Zebra EHS Advanced Settings - Zebra Technologies TechDocs

Overview

This section assumes a basic knowledge of Enterprise Home Screen and its capabilities and essential workings. For those not familiar with Zebra's free security tool for its Android devices, please see the About and Setup pages before continuing with this guide. Also see the Special Features Guide for information about Kiosk Mode, device logging and other special EHS features.

The behavior of Enterprise Home Screen is controlled entirely through enterprisehomescreen.xml, an easy-to-read file that can be modified with any text editor. A default version of the file contains many common device security settings plus a few standard apps, and is part of every EHS installation. In many instances, all that's needed to begin using EHS is to add an organization's own applications and to apply preferred security and display settings.

About this Guide

This guide describes the how to add apps and configure settings using the enterprisehomescreen.xml config file alone (if the setting also can be configured through the GUI, a screenshot is shown). It details the interaction between EHS and the config file, and provides instructions for accessing and customizing the file for a company's specific requirements, and for deploying the settings to device(s). A detailed analysis of the config file follows, with explanations of each of the parameters and examples of how to configure them.

Note: Many of the capabilities of EHS also can be accomplished by other means on the device, either programmatically through EMDK or remotely using StageNow or a third-party mobile device management (MDM) system (if supported by that MDM system). EHS simply puts these capabilities into a single tool.

Working with the Config File

This section describes important interactions between EHS and the enterprisehomescreen.xml config file, and instructions for retrieving, modifying and deploying the file to devices.

Config File Location

The config file is stored in the /enterprise/usr directory on the device.
This directory is invisible to most apps, including Windows Explorer and Android File Transfer (Mac).
The directory is visible to Android File Browser, which can be used to manage its contents.
The file is accessible via Android Debug Bridge (ADB) "pull" and "push" commands.

Note: Use caution when exposing File Browser to users; it can be used to manipulate the EHS config file and change security or other settings.

Forbidden Characters

The EHS config file is fully XML-compliant, and must remain so to be readable by EHS's XML parser. XML specifications forbid the use of five characters ( " ' < > & ) except in the ways described in the spec. If those characters are required as part of XML content, they must substituted with their "escaped" equivalents as follows:

" (quote) "
' (apostrophe) '
< (less-than) <
> (greater-than) >
& (ampersand) &

Config File Access

Using ADB

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is by far the most efficient way to work through the "pull-edit-push-test" cycle for configuring and testing changes to EHS settings through the enterprisehomescreen.xml file. The process requires a Mac or Windows PC that's connected via USB to a device with EHS installed. For help with software setup, please refer to Setup Guide.

NOTE: The SD card slot is disabled when a device is in Multi-user Mode. See Special Features section for more information.

From a computer connected to a target device that has EHS installed:

1. Use ADB to pull the config file from its default location to the local PC:


adb pull /enterprise/usr/enterprisehomescreen.xml

2. Locate, open and edit the config file with a text editor, saving changes. Do NOT change the file name in any way.

3. Push the edited config file to the device:


adb push enterprisehomescreen.xml /enterprise/usr/enterprisehomescreen.xml

Important: Be sure to include the name of the edited source file in the adb push command. Not doing so could cause changes to be ignored.

What happens now?

Pushing a new version of the config file overwrites the old one.
If EHS is running, the new settings take effect immediately.
If EHS is in the background, the new settings take effect the next time EHS comes to the foreground.

Other Notes

Config file must be named "enterprisehomescreen.xml" in lower-case letters.
A file with any other spelling or letter case is ignored.
If the config file is deleted from the device, EHS will spawn a new config file with default settings.
If a mixed-case config file of the same name is deployed, it will overwrite a correctly cased file.
An incorrectly cased config file is treated as missing or cause unpredictable results.
Once configured, a config file is suitable for mass-deployment using an MDM with or without the EHS app.

Exporting the Config File

For device troubleshooting and certain other scenarios, it is sometimes useful to make the config file (enterprisehomescreen.xml) visible or to look inside the file and check its settings. The file can be made visible from Admin Mode by exporting it to a visible area of the file system. Alternatively, the config file can be viewed, copied, moved and shared via email or other means using the Android File Browser.

NOTES:

A config file exported to a visible area of the device file system might remain invisible to the PC until after the device is rebooted.
The SD card slot is disabled when a device is in Multi-user Mode; removable storage devices do not appear when selecting an export destination folder.

To export a config file:

1. In Admin Mode on the device, select Export Configuration File from the Tools menu:

2. Tap OK to confirm the action: Removable storage devices do not appear if Multi-user Mode is enabled.

3. Note the location in the confirmation message:

4. Drag the config file (arrow) to a PC for editing using Windows Explorer, Android File Transfer (shown) or a similar means:
Note: A config file exported to a visible area of the device file system might remain invisible to the PC until the device is rebooted.

Using File Browser

The Android File Browser offers a fast way to get a quick view inside the config file on a device. It also permits the file to be copied, moved or shared via email, Bluetooth or any means enabled on the device. The config file CANNOT be viewed on a WS50 device. More about EHS on WS50.

To look inside the config file on a device:

1. In File Browser, navigate to the /enterprise/usr directory:

2. Long-press the enterprisehomescreen.xml file to display the File Operations menu:

3. Select "Open as.." to select a viewer and hit Launch:
It might be necessary to also tap "txt" to specify the extension type.

3. The config file will open in the Android HTML Viewer:

Default Config File

This section explains the enterprisehomescreen.xml config file, which controls all aspects of EHS behavior. The default version is shown below, followed by an explanation of the file's XML tags and the configuration options for each.

The EHS config file is broken into five sections:

Kiosk - Specifies a single application to run when the device is in Kiosk mode.
Applications - The apps to be displayed when the device is in User Mode.
Tools - The apps to be listed and launched from the User and Admin tools menus.
Passwords - Stores the encrypted password for logging into Admin Mode.
Preferences - Controls which features and settings the device will display.

Default EHS config file:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<config>
    <kiosk>
        <application label="DWDemo" package="com.symbol.datawedge" activity="com.symbol.datawedge.DWDemoActivity"/>
    </kiosk>
    <applications>      
        <application label="DWDemo" package="com.symbol.datawedge" activity="com.symbol.datawedge.DWDemoActivity"/>     
    </applications>
    <tools>
        <application label="DWDemo" package="com.symbol.datawedge" activity="com.symbol.datawedge.DWDemoActivity"/>     
    </tools>
    <passwords>
        <admin></admin>
    </passwords>        
    <preferences>
        <title>Enterprise Home Screen</title>
        <icon_label_background_color>#00FFFFFF</icon_label_background_color>
        <icon_label_text_color>#FFFFFFFF</icon_label_text_color>
        <orientation></orientation>
        <auto_launch_enable>0</auto_launch_enable>
        <service_auto_launch_enable>0</service_auto_launch_enable>
        <wallpaper></wallpaper>
        <kiosk_mode_enabled>0</kiosk_mode_enabled>
        <keyguard_camera_disabled>1</keyguard_camera_disabled>
        <keyguard_search_disabled>1</keyguard_search_disabled>      
        <usb_debugging_disabled>1</usb_debugging_disabled>
        <system_settings_restricted>1</system_settings_restricted>
        <recent_apps_button_disabled>1</recent_apps_button_disabled>
        <recent_apps_access_disabled>1</recent_apps_access_disabled>
        <wireless_info>
            <show_ip_address>0</show_ip_address>
            <show_mac_address>0</show_mac_address>
            <show_bssid>0</show_bssid>
            <show_ssid>0</show_ssid>
            <show_scan_result>0</show_scan_result>
        </wireless_info>
        <screen_blanking>
            <blanking_enabled>0</blanking_enabled>
            <speed_threshold>10</speed_threshold>
            <blanking_mode>1</blanking_mode>
        </screen_blanking>
    </preferences>
</config>

Config Tags

This section describes all tags in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file and their possible values. They're shown below in the same order they appear in the default file, and are followed by optional tags. Tags can appear in any order, but must be contained within the <config> </config> tag set (node).

Kiosk

Specifies the app to run when the device is in Kiosk Mode, an optional mode under which a single app fills the screen and the BACK and HOME keys cannot be used to exit it. Kiosk Mode is activated using the <kiosk_mode_enabled> tag in the <Preferences> section.

Possible values:

Label: string
Package: app package name
Activity (optional): name of the activity to be invoked when the app starts

Example

<kiosk>
        <application label="Calculator" package="com.android.calculator2" activity=""/>
</kiosk>

Applications

Specifies the applications and/or browser links to be displayed to users while EHS is in User Mode. An optional activity parameter permits an app activity to be invoked when the app starts up. Some apps do not launch unless the app package and an activity are specified.

When specifying links, the package and activity parameters can be used to launch the URL with a specific app, such as Mozilla Mobile browser. If no activity is specified, EHS will open the link using the default browser.

NOTES:

Package names might vary from one Android version to another.
EHS 3.0 and later supports VectorDrawable app icons, which scale to different sizes without loss of image quality. Learn more.
EHS can launch links that reference local files though a “URL” tag (i.e. "file://*.html") on devices running Android 8.x Oreo (and later) if files reside as follows:
- On Android 11 and later: /enterprise/usr/
- On Android 10 and earlier: internal or external storage (i.e. SD card)
Applications and links appear in the User Mode Launcher in the same order as listed in the <applications> node.
When apps and links are present in the <applications> node, links are displayed first, then apps, regardless of their order in the node (see image, below). Links are displayed before apps regardless of their order in the node.
Click image to enlarge; ESC to exit.

Chinese Edition

In the EHS version localized for Simplified Chinese, the default enterprisehomescreen.xml config file contains sample apps with English-language titles. If any of the same apps are added in the Chinese edition, those apps will appear twice in User Mode—once with the English title and again with the Chinese. If this is undesired, remove the unwanted <application> entry from the <applications> node in the config file.

Application Example

Possible values (apps):

Label: string
Package: app package name
* (asterisk): used as a wildcard to specify multiple packages with the same prefix
Exclude: used with wildcard to omit one or more apps from a wildcard set
Activity (optional): name of an activity to be invoked when an app starts

Sample XML using wildcard to select several apps:

<applications>
    //The following lines:
      <application label="Packaging" package="com.mobility.packaging" activity=""/>
      <application label="Online" package="com.mobility.online" activity=""/>
      <application label="Remote" package="com.mobility.remote" activity=""/>
      <application label="Inventory" package="com.mobility.inventory" activity=""/>
      <application label="Orders" package="com.mobility.orders" activity=""/>

    //...could be replaced with this single line using the wildcard character:
        <application package="com.mobility.*"/>

    //...adding a label to line above applies the label to all apps in the wildcard set:
        <application label="RetailApps" package="com.mobility.*"/>

    //To exclude one or more apps from the wildcard set: 
        <application package="com.mobility.*" exclude=”com.mobility.inventory”/>

        //The line above removes the "inventory" app. The line below removes both the "inventory" and "online" apps.  

        <application package="com.mobility.*" exclude=”com.mobility.inventory; com.mobility.online”/>
</applications>

Using wildcard to display all Android apps with "c" as their first letter:

<applications>
    <application label="" package="com.android.c*"/>
</applications>

Display all Android apps starting with the letter "c" except Calculator:

<applications>
    <application label="" package="com.android.c*" exclude="com.android.Calculator2"/>
</applications>

Display all Android apps starting with the letter "c" except Contacts and Camera:

<applications>
    <application label="" package="com.android.c*" exclude="com.android.camera2;com.android.contacts"/>
</applications>

Wildcard rules:

Individual apps and wildcard sets appear in the User Mode Launcher in the same order as listed in the <applications> node.
Apps within each wildcard set are listed alphabetically by label relative to other apps in that set.
Wildcard search is designed to work with packages that comply with the "<any_name>.<any_name>*" format.
If bundle and icon attributes are used, the same specified attributes apply to all wildcard-selected apps.
Wildcard search works only with User Mode apps; it is not supported for apps specified for the Tools Menu, Auto Launch, or Kiosk Mode.
Apps selected by wildcard cannot be removed using the long-press feature in Admin Mode.
Apps excluded from a wildcard search cannot be added using the long-press feature in Admin Mode.
The exclude attribute does not support the wildcard character; apps must be excluded one at a time.
Apps individually specified in the <applications> node and included in a wildcard search cannot be excluded using an "exclude" attribute or tag.
If the label is undefined in XML, labels of wildcard-selected apps are applied to icons as they appear in the Android manifest (if undefined in the Manifest, app will appear with a blank label).
Labels longer than 18 characters are truncated at the 18th character and appended with an ellipsis (...).
The label specified in a wildcard search will apply to all apps identified by the search.
The wildcard character might appear only once per line and only at the end of the line.
The following wildcard searches have been blocked by EHS as a security measure, avoiding the accidental inclusion of all standard Android apps:
- com.android.*
- com.android*
- com.androi*
- com.andro*
- com.andr*
- com.and*
- com.an*
- com.a*
- com.*
Wildcard searches can include "com.androidX" where X=any character except dot (.).
The enterprisehomescreen.log file will store error messages resulting from invalid wildcard usage.
The EHS app and EHS installer always are excluded from any filtered app list.

URL Example

Possible values (URLs)

Label: string
Package: URL (http://, https:// or file://*.html)
Links to a file MUST reside on external storage (i.e. an SD card)

Sample XML (for web link)

<applications>
    ...
    <link label="Mozilla Mobile" url="http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/mobile/" package="org.mozilla.firefox" activity="org.mozilla.firefox.App" />
    ...
</applications>

In the example above, the package and activity attributes are used to launch the URL in the Mozilla Mobile browser. If the specified app (as defined in the package and activity parameters) is not present on the device, the URL will not be displayed. If no activity is specified, EHS will launch the link using the default browser.

Link Removal

To remove a web link from the User Mode screen:

Delete the entire tag (which begins with "<link label=" and ends with "/>" as shown above) from the <applications> node of the enterprisehomescreen.xml file.
Redeploy the modified enterprisehomescreen.xml file to the device.

Tools

Specifies the apps to be listed in the Tools menu of Admin and User Modes. Note: Package names might vary from one Android version to another.

Possible values:

Label: string
Package: app package name
Activity (optional): name of the activity to be invoked when the app starts

Example

<tools>
    ...
    <application label="Calculator" package="com.android.calculator2" activity=""/>
    ...   
</tools>

Passwords

Stores the encrypted password for logging into Admin Mode (blank by default). Do not populate this tag manually in the config file or edit in any way. The administrator password is stored here programmatically by EHS after being entered or changed through the Tools menu in EHS Admin Mode. EHS uses this tag to store the password as a 256-bit AES-encrypted hash. Once a password is created and stored in the config file, it can be mass-deployed along with all other settings.

Important Password Encryption Notes:

EHS 2.8 (and later) implements a more secure encryption method than prior versions.
EHS 3.0 (and later) is backward-compatible with passwords stored in config files of older EHS versions.
After EHS 3.0 accesses a password from a prior version, it stores that password in the config file using the new encryption method.
Once a config file is updated using the new encryption, that file is no longer compatible with older EHS versions.

The admin password must be entered and changed using the Admin Tools menu in the EHS GUI.

Possible values:

(EHS USE ONLY; Do not add to or edit the contents of this tag)

Example

<passwords>
    <admin>EHS USE ONLY</admin>
</passwords>

App Icon Size

Permits the size of application icons to be set to Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large and Extra Extra Large . Icon size can be controlled through the enterprisehomescreen.xml file or through the device UI while in Admin or User Modes.

NOTES:

This feature CANNOT be configured on WS50 devices. More about EHS on WS50.
EHS 3.0 and later supports VectorDrawable app icons, which scale to different sizes without loss of image quality. Learn more.
When Multi-user Mode is enabled, only the Primary user can change the app icon size.

To change the icon size through the UI:

In Admin or User Mode, tap the menu icon and select Icon settings: Icon size setting applies to Admin and User Modes.
Some menu features are NOT available on WS50 devices. More about EHS on WS50.

Tap on the desired icon size, then tap OK. Selected size is applied immediately. Medium (shown) is the default icon size.

App icons can be displayed in five sizes; changes apply to Admin and User Modes.

To set icon size through the enterprisehomescreen.xml file:

Possible values:

S = Small icons
M = Medium-sized icons
L = Large icons
XL = Extra large icons
XXL = Extra extra large icons

Example

<user_options>
    <icon_settings>
        <app_icon_size>XL</app_icon_size>
    </icon_settings>   
<user_options>

Preferences

Control various aspects of EHS behavior, security and display settings corresponding to options configured in the EHS Preferences UI panel. Tags of individual preferences can appear in any order, but must be contained within the <preferences> </preferences> node.

Title

Specifies the title bar text for the EHS app. The default title "Enterprise Home Screen" can be changed to any static string of characters or emoji(s). For device-specific (dynamic) options, see Device ID in Title below.

Possible values:

character string

Example

<preferences>
    <title>MetaCorp Home Screen</title>
</preferences>

Device ID in Title

Allows (dynamic) information that uniquely identifies the device to be displayed as the title bar text of the EHS home screen. Specify serial number, Wi-Fi MAC address, Wi-Fi host name, Bluetooth address, Bluetooth name or IMEI number.

Possible values:

Plain (static) text or emojis before and/or after any single device ID:
- [bluetooth_address] - Bluetooth MAC address (see NOTES, below)
- [bluetooth_name] - Bluetooth "friendly" device name
- [imei_number] - International Mobile Equipment Identity (WWAN devices only; see NOTES, below)
- [mac_address] - Wi-Fi MAC address
- [network_host_name] - Wi-Fi host name
- [serial_number] - Device serial number

NOTES:

If the IMEI number is specified in a non-WWAN device, the default EHS title is displayed.
To display the Bluetooth MAC address as the title, Bluetooth must be enabled on the device (how to enable Bluetooth).
If the MAC address is specified but unavailable, the default EHS title is displayed.

WARNING: Square brackets must not be used inside the <value> tags except as specified above.

Example

<preferences>
        <title>
            <value>MetaCorp device #[serial_number]</value>
        </title>
</preferences>

NOTES:

The <title> tags must contain either a static title or the <value> tags; never both.
If <title> tags are not present in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file or if identifier data retrieval fails, the text “Enterprise Home Screen” is inserted.
Errors retrieving identifier data are written in the EHS log.
Square brackets must not be used inside the <value> tags except as specified above.

Title Bar Icon Disabled

Controls whether an icon is displayed in the Title Bar of the EHS home screen. A value of 0 (false) allows EHS to display the standard EHS icon or a custom icon specified in the Title Bar Icon File parameter below.

Possible values:

1 - (default, no icon displayed)
0 - (displays EHS icon or icon specified below)

Example

<preferences>
    <title_bar_icon>
        <title_bar_icon_disabled>0</title_bar_icon_disabled>
        <title_bar_icon_file>/storage/sdcard0/Android/data/com.symbol.enterprisehomescreen/files/title.jpg</title_bar_icon_file > 
    </title_bar_icon >
</preferences>

Title Bar Icon File

Allows an image to be specified for display in the EHS Title Bar. Supports .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png and .webp image formats of medium resolution (varies by device; some high-res images might not display). Image must be stored locally on the device and specified in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file or in the UI using the full path. Images are scaled (up or down) using the aspect ratio of the image to fill the available space (which varies by device). Default EHS icon (shown below) is displayed if tag is missing or left blank, or if the specified image file is missing or invalid. Icon can optionally be displayed on other screens. See Reuse Custom Icon below.

When selecting an image using the Preferences panel UI, use tap-navigation to locate the image in the device file system or specify the file name and path using the keyboard (required for restricted areas not visible to the file browser).

Possible values:

fully qualified local (on-device) path to a .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png or .webp image file

NOTES:

Use of this tag requires addition of <title_bar_icon> node to enterprisehomescreen.xml file; not included by default.
Default EHS logo is used if tag is missing or left blank, or if the specified image file is missing or invalid (such instances are logged).
Only files in the /enterprise directory are persistent, and remain on the device following an Enterprise Reset.
Zebra recommends avoiding the use of removable storage for wallpaper and icon image files.
The SD card slot is disabled when a device is in Multi-user Mode; files on removable storage are not accessible in this mode.
Folder access with the file browser UI is limited the following based on Android version:
- Android 11 and later: /enterprise/usr/
- Android 10 and earlier:
  - internal storage
  - external storage (SD card)
  - /enterprise/usr

Example

<preferences>
    <title_bar_icon>
        <title_bar_icon_disabled>0</title_bar_icon_disabled>
        <title_bar_icon_file>/storage/sdcard0/Android/data/com.symbol.enterprisehomescreen/files/title.jpg</title_bar_icon_file > 
    </title_bar_icon >
</preferences>

Reuse Custom Icon

Optionally designates the custom graphic specified using the Title Bar Icon File tag (above) to display on most EHS screens, including those for Battery Info, Wireless Info, Preferences and the Tools menu (excludes "About" box).

Possible values:

1 - Reuse the custom icon in other EHS screens
0 - Do not reuse icon (default)

Example

<preferences>
    <title_bar_icon>
               <title_bar_icon_file>/storage/sdcard0/title.jpg</title_bar_icon_file >
               <reuse_custom_icon>1</reuse_custom_icon>
    </title_bar_icon >
</preferences>

Note: To hide a custom icon from the EHS screens effected by this tag (and display the default EHS logo instead), set the tag value to "0." The "Title Bar Icon Disabled" tag applies only to the home screen.

Icon Label Background Color

Specifies the background color of the icon label text of apps and links displayed in Admin and User Modes. Default background is #00FFFFFF, which is transparent with an opacity value of 00 (from a range of 00 to FF). Get help picking HTML color codes.

Code Key:

AA specifies the opacity
RR specifies the level of RED
GG specifies the level of GREEN
BB specifies the level of BLUE

Possible values:

HTML hexadecimal color code values with or without opacity prefix (#RRGGBB or #AARRGGBB)
Color names: red, blue, green, black, white, gray, cyan, magenta, yellow, lightgray and darkgray.

Examples

<preferences>
    <icon_label_background_color>#00FFFFFF</icon_label_background_color>
    <icon_label_background_color>#75A319</icon_label_background_color>
    <icon_label_background_color>#80EF671B</icon_label_background_color>
    <icon_label_background_color>magenta</icon_label_background_color>
</preferences>

Icon Label Text Color

Specifies the color of the icon label text of apps and links displayed in Admin and User Modes. The EHS default icon text color is #FFFFFFFF, that is white with an opacity value of FF (from a range of 00 to FF). Get help picking HTML color codes.

Code Key:

AA specifies the opacity
RR specifies the level of RED
GG specifies the level of GREEN
BB specifies the level of BLUE

Possible values:

HTML hexadecimal color code values with or without opacity prefix (#RRGGBB or #AARRGGBB)
Color names: red, blue, green, black, white, gray, cyan, magenta, yellow, lightgray and darkgray.

Examples

<preferences>
    <icon_label_text_color>#FFFFFFFF</icon_label_text_color>
    <icon_label_text_color>#75A319</icon_label_text_color>
    <icon_label_text_color>#80EF671B</icon_label_text_color>
    <icon_label_text_color>magenta</icon_label_text_color>
</preferences>

Orientation

Allows the screen orientation to be fixed in landscape or portrait mode. Omitting or leaving this setting blank (default) allows the Android-System orientation setting to control screen orientation.

Screen orientation can be changed through the Quick Settings panel only when EHS is set to accept the System orientation setting (the EHS default). If an EHS administrator sets the orientation to landscape or portrait mode, the device user will no longer be able to change the orientation setting.

NOTES:

Zebra recommends leaving this setting blank (default) if app- and system-control of screen orientation are desired.
The orientation set using this parameter applies ONLY to EHS screens, such as the EHS Home screen, info and preferences screens.
Android orientation (auto-rotate/portrait/landscape) settings remain effective on non-EHS apps regardless of this parameter setting.

Possible values:

landscape
portrait
<blank> (accepts System setting; EHS default)

Example

<preferences>
    <orientation></orientation>
</preferences>

Auto Launch Enabled (apps)

Enables one or more apps to be automatically launched after EHS starts up. Works with optional <auto_launch> section. When enabled, apps specified in the <auto_launch> section are launched after a specified delay. BACK and HOME keys can be used to exit the app. See the Optional Feature Tags section for more information. Disabled by default. See also: Kiosk Mode.

Possible values:

1
0 (default)

Example

<preferences>
    <auto_launch_enable>0</auto_launch_enable>
</preferences>

Service Auto Launch Enabled

Enables one or more services to be automatically launched after EHS starts up. Works with optional <service_auto_launch> section. When enabled, apps specified in the <service_auto_launch> section are launched after a delay, if specified. The Service Auto-Launch feature can be enabled/disabled in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file or Admin-Mode UI; Services must be specified in the config file. See the Optional Feature Tags section for details. Disabled by default.

Possible values:

1
0 (default)

Example

<preferences>
    <service_auto_launch_enable>1</service_auto_launch_enable>
</preferences>

Foreground Service Auto Launch Enabled

Enables one or more services to be automatically launched in the foreground after EHS starts up. Works with optional <foreground_service_auto_launch> section. When enabled, apps specified in the <foreground_service_auto_launch> section are launched after a delay, if specified. The Foreground Service Auto-Launch feature can be enabled/disabled in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file or Admin-Mode UI (Oreo devices only); Services must be specified in the config file. See the Optional Feature Tags section for details. Disabled by default.

Possible values:

1
0 (default)

Example

<preferences>
    <foreground_service_auto_launch_enable>1</foreground_service_auto_launch_enable>
</preferences>

Wallpaper

Allows a background image to be specified for display in Admin and User Modes. If left unspecified, the system's default image is displayed. Supports .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png and .webp file formats. Resolution support varies by device. If a selected image fails to display, Zebra recommends scaling down the resolution or selecting a different image.

Possible values:

fully qualified local (on-device) path to .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png or .webp file

NOTES:

Only files in the /enterprise directory are persistent, and remain on the device following an Enterprise Reset.
Zebra recommends avoiding the use of removable storage for wallpaper and icon image files.
Folder access with the file browser UI is limited to the following based on Android version:
- Android 11 and later: /enterprise/usr/
- Android 10 and earlier:
  - internal storage
  - external storage (SD card)
  - /enterprise/usr

Example

<preferences>
    <wallpaper>/enterprise/usr/mybackground.png</wallpaper>
</preferences>

Wallpaper Stretching Enabled

Used to enable/disable the background image for display in Admin and User Modes to be stretched to fill the screen. Disabled by default. Stretching is disabled if this value is unspecified. See Wallpaper parameter for supported file format and location.

EHS with default wallpaper:

Stretching disabled (default) with custom wallpaper image:

Stretching enabled with custom wallpaper image:

Possible values:

1 (stretching enabled)
0 (default)

Example

<preferences>
      <wallpaper_stretching_enabled >0</wallpaper_stretching_enabled >
</preferences>

Fullscreen

EHS can be made to run in full-screen mode by setting the value of this tag to 1. Default is 0. Applies only to EHS; apps launched from within EHS behave as individually designed. Does not prevent access to the Android Status/Notification Bar on some devices.

Possible values:

1 (sets EHS to run in full screen mode)
0 (default)

Example

<preferences>
    <fullscreen>1</fullscreen>
</preferences>

Kiosk Mode Enabled

Causes the app specified in the <kiosk> section to be launched in full screen mode after EHS start-up and prevents use of BACK and HOME keys to exit the app. Disabled by default. See also: Auto-Launch.

Once enabled, Kiosk Mode can be disabled by pushing a new config file with its tag set to "0" if USB Debugging is enabled. Otherwise a factory reset is required. Kiosk Mode also can be enabled/disabled programmatically from an Android application using Android Intents. For more information, see the Special Features section.

Possible values:

1
0 (default)

Example

<kiosk_mode_enabled>0</kiosk_mode_enabled>

Pin Shortcuts

Applies to Oreo (and later) devices only. Controls whether shortcuts to local apps or websites can be added programmatically. Disabled by default. See Shortcuts and Intents for more information.

Possible values:

1 (allow pinned shortcuts)
0 (default, block pinned shortcuts)

Example

<preferences>
    <pin_shortcuts>0</pin_shortcuts>
</preferences>

Reboot on Install Enabled

Controls whether the device will automatically reboot when EHS is launched for the first time after a successful installation, a requirement to activate EHS. Permits Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems to maintain device control following installation. Automatic device reboot is disabled by default.

Possible values:

1
0 (default, do not reboot)

Example

<preferences>
    <reboot_on_install_enabled>0</reboot_on_install_enabled >
</preferences>

Airplane Option Disabled

This feature is obsolete, and has been removed from EHS 3.0 and later.

Use Power Key Manager through Zebra EMDK or StageNow tools.

Bypass Keyguard

This feature is obsolete, and has been removed from EHS 3.0 and later.

Use DevAdmin through Zebra EMDK or StageNow tools.

Keyguard Camera Disabled

Controls whether the device camera is accessible from the Keyguard screen (also known as the "Lock Screen") when the screen lock is set to "Swipe" mode. Camera access from the Keyguard screen is disabled if this tag has a value of 1 (default) or is left unspecified.

The Keyguard camera is disabled only if all of the following conditions are true:

The camera app is enabled on the device
The Keyguard screen is in "Swipe" mode
The camera icon is visible on the Keyguard screen

Unless all four of the above conditions are true, the value in this tag is ignored.

NOTES:

To prevent use of the camera, Zebra recommends using this tag and removing the camera app from the User Mode screen.
If no camera shortcut exists on the device lock screen, use of this tag is not required.
Display of the camera app icon on the Admin home screen can be delayed by as much as five seconds after unlocking the screen following a configuration change.

Possible values:

1 (default)
0

Example

<keyguard_camera_disabled>1</keyguard_camera_disabled>

Keyguard Search Disabled

Controls whether the Search app is accessible from the Keyguard screen (also known as the "Lock Screen") when the screen lock is set to "Swipe" mode. Search access from the Keyguard screen is disabled if this tag has a value of 1 (default) or is left unspecified.

Applies only if all of the following conditions are true:

The search app is enabled on the device
The Keyguard screen is in "Swipe" mode
The search icon is visible on the Keyguard screen

Unless all four of the above conditions are true, the value in this tag is ignored. Note: If no search-app shortcut exists on the device lock screen, use of this tag is not required.

IMPORTANT:

To prevent use of search, Zebra recommends using this tag and removing the search app from the User Mode screen.
Display of the search app icon on the Admin home screen can be delayed by as much as five seconds after unlocking the screen following a configuration change.
If no search shortcut exists on the device lock screen, use of this tag is not required.

Possible values:

1 (default)
0

Example

<keyguard_search_disabled>1</keyguard_search_disabled>

USB Debugging Disabled

Controls whether communication via USB is permitted between the device and a computer while the device is in Admin or User Mode. A setting of 1 (default) or if left unspecified will prevent user access to the file system and all ADB functionality on the device. Zebra recommends manually returning USB Debugging to its desired state before uninstalling EHS.

Possible values:

1 (default)
0

Example

<usb_debugging_disabled>1</usb_debugging_disabled>

System Settings Restricted

Controls whether full or limited settings are available when the device is in Admin or User Mode. A setting of 1 (default) or if left unspecified limits user access to Display and Sound settings and the "About phone" panel. A setting of 0 permits user access to all device settings.

IMPORTANT: See NOTES section below.

Possible values:

1 (default)
0

Example

<system_settings_restricted>1</system_settings_restricted>

NOTES:

The System settings app must be explicitly enabled in advance to make use of this setting. See the Enable/Disable Apps feature for more information.
This does not block Settings features, but only prevents their display in the Settings panel. Android makes restricted settings available to the user in some situations. For example, if the charge in a device battery becomes critically low, Android provides access to apps in the low battery warning display so they can be stopped, disabled or uninstalled. This can be prevented only by disabling the Settings app completely.
It is still possible to add shortcuts to restricted System-settings components (i.e. apps) using a third-party shortcut creator. However, such shortcuts also are available in User Mode. If a system setting component should be accessible only to administrators, it should not be mapped using a shortcut.
Uninstalling EHS does not revert Restricted System Settings to its original state. If required, this must be done manually before uninstalling EHS.
Reduced system settings in the default EHS configuration might prevent some MX features from working as expected. See the Access Manager guide System Settings Access section and the guides below for more information.
- DevAdmin guide - Set Screen Lock Type
- UI Manager guide - Two-finger Quick Settings Enable/Disable

Recent Apps Access

Controls whether a User's recently launched apps can be seen by that User. Applies to User Mode only. Disabled by default (recent apps are not shown). Default value is used if this tag left blank, absent from the config file or contains an invalid value. See important EHS Security Notes.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Recent Apps Button feature must be ENABLED (option 0) to use this feature.
Enable this feature to preserve an application’s state when returning it to the foreground.
If launched in Admin Mode, Google's Quick Search and Play Store apps (com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox and com.android.vending) appear to users in the Recent Apps list unless manually cleared by the admin.

Possible values:

1 (disabled by default)
0

Example

<preferences>
      <recent_apps_access_disabled>1</recent_apps_access_disabled>
</preferences>

Recent Apps Button Disabled

Applies only to devices running Android Oreo and later. Controls whether the Recent Apps button can be used to potentially launch unapproved apps and/or a non-EHS home screen. Setting applies to Admin and User Modes. Recent apps button is disabled by default on Oreo (and later) devices. Default value is used if this tag left blank, absent from the config file or contains an invalid value. See important EHS Security Notes.

This setting persists after EHS is removed.
IMPORTANT: Enable this feature (option 0) to use Recent Apps Access feature.

Possible values:

1 (disabled by default)
0

Example

<preferences>
      <Recent_apps_button_disabled>1</Recent_apps_button_disabled>
</preferences>

Wireless Information

Controls whether potentially sensitive information about the device's Wi-Fi connection is displayed to the device User and if so, which setting(s) are shown. By default, IP address, MAC address, SSID, BSSID and Scan Result are hidden in User Mode. Does not effect Admin Mode (all wireless settings always shown). Default value is used if a tag is left blank, absent from the config file or contains an invalid value.

NOTE: Add/edit these settings only if showing wireless information is desired.

Optionally Display:

IP address - currently assigned to the device
MAC address - unique identifier of the device's network interface controller
SSID - Service Set Identifier; the name of wireless access point currently in use
BSSID - the MAC address of the SSID currently in use
Scan results - list of SSIDs found in the most recent scan

Possible values:

0 (hidden by default)
1

Example

<preferences>
    <wireless_info>
        <show_ip_address>0</show_ip_address>
        <show_mac_address>0</show_mac_address>
        <show_bssid>0</show_bssid>
        <show_ssid>0</show_ssid>
        <show_scan_result>0</show_scan_result>
    </wireless_info>
</preferences>

Logging Disabled

Controls logging of EHS activities, failures and security events. These include failed attempts to enter Admin Mode, switches of the operating mode and all EHS errors. Logging is enabled by default. Logs are stored as /enterprise/usr/enterprisehomescreen.log, a plain text file in the enterprise directory that can be retrieved with ADB or an EMM, and viewed with any text editor.

Possible values:

1 - Enabled
0 - Disabled (default, logging is performed)

Example

<logging>
    <logging_disabled>0</logging_disabled>
</logging>

Log File Max Size

Permits a maximum size (in MB) to be specified for the EHS log file. When the maximum file size is reached, the current log is renamed to enterprisehomescreen.log.bak (overwriting the existing .bak file, if any) and a new enterprisehomescreen.log file is created. This effectively doubles the storage requirement of the specified maximum since two log files of maximum size is present at certain times.

Possible values:

Integer from 1-99999
Default = 10 (MB)

Example

<logging>
    <log_file_max_size>10</log_file_max_size>
</logging>

Optional Feature Tags

This section covers optional features and tags NOT included in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file by default. Tags are added automatically by EHS when options are enabled through the Settings panel UI. Tags also can be added manually by an administrator as needed.

Auto Launch

Permits any number of apps to be launched when EHS starts up. Similar to Kiosk Mode, auto-launch apps are specified in a separate section, can be launched with a specific app activity (optional) and the feature is activated with a tag in the Preferences section. Note: Package names might vary from one Android version to another.

Auto-launch differs from Kiosk Mode in that BACK and HOME keys can be used, and it allows apps to be set to launch after a specified delay to allow for SD card mounting. Works when the <auto_launch_enable> tag contains a value of 1; otherwise ignored. Auto-launch apps need not be listed in the <applications> section.

Important: The delay times for app and service auto-launch all begin at the same time--when EHS first starts up--relative to other apps or services. For example, if App1 is given a delay of 2000 ms, App2 a delay of 4000, Svc1 a delay of 3000 ms and Svc2 a delay of 1000 ms, the order of execution would be:

App1 two seconds after EHS launch
Svc1 one second later (3000 ms after EHS launch)
Svc2 one second later (3000+1000 ms after EHS launch)
App2 two seconds later (2000 + 4000 after EHS launch)

Possible values:

application delay: integer (milliseconds)
package: app package name
activity (optional): name of the activity to be invoked when the app starts

Example

<auto_launch>
    <application delay="8000" package="com.android.calculator2" activity=""/>
    <application delay="5000" package="com.rovio.angrybirds" activity=""/>
</auto_launch>

Service Auto Launch

Permits any number of services to be launched when EHS starts up. This can be useful as a means of checking for software updates. Automatically launched services must be specified in a separate section of the enterprisehomescreen.xml file. The feature can be activated in the admin UI or with a tag in the Preferences section. Auto-launch services need not be listed in the <applications> section.

Important: The delay times for app and service auto-launch all begin at the same time--when EHS first starts up--relative to other apps or services. Delay times are cumulative for each type. For example, if App1 is given a delay of 2000 ms, App2 a delay of 4000, Svc1 a delay of 3000 ms and Svc2 a delay of 1000 ms, the order of execution would be:

App1 two seconds after EHS launch
Svc1 one second later (3000 ms after EHS launch)
Svc2 one second later (3000+1000 ms after EHS)
App2 two seconds later (2000 + 4000 after EHS)

The EHS 2.4 showing Service auto launch enabled in the UI.

Possible values:

service delay: length of time (in ms) to delay before launching the service
package: application package name of the service
class: class name of the service
action: allows one of the actions supported by a Service to be specified

Note: Package names might vary from one Android version to another.

Service Auto-Launch Rules:

Services that support just a single action can be auto-launched using only the package name.
For Services that support more than one action, each desired action must be specified separately.
For Services that support more than one class, the correct class must be specified.
Service Auto-Launch has no effect on manually launching services.

Examples

Specify all parameters:

<service_auto_launch>
    <service delay="4000" package="com.sample.androidserviceexample" 
    class="com.sample.androidserviceexample.MyService" action="downloadfile"/>
</service_auto_launch>

Specify package, class and action names:

<service package="com.sample.androidserviceexample"
class="com.sample.androidserviceexample.MyService" 
action="com.sample.androidserviceexample.MyService.downloadfile"/>

Specify package and class names:

<service package="com.sample.androidserviceexample" class="com.sample.androidserviceexample.MyService"/>

Specify package name only (when only one service exists in the package):

<service package="com.sample.androidserviceexample" />

Specify service action name only:

<service action="com.sample.androidserviceexample.MyService.downloadfile"/>

Foreground Service Auto Launch

Used to specify one or more foreground services to be automatically launched after EHS starts up. Automatically launched services are specified in a separate, optional section of the enterprisehomescreen.xml file. When enabled, apps are launched after a delay, if specified. The Foreground Service Auto Launch feature is enabled/disabled in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file or Admin-Mode UI (on Oreo devices only). Disabled by default.

Note: This feature appears in the UI only on devices running Android 8.x Oreo.

Appears in UI only on Oreo devices.

Possible values:

1
0 (default)

Example

<preferences>   
    <foreground_service_auto_launch_enable>1</foreground_service_auto_launch_enable>
</preferences>
//
// Set delay (optional):   
// 
<foreground_service_auto_launch>
     <service delay="4000" package="com.sample.androidserviceexample"class="com.sample.androidserviceexample.MyService" action="downloadfile"/>
</foreground_service_auto_launch>

Pinned Shortcut Bypass Confirmation

In versions prior to EHS 3.2, EHS displays a confirmation dialog whenever a pinned shortcut is created. Display of this confirmation is configurable in EHS 3.2 and later, and can be bypassed to facilitate automation or creation of shortcuts by other apps.

Possible values for Bypass confirmation:

1
0 (default)

Example

    <preferences>
    ...
      <pin_shortcuts>
        <pin_shortcuts_enabled>1</pin_shortcuts_enabled> //1=allow, 0=disable (default)
        <bypass_confirmation>1</bypass_confirmation> // 1=bypass, 0=confirm (default)
      </pin_shortcuts>
    ...
    </preferences>

Bundle

Permits the option of injecting key-value pairs via XML into an app when it launches in User Mode. Bundled data can include application parameters, user data or any other information consumable by the application as an Android Intent. This feature can be used with User-Mode apps, Kiosk apps, auto-launch apps and those resulting from wildcard searches. When used with apps specified using the wildcard attribute, all apps receive the same data. The Bundle tag must be configured within the enterprisehomescreen.xml file. Bundle is not supported for Admin-mode apps or for use with links or services.

Bundle Notes:

Bundled data is handled as a character string; app is responsible for converting data type as needed.
The key and value portions of the bundle are separated by an equal sign (=).
Bundles are separated by a semi-colon (;).
Not supported for Admin-Mode apps, or for links or services.

Possible values:

character string

Example

<applications>
    <application label="Inventory" package="com.access.inventory" activity=" com.access.inventory.Login"
    bundle="username=John Brown;country=USA;date=090615"/>  
</applications>

Icon

Permits a custom graphic to be specified in place of the system or default icon for an application or link when displayed on the User-Mode screen. Supports .bmp, .jpg, and .png image formats. Image must be stored locally on the device and specified in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file using the full path. Default icon is used if tag is left blank or specified image file is missing or invalid. When used with apps specified using the wildcard attribute, all apps will display the same icon.

Examples

Replace the icon for an application:


<application label="DWDemo" package="com.symbol.datawedge" icon="/sdcard/datawedge/demo.png"/>

Replace the icon for a link:


<link label="yahoo" url="http://www.yahoo.com" package="org.mozilla.firefox" activity="org.mozilla.firefox.App" icon="/enterprise/usr/customfirefox.jpg" />

Replace the icon for an app launching with a specific activity:


<application label="WebMenu" package="com.symbol.rdp" activity="com.symbol.rdp.SessionActivity" icon="/enterprise/usr/ehs_data/images/webmenu.bmp"/>

Enable/Disable Apps

Allows apps on a device to be explicitly disabled or enabled in Admin and User Modes. Note: Package names might vary from one Android version to another.

In the EHS 4.0 and later UI (right), apps can be selected by icon, display name or package name.

NOTES:

Settings defined by these tags override EHS defaults and any settings applied with other tags.
If one of these tags is present without the other, Settings and Search apps are disabled in User Mode.
If the same package name is present under both (enable and disable) tags, the app is disabled.
Disabled apps must be manually returned to their desired state before uninstalling EHS; uninstalling EHS does NOT re-enable apps disabled using the <apps_disabled> tag..
To re-enable an app that was disabled using the <apps_disabled> tag, the app must be explicitly enabled using the <apps_enabled> tag.
After the device user takes a screenshot, some Android versions present apps (i.e. Gmail, Messaging, etc.) as a means of sharing the image. Disable such apps to prevent unwanted access.
These tags cannot be used to disable DataWedge or other services.

GMS Restricted Mode

On GMS devices running Android 8.x Oreo and later, Zebra implements a mode called GMS Restricted, an optional state that disables all or select sets of GMS applications and services (i.e. Gmail, Google Maps, etc.) on the device and removes their icons from the Android Launcher.

NOTES:

While apps and services disabled through GMS Restricted mode also are disabled on devices running EHS, their names remain visible in the EHS Preferences -> Disable Applications panel.
Attempts to enable or disable any of the effected apps–either through the EHS Preferences UI, the Privileged Settings UI or by pushing a config file–result in failures entered in the EHS log.
For more information and important warnings about GMS Restricted mode, see the GMS Manager documentation.

Possible values:

Package: app package name

Example

<preferences>
    ...
    <apps_disabled>
        <application package="com.android.settings"/>
        <application package="com.android.quicksearchbox"/>
    </apps_disabled>

    <apps_enabled>
        <application package="com.android.gallery3d"/>
    </apps_enabled>
    ...
</preferences>

Max Admin Login Attempts

The number of failed Admin-mode login attempts before EHS disables Admin Mode login. EHS keeps a count of the failed consecutive login attempts with an attribute in the password admin node (see "Example Failed Login Counter" below). If a successful login occurs before the maximum is reached, the counter is reset.

Once disabled, counter is reset by pushing a new enterprisehomescreen.xml file to the device with a greater "max attempts" value, or by using the Lockout Recovery feature, if enabled. If this tag is not present or contains no value, the default of 10 is used. Failed login attempts are added to the EHS log.

NOTE: The maximum number accepted in the UI is 9999. Greater values specified in the enterprisehomescreen.xml file are displayed as "9999" in the UI.

Examples

<preferences>
    ...
    <admin_max_attempts>10</admin_max_attempts>
    ...
</preferences>

Example Failed Login Counter:

<passwords>
    <admin attempts="7"></admin>
</passwords>

The counter resets to 1 after a successful login or when a new enterprisehomescreen.xml file is pushed to the device.

Admin Inactivity Timeout

Controls the time (in seconds) that a device remains in Admin Mode without activity. Add this tag to the <Preferences> section of the config file to specify the timeout period. The default period is 60 seconds, which is used if this tag is missing or left unspecified. Minimum period is 15 seconds (lower values are ignored); zero or negative value disables timeout. The timeout counter runs only when EHS is in foreground, and resets when EHS returns to the foreground. Note: Use of the Android Search app has no effect on the timeout counter.

IMPORTANT: Admin Inactivity Timeout value should be the same or less than the Screen Timeout Interval setting on the device.

Possible values:

integer (in seconds)

NOTES:

Minimum value = 15; lower values are ignored
Default = 60; used if tag is left blank or not present
0 or negative value disables timeout function
Use of the Android Search app has no effect on timeout counter

Example

<preferences>
    <admin_inactivity_timeout>600</admin_inactivity_timeout>
</preferences>

Lockout Recovery

Allows a device to be unlocked with the correct password after the device has been locked due to too many failed admin login attempts. Disabled by default. Add this tag (as shown in the example below with a value of "1") to the <Preferences> section of the enterprisehomescreen.xml config file to enable lockout recovery without the need to push a new config file to the device. See important Lockout Notes below.

Possible values:

1
0 (disabled by default)

Examples

Enable Lockout Recovery:


<preferences>
    <admin_lock_out>
        <recovery_enabled>1</recovery_enabled > 
    </admin_lock_out>
</preferences>

Disable Lockout Recovery:


<preferences>
    <admin_lock_out>
        <recovery_enabled>0</recovery_enabled > 
    </admin_lock_out>
</preferences>

Lockout Notes

When Lockout Recovery is enabled and the device is locked due to too many failed login attempts, EHS displays the time remaining (not a counter) before the next login can be attempted.
Invalid timeout values (i.e. negative, less than 15, etc.) are ignored and default value (60 min.) is used.
Restarting the device resets the timeout counter to 0; countdown begins next time admin login feature is accessed.
When a lockout timer is running, pushing a new config file resets the timeout to the value in the new config file. If the new value is invalid, timer resets to 60.
When the timeout expires, only a single login attempt is allowed; failure restarts the timeout clock.
Successful Lockout Recovery resets the failed admin login attempts counter to 1.
With the exception of device restart, which resets the lockout timer, the countdown timer continues regardless of user activity.
All lockout and recovery activities are added to the EHS log.

Recovery Timeout

Specifies the period of time (in minutes) that an admin must wait following a device lockout before attempting Lockout Recovery. Default=60 (1 hour). Add this tag to the <Preferences> section of the config file to specify a timeout interval. If tag is missing or left blank, the default is used.

Possible values:

Integer greater than 15

Example


<preferences>
    <admin_lock_out>
        <recovery_timeout>60</recovery_timeout>
    </admin_lock_out>
</preferences>

Shortcuts and Intents

On Oreo

EHS has historically offered the ability to add shortcuts programmatically using the INSTALL_SHORTCUT broadcast intent. Android 8.x Oreo replaces this intent with the requestPinShortcut() method of the ShortcutManager class. When shortcuts that link to local apps or remote websites are added in this way, EHS adds a link tag to the config XML file with the attributes listed below and displays the shortcut on the User screen.

To identify a pinned shortcut, EHS uses two attributes in a link tag:

label

The short name for of the pinned shortcut, returned by the ShortcutInfo.getShortLabel() method.

pinned_activity

The activity the shortcut links to, returned by the ShortcutInfo.getPackage() method.

NOTES:

When shortcuts that link to local apps or websites are added using the method described above, EHS adds a link tag to the config file as in the sample below:
```
<applications>
    <link label="Yahoo" pinned_activity="org.mozilla.firefox" /> 
</applications> 
```
The ability to pin shortcuts to an EHS User-mode screen and write pinned shortcut information to the config file in this way is disabled by default. Before adding shortcuts programmatically, this feature must be enabled using the Pinned Shortcuts tag.
Mass deployment is not supported for pinned shortcuts. Each pinned shortcut must be added manually by an administrator. As with all versions of EHS, shortcuts cannot be cloned from one device to another.
Duplicate shortcuts are permitted. As with all versions of EHS, multiple shortcuts can exist on a device with precisely the same attributes.
To remove added shortcuts, manually delete them from the configuration XML file, as with shortcut handling of prior EHS versions.
On multi-user devices, only the user adding the pinned shortcuts has access to them. Other users see the User-screen shortcut icons but are unable to launch them. This shortcut behavior is consistent with the Android Launcher.

App Launch Flags

EHS supports the option of specifying one or more Android Intent flags when an application is launched, overriding any Intent flag(s) statically defined in the Android Manifest. This can be used to allow an app to launch not with its main activity, for example, but with its most recent one, retaining acquired data that would otherwise have been lost after an inadvertent press of the HOME key immediately after a scan.

App Launch Flags can be assigned only to Kiosk apps or those designated as part of a group. The flag will apply to all apps in groups of the following types:

Auto-Launch apps
User-Mode apps
Tools-Menu apps
Kiosk apps

EHS does not support assignment of Launch Flags to individual apps.

Supported flags:

Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_BROUGHT_TO_FRONT;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_WHEN_TASK_RESET;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_EXCLUDE_FROM_RECENTS;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_FORWARD_RESULT;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_LAUNCHED_FROM_HISTORY;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_MULTIPLE_TASK;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_ANIMATION;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_USER_ACTION;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_PREVIOUS_IS_TOP;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_REORDER_TO_FRONT;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_RESET_TASK_IF_NEEDED;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP;
Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_TASK_ON_HOME;

Refer to the Android Intents docs for information about the intended behavior of these flags.

Examples

For User-Mode applications (applies to all apps in the <applications> node):

<applications app_launch_flags="FLAG_ACTIVITY_RESET_TASK_IF_NEEDED;FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK">
    ...
    <application label="contacts" package="ccom.android.contacts" activity=""/>
    <application label="Manual Scanning" package="com.access.scanassist" activity=""/>
    <application label="Calculator" package="com.android.calculator2" activity=""/>
    ...
</applications>

For Auto-Launch apps (applies to all apps in the <auto_launch> node):

<auto_launch app_launch_flags="FLAG_ACTIVITY_RESET_TASK_IF_NEEDED;FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK">
    ...
    <application label="Manual Scanning" package="com.access.scanassist"  activity=""/>
    ...
</auto_launch>

For Tools Menu apps (applies to all apps in the <tools> node):

<tools app_launch_flags="FLAG_ACTIVITY_RESET_TASK_IF_NEEDED;FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK">
    ...
    <application label="Calculator" package="com.android.calculator2" activity=""/>
    <application label="Rapid Deployment" package="com.motorola.msp" activity="com.motorola.msp.client.RDMenu"/>
    <application label="Manual Scanning" package="com.access.scanassist"  activity=""/>
    ...
</tools>

For a Kiosk app:

<kiosk app_launch_flags="FLAG_ACTIVITY_RESET_TASK_IF_NEEDED; FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK">     
    <application label="Calculator" package="com.android.calculator2" activity=""/>
</kiosk>

See the Special Features Guide for information about Kiosk Mode, Privileged Settings and other special EHS features and behaviors.