iOS updates using VPP Tokens

[acaveny]

I am deploying a small handful of apps to a department for our campus. As part of the security documentation, I am being asked if I can remove older versions of apps if they are not current.

When the App is brought into the JSS, it records the current version. Do I need to update the source of the App in the JSS each time there is an app update? Basically, I'm wondering if that App is actually uploaded or is it linked to the developer and will update versions as they are published?

Hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance!

[fbaker]

@acaveny All updating to my knowledge should be done on the user end of things. If they have the app store available to them, they should be able to go in and download the updates, assuming this is a 1 to 1 environment.

If they're shared (which is my guess since it's for a department) you might have to have a device with apple configurator on it to do updates to apps and such as you'd keep the app store closed in a shared deployment (assuming those devices are using the same apple id).

Of course those are best practices, and I hope that helped answer a little bit. I don't think any app will update in the JSS and keep current on the device side.

[adamcodega]

@acaveny Yes, if you're distributing an app using the JSS (Mobile Devices > Apps), it will push an update when you update the version number in the JSS to the app's new version number. the iPad will not get app updates through the App Store. If the app is free, you can distribute it this way if its easier than using Apple Configurator.

However, to clarify, you're not using VPP when you do it this way. Are you using VPP?