OS version. Previously, only the enrollment of devices on Android 10 and higher was blocked. Furthermore, organizations will no longer be able to manage Android Legacy devices that update to a version of Intelligent Hub released after Google's release of Android 15, which will come as early as August 2024. If an Android Legacy device updates to a version of Hub released after this date, organizations will lose management capabilities including, but not limited to: Installing, updating, and removing resources, such as applications, profiles, and productsObtaining updated device information, such as network information, location, security posture, system details like OS and patch versions, and moreEnforcing compliance policiesRemotely wiping devicesRemotely removing management from devices
Solution
Action needed to prevent impact to enrolled Android Legacy Devices To prevent any impact, ensure that Android Legacy devices do not update to versions of Intelligent Hub released after Google's release of Android 15, which will come as early as August 2024. Due to the variability in release timelines for Intelligent Hub and Android 15, customers are recommended to use August 1st as the cutoff date when planning for this change.Since Android Legacy support ended on March 31st, 2022, we strongly recommend that organizations migrate all devices to Android Enterprise to bring devices back under support. For more detail, please see Announcing end of support for device administrator (Android Legacy) in Workspace ONE UEM (80971).If a migration to Android Enterprise is not possible by August 1st, 2024, administrators will have to take the following actions to prevent impact to devices managed using Android Legacy. Cease Pushing Updates to Intelligent Hub through Workspace ONE UEM: Some organizations, especially those managing non-GMS Android devices, distribute new versions of Intelligent Hub through the Internal Apps or Product Provisioning features in the Workspace ONE UEM Console. Cease distributing new versions of Intelligent Hub published after August 1st, 2024 to Android Legacy devices to prevent loss of management.Prevent Automatic Updates to Intelligent Hub: Android devices with Google Mobile Services (GMS) include the Google Play Store client. If no action is taken, Play Store may automatically install new versions of Intelligent Hub on these devices after Android 15 is released. This will lead to Android Legacy devices losing management as described above. To prevent impact due to automatic updates through Play, action may be needed.Prevent Automatic Updates Android 7.X and lower: No action needed. Removal of Android (Legacy) functionality will coincide with the End of Support for Android 7.X . New versions of Intelligent Hub will not install on Android 7.X and lower devices. See VMware Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub, Assist, SDK, and Launcher will end support for Android 6.x & Android 7.x, in 2023 and 2024 respectively (90127). Android 8.0 and higher – devices with GMS: Action needed. While we no longer offer support for them, some Android Legacy features still present in the Workspace ONE UEM Console can be used to disable the Google Play Store client. This should prevent automatic updates of Intelligent Hub (and any other applications) through the Play Store. For most devices, administrators can use the “Allow Google Play” setting in the Android Legacy Restrictions Profile in the Workspace ONE UEM Console. In the case of Zebra devices, administrators can use Apply Custom Settings feature in Files-Actions to disable the Play Store. Organizations that must take these actions should do so well in advance of August 1st, 2024 as distribution of policy updates may be delayed for less active devices. Android 8.0 and higher – non-GMS devices: No action needed. Because these devices do not include the Google Play Store client, they are not at risk of automatic updates. Retiring Android Legacy vs End of Support The above recommendations are meant to prevent immediate impact to devices currently managed using Android Legacy. However, Android Legacy reached End of Support on March 31st, 2022. To continue receiving support for these devices, organizations must migrate them to the Android Enterprise framework. For more detail, please see Announcing end of support for device administrator (Android Legacy) in Workspace ONE UEM (80971). How do I find devices managed using Android Legacy in my environment? To see devices managed using Android Legacy in your Workspace ONE UEM environment: Log into the Workspace ONE UEM ConsoleNavigate to [Devices > List View]Under Filters: Select [Management Type > MDM]Select [Device Type > Platform > Android] and select ApplySelect [Android Management > Android (Legacy)] Removal of Android Legacy from Workspace ONE UEM Android Legacy-specific features, such as Profiles, will also eventually be removed from the Workspace ONE UEM Console. We have not yet finalized the timeline for removal, and please note that Android Legacy features may be removed from Workspace ONE UEM incrementally over time.
