Application is a System App - Can only get through App Store

[jouwstrab]

If one of my Middle School students deletes (i.e. removes the icon from the spring board) a system app, like iBooks, they cannot re-install via Self-Service, and error "Application is a system app" shows in the management commands inside the JAMF Pro server. The only way to get it back, that I know of, is to use the App Store, which is locked for these students. Anyone know a work around?

[psanderson]

I have also faced this problem (students deleting the Mail app and then saying they can't check their email), and have yet to find a workaround. I'm hoping the solution would be that the system apps would be available in VPP so we could handle them just like any other app. Or an option to disallow removal of system apps.

[kuypers · Accepted solution]

This is what I’m doing to get native Apps back like Mail, iBooks on a student device that doesn’t have access to the apps store.
I have created an Extension Attribute List Called Device Status, in the Pop-up menu I have a choice for Admin Lockdown, and Remove Student Restrictions.

Then what I do is create a smart group based on if Device Status is Remove Student Restriction or Admin lockdown.

Then I go to my Config profile that uses the Restriction of Allow use of iTunes Store (supervised only)
And then add the Scope Exclusion to my Smart group. So what happens we Set the device Status to Remove Student Restrictions which removes the Restrictions profile from the device.

On the device do a swipe down to search for Mail.app or IBook’s and the ITunes store will open and let you install. Then we remove the Device Status to blank and restriction get applied again.
This has worked for us. hope this makes some sense.

Steve

[jouwstrab]

@kuypers , that is perfect! Very logical, and works great, much easier than what I was doing.