(some) Mobile Apps not installing (Auto install or Self Service) (for some clients)

[atomczynski]

I'm using ASM and VPP.

I have a number of devices in our environment where they refuse to install applications. Sometimes it's a single app that does not install and sometimes it's all apps for the device.

On the Jamf Pro console I will see Install command completed yet when I update the device record the app does not show as installed.

At times I also see install command Pending - Application is not available to install.

I have plenty of licenses available for the app and devices are on different networks (our network, home network, hotspot, ...)

device syslog gives errors:
appstored (app info) Installing vpp application with evid: (null)
or
appstored (app info) Complete for evid: (null) changeType: 3 success: 1
Things I've tried so far:
1. Cancel the command, exclude the app from scope for the device
2. Application scope: Add the client to exclusion list
2. Device Management tab: Update Inventory and Send blank push
3. Wait for the device record to update
4. Application scope: Remove the app from scope exclusion
5. Device Management tab: Update Inventory and Send blank push

Global Settings>VPP Accounts>Account>Content>Select Category, locate the app from the list and select Refresh.

I have enabled debug logs, enabled VPP logging on the server and sent those to support.
I have sent a sysdiagnose log from a mobile client.

Support says it's an Apple issue.
Any other tips?

[techjason]

I have seen this happen when I accidentally forgot one minor step.

Under the Managed Distribution did you select Assign Content Purchased in Volume ?

I know it is a novice oversight, but soe times the simple solution is the easiest.

[atomczynski]

That is selected.
Vast majority of the devices do get the applications. We have a small number that don't and since we are on house arrest it's fairly difficult to swap a device for a user and it potentially creates a health hazard.

Someone suggested upping the number of free licenses and I have more than plenty left (used the -<5000 instant purchase method).

I did call Apple support and their suggestion is while on the phone with Apple go through the commands to install / push install apps and upload the sysdiagnose log to be reviewed by their engineering team. I'm looking for other ideas in the meantime.

The VPP token is good for another 5 months or so.

[techjason]

Here is another "simple" question. The devices can handle App? What I mean by that, the devices are not too old and can't run a new 64bit app.

[T_Armstrong]

FWIW, seeing the exact same thing on our end with newly-enrolled devices within the past few days. Most apps install without issue, but a handful just refuse to install, with "Pending - Application is not available to install". I've opened a support case as well, so will report back with any updates.

[atomczynski]

these iPad devices are 5th or 6th gen. The operating system ranges between iOS 12.x or iPadOS 13.x and I think the majority are on iPadOS.

[jgarland]

Seeing the exact same thing in our environment. These iPads meet all the criteria listed above with OS ranges, the app is 64 bit, updated inventory, enough VPP licenses and assigned as Managed - pending-Application is not available to install. Opening support case as well.

[mainelysteve]

@jgarland Have you tried excluding the user or device from the app scope? Try that and do an inventory update & blank push once removed just to clear the air Then add them back to the scope and see what the net result is.

[nsdjoe]

Seeing the same thing here.

[atomczynski]

Updated an affected iPad from 13.3 to the current OS, also removed all the restriction profiles.
Apps still won't install.

[mainelysteve]

If you removed the restrictions profiles then I suggest you look on the App Store of that iPad. Search for the app and see what status it has i.e. Get, Installing, etc.

[T_Armstrong]

@mainelysteve Good advice, but at least in my case, I'm not even in the same country as the iPads that are generating the error. Excellent advice for troubleshooting if you can physically get to the device though.

[atomczynski]

Launched the App Store and searched for one of the apps that are not installing. It shows "Get" while I am not logged in the the app store.

[mainelysteve]

Yep. Without a decent remote control solution you're pretty much left telling the user to create a backup followed by erase all content and settings.

I've had multiple cases of this in the past year. Sometimes little fixes work but most of the time it's the sledgehammer approach.

[atomczynski]

Our devices have restrictions where we do not allow them to sync to computes. Devices need to be on prem to authenticate login to enroll.

[canopimp]

I am having the same issue with the Netflix app right now. It says 'Pending - Application is not available to install'. JAMF said to talk to Apple. Apple said to talk to Netflix. Nothing from anyone. This app used to work as I can see where it pushed down about a week ago but it was a different version of the app. It appears to have updated to a new version as of late. Wonder if it is a version issue.

[atomczynski]

@canopimp For you does the app not install at all? Do you run into problems with other apps?

Vast majority of the mobile clients receive apps, and small subset do not receive any apps or not receive some.

It's difficult to gauge this as everyone is on lockdown / home and we don't conference with students (teachers do).

[canopimp]

UPDATE: Appears Netflix removed the ability to do 'Device Assignable' app deployments.

[atomczynski]

Apple got back to me and they say it's not an Apple issue and I need to talk to Jamf.

Apple wants me to nuke affected device and re-enroll and deploy apps.

[a_cassoli]

I encountered exactly the same issue on a specific Air 2 device out of more than 400 iPads of students at home because of lockdown. The iPad is ASM enrolled so I can ask the student for erasing all contents and settings and hoping that automatic deployment works. Did you ask remote iPad user for just erasing all settings? I will do that before nuking the remote device.

[FutureFacinLuke]

Hi,

I came across this last year, I've seen it on MacOS and iOS App Store Apps through Managed Distribution (Formerly DEP), boosting the server capacity, (Cores and RAM) helped initially and it seemed to go away completely for a while once I transitioned to Jamfcloud, but it comes back sporadically.

We did additional testing like Corporate WiFi vs Home vs Hot-Spots - No difference.

When I do a batch of iPads in a trolley with a MacBook, Content Caching and Internet Sharing I don't recall Apps failing to install.

For us it was subsets of Apps that would consistently fail to install not subsets of devices so maybe a subtle difference but I think it's most likely an APNS issue which is why the below seems to work.

Usually, I go to the App page in JAMF, click Edit, click Save and the App starts to install, the other way is to let users know their Apps are in Self-Service, I have all my Auto-Install apps in one category called Auto-Install so it's really easy for users to find.

Another way to do it is to make a search group of devices missing a particular App (Criteria is Scoped to Smart Group or PreStage that should have App auto installed AND "App name" "Does not Have" "[AppName]" and do Actions/Remote Command/Cancel All Management Commands. Or to go into the device and Cancel all Management Commands.

A side effect of this apparent APNS bug is that far more of my users now know about and love Self-Service.

[mschroder]

Are you using Sites? Most problems I had with VPP or ASM was due to the need to have the whole chain (ASM/VPP account, app entry, devices) on the same Site, otherwise the devices are out of scope.

[atomczynski]

In Apple School Manager I have two sites.
One is used by one purchasing account for majority of the apps.
One is used by one purchasing account for Special Ed team.

In Jamf I am not using sites.

I do use Departments but that's a LDAP lookup to a grade level.

Are you suggesting to use a search like this:

Department IS Grade 1
or ( Department IS Grade 2, or Department IS Grade 3) and App name DOES NOT HAVE Zoom

[KathyTen]

I am having the same issue. I went to a students house and picked up the device and have a call with JAMF scheduled for today. I'll let you know the outcome.

[fsjjeff]

Just a "Me too" note - have a handful of iPads (30 or so out of almost 3000) that just will not install MS Teams no matter what I've tried (remotely as we're also not in the office these days, and the iPads are at home rather than the schools). Have created a smart group of devices and tried the "cancel commands" and get a new inventory. I see the command to install the app go out but nothing on their end. Definitely an intermittent but persistent problem here.

[LMRsdw]

We have this issue on iPads not signed in with the student MAID account. I don't have admin access to JAMF so I am not sure what our settings our. As long as they are signed in, correctly, no problem. We want them to be signed in this way so it isn't an issue for us.

[danny33c]

Kind of an obvious and simple answer, but do your devices have enough space? We have a number of 32GB iPads that have little to zero space. Apps are not going to install on them until space is freed.

[fsjjeff]

Can't speak for anyone else, but just checked one of our problem iPads and it has 80GB free.

[danny33c]

@atomczynski and anyone else... Any solutions to this issue? We have a bunch of iPads from one school which apps refuse to install.

[ctktech]

I'm going to thrown my hat into the ring here as well. We've had this with a large group of iPads not wanting to install certain apps like IXL and SeeSaw. I've already tried all of the tricks (Blank Push, Inventory Update, Restart, etc.) and all of them have plenty of storage. It seems the best solution would be to wipe them, as we had a cart of iPads giving us fits that somehow we were able to wipe them and all of the apps installed just fine.

One thing I noticed under Apps in the inventory for a few of the iPads was that for most of the apps it did not show a name or any info other than "Installing". There were a few apps below on the list that gave the name and other info, but a good portion of the list only said "Installing" on it.

[atomczynski]

That's exactly what I'm seeing.

Attached a screenshot of what I'm seeing. Last inventory update was yesterday. Installing for days.

Just:
"Installing" without any additional fields.

I also see install command will complete but no app icon.

Temporarily we have relaxed our restrictions to allow app removal (if it's grayed out app) the user would delete, and try to install again.

[mriazyIT]

I just wanted to chime in and say that my district is also having the same issue. I think the only fix right now is either a wipe or if you remove the user from their current smart groups/re-add. Seems to fix the configuration

See attached. An example of one of our users that are having this self service bug. My guess is that Self-Service is working but theres an issue with it pulling App Data? No idea but assistance is welcomed.

[danny33c]

As @atomczynski says in the first post, try refreshing the app in the list below. It works, it's a pain, but it works, and you can only refresh one app at a time.

Management Settings > Global Settings>VPP Accounts>Account>Content>Select Category (iOS App), locate the app from the list and select Refresh.

[djs9812]

We are having the same issues here. Pending application. Self service will not install now and even using all of the fixes stated above I am unable to get the apps I need the most pushed to the devices.

[atomczynski]

Jamf support tells me for the devices which do not install apps to nuke the device and enroll again.

[danny33c]

@atomczynski that most likely will not work. It’s happening on newly enrolled devices here. Refreshing the app is the only thing that has worked for us.

[RLR]

We are also seeing this. Apps are completing commands to install the app but the app doesn't appear on the iPad and we have lots of apps that are blank.

This app was installed several weeks ago
For example: Install App - Google Docs - Auto Install 1.2020.36201 03/09/2020 at 11:54 AM

When checking the list of installed apps we have lots set to "Installing" that are blank which I assume are apps that have successfully processed the install command but the app hasn't installed properly and is now stuck.

[Rattomlin]

We are also having the same issue. I have tried all the steps mentioned and enrolling again after a complete wipe and still having apps in this Installing mode. I have also refreshed the apps for this device and still says installing for days. They have installed fine on other iPads same version iOS same model. Has anyone ever found a fix for this?

[RLR]

Only solution I found was to wipe the device and try again.

[YanW]

We have the same issue for a while and later found some of our students have the wrong time or time zone on their iPad. Once that corrected, the apps got pushed out. Weird...