Zebra EHS Setup

Zebra EHS 6.2

Overview

These instructions provide a basic understanding of the installation, configuration, usage and essential workings of Enterprise Home Screen, and are recommended for anyone unfamiliar with first-time EHS setup. Please note that everything detailed here also can be automated through a Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) system and with direct manipulation of the EHS config file, which is documented in the Advanced Settings section.

Many of the capabilities of EHS can be accomplished manually on the device, programmatically through EMDK or remotely using StageNow or a third-party EMM system (if supported by that EMM system). EHS simply puts these capabilities into a single, convenient tool.

Note: Installation and setup requires that the EHS .apk file be present on a PC or Mac that can communicate with the target device and write to all storage areas. If necessary, please download EHS and establish connectivity between the computer and device. Then resume from here. The SD card slot is disabled when a device is in Multi-user Mode. See Special Features section for more information.

Manual Installation

These instructions apply to direct installation (from a computer to a single device) using the EHS 5.x installer (.apk) file.

Compatibility Notes

OS Support

  • Supports Android 10 and Android 11 on supported devices only.
  • No longer supports devices running Android versions prior to Android 10.
  • EHS 5.0 might require a LifeGuard update for device compatibility. Learn more.

Uninstallation Required

Package Name Change
  • EHS 5.0 and subsequent versions have the following package name:
    • EHS 5.0 (and later): com.zebra.mdna.enterprisehomescreen
    • All prior versions: com.symbol.enterprisehomescreen
  • Previous EHS versions (with the old package name) cannot be upgraded to EHS 5.0.
  • EHS versions prior to 5.0 must be uninstalled.
    Android does NOT support upgrading an app to a newer version with a different package name.
  • EHS must again be designated as the default launcher.
  • All new features and device support will be added to EHS 5.0 (and later) and delivered under the new package name.
  • Previous versions and package names are deprecated.
  • Software, systems and files containing the prior EHS package name must be updated with the new package name.
    These might include, but are not limited to:
    • Any "allowlist" or "whitelist" such as those created with Access Manager
    • Intents that launch Enterprise Home Screen
    • StageNow Profiles used to install any version prior to EHS 5.0
    • EMM systems used to install any version prior to EHS 5.0
    • Any hard-coded instance of the string com.symbol.enterprisehomescreen
  • A single .apk file (EHS_xxxxxx.apk) works with all supported devices including TC20/TC25.

Upgrade Notes

  • Any previous EHS installation must be removed before EHS 5.x is installed.
    Follow instructions to uninstall EHS before installing EHS 5.0 on any device.
  • EHS must be designated as the default launcher after any reinstallation.
  • Configuration settings saved on the device, if any, are re-applied automatically.
  • A Factory Reset erases all device data, including any saved EHS configurations.
  • Android 13 IMPORTANT NOTES:
    • Upgrading to A13 might cause the device to be unusable if an older EHS version is not removed beforehand.
    • After upgrading, install EHS 6.0 (or later) and designate as the Home screen (launcher).
To install EHS manually:

1. Connect the device via USB to a PC or Mac.

2. Copy the .apk file from the PC to any writable device folder.

3. On the device, launch "File Browser" or "Files" app from the App Drawer:


4. Locate and launch the .apk file:

File name of the .apk will match that of the version number being installed.

5. Tap Install:


6. After installation, tap Open:

If "Done" was accidentally selected instead of "Open," launch "Enterprise Home Screen" from the App Drawer to proceed.

7. Tap or press the HOME key. A screen like the image below will appear:


8. Select Enterprise Home Screen and tap "Just once" for now. This will allow easy switching between EHS and the Android launcher during setup. This choice will be presented every time the HOME key is tapped until selecting "Always" makes the selection permanent.

9. A restart is required to complete the installation (for first-time EHS installations). Again, a screen like the one above will appear. Select Enterprise Home Screen and tap "Just once" to continue or select "Always" to make the selection permanent. To undo this choice, see Change the Default Launcher section below.

Note: After selecting "Always," wait 10 seconds before restarting to ensure the change remains persistent.

Select Apps for User Mode

EHS is now ready to use. The next steps are for selecting which apps to display (and which to hide) while in User Mode, and for configuring the level of user access to device settings. When first run, EHS always defaults to User Mode, and will display a screen similar to the image below:

EHS User Mode

EHS selects apps for display in User Mode from apps installed on the device. All apps intended for use must be installed on the device before proceeding.

Enter Admin Mode and select which apps will be displayed to users:

10. Tap the menu icon and open the Tools menu:


11. Select Admin Login and tap OK (the default password is blank):


After hitting OK, the admin version of the Tools menu will be displayed.

12. Tap the BACK button to dismiss the Tools menu. The Admin Mode screen similar to the image below will show all apps installed on the device.


Note: If an app intended for use is not displayed, it must be installed before proceeding.

13. Long-press an app icon to alternatively display or hide it from the User Mode screen. Depending on the app's status when long-pressed, one of the following messages will appear:

Repeat this step until desired apps are selected for display. To confirm selections, switch between Admin and User Modes by logging in and out of Admin Mode from the Tools menu.

User Access to Settings

EHS provides extensive control over which device settings (such as networking) and resources (such as cameras and the file system) will be available to users when the device is in User Mode. Administrators can allow complete control of all device settings, limit access to just a few settings, or hide device settings completely.

In User Mode, the following features are disabled by default:

  • USB debugging
  • Access to the file system
  • Access to the Search app
  • Keyguard-screen camera and search functions
  • Full access to the System Settings panel
  • Recent apps button

To select which settings will be available while the device is in User Mode and/or to modify other User Mode preferences:

14. While in Admin Mode, Select Preferences from the menu:

Preferences feature NOT available on WS50 devices. More about EHS on WS50.

15. Scroll the Preferences panel and select the desired settings:

For scenarios that require even more security, EHS offers Kiosk mode, which is documented in the Special Features section. For a complete usage reference for the enterprisehomescreen.xml configuration file, please see the Advanced Settings section.

Automated Installation

These instructions apply to remote installation of EHS, an enterprisehomescreen.xml config file, or both, from an organization's own EMM server to multiple managed devices. Alternatively, remote deployment and management can be accomplished through Zebra's EMDK or StageNow tools using its App Manager Setting Type service.

Important: To execute EHS in a device in which a managed profile is enabled, EHS must be installed before configuring the managed profile in the device.

Upgrade Notes

  • Any previous EHS installation must be removed before EHS 5.0 is installed.
    Follow instructions to uninstall EHS before installing EHS 5.x on any device.
  • EHS must be designated as the default launcher after any reinstallation.
  • Configuration settings saved on the device, if any, are re-applied automatically.
  • A Factory Reset erases all device data, including any saved EHS configurations.
  • Android 13 IMPORTANT NOTES:
    • Upgrading to A13 might cause the device to be unusable if an older EHS version is not removed beforehand.
    • After upgrading, install EHS 6.0 (or later) and designate as the default Home screen (launcher).

To install EHS using an EMM, instruct the EMM to do the following, in this order:

1. If desired, create an enterprisehomescreen.xml file containing the desired user apps and settings. Otherwise, EHS will be installed with its default settings and apps. See the Advanced Settings section for detailed instructions on the creation and editing of config files.

2. Deploy EHS and the config file (if any) to the device(s). This includes the .apk file and the XML file (if any) created in the previous step.

3. Launch the app using the following package and activity commands:

  • Package name: com.zebra.mdna.enterprisehomescreen
  • Main activity/class name: com.zebra.mdna.enterprisehomescreen.HomeScreenActivity

4. Set Enterprise Home Screen as the default home application on the device.

5. Set a delay of 10 seconds before rebooting device to ensure the change remains persistent.

6. Reboot the device to complete the installation. This is a required step.

After selecting "Always," wait 10 seconds before restarting to ensure the change remains persistent..

The capabilities of EMM systems vary. Please refer to the EMM documentation for specific information about how to configure these commands.

App installation, uninstallation, setting the default launcher and other operations are possible using the App Manager through Zebra's EMDK or StageNow tools.

Uninstallation

Manual Uninstallation

Important: Device settings configured by EHS such as USB debugging, System Settings Restricted (restricting user access to Display and Sound settings, and the "About phone" panel only), disabling apps and recent apps button and so on, DO NOT revert to their state prior to EHS installation and configuration. All such settings MUST BE REVERSED prior to the removal of EHS. This can be done prior to uninstalling EHS by pushing to the device an enterprisehomescreen.xml file properly configured to unrestrict the settings.

To remove EHS, simply use the Android App Manager to uninstall the EHS app.

1. From the Admin Mode screen, Select Settings:

2. Tap Apps to bring up the Android App Manager:

3. Locate and Tap Enterprise Home Screen:

4. Tap the Uninstall button: If the "Uninstall" button is grey, first remove EHS as the default launcher.

5. Click OK to confirm:

Remove Config File (optional)

The steps above do not remove the enterprisehomescreen.xml configuration file from the /enterprise/usr folder, which could effect the behavior of EHS versions installed later.

To remove an old version of the enterprisehomescreen.xml file:

6. Connect the device to a computer with Android Debug Bridge (ADB) installed.

7. At a command prompt, execute the following command:


adb shell rm /enterprise/usr/enterprisehomescreen.xml
Manual uninstallation of EHS is now complete.

Automated Uninstallation

These instructions apply to remote uninstallation using an organization's own EMM server to remove EHS from multiple managed devices. This task also can be accomplished through Zebra's EMDK or StageNow tools using the App Manager service.

IMPORTANT: Device settings configured by EHS such as USB debugging, System Settings Restricted (restricting user access to Display and Sound settings, and the "About phone" panel only), disabling apps and recent apps button and so on, DO NOT revert to their former state when EHS is uninstalled. To restore a device to its former state, all such settings MUST BE REVERSED prior to the removal of EHS. This can be done prior to uninstalling EHS by pushing to the device an enterprisehomescreen.xml file properly configured to unrestrict the settings.

To uninstall EHS using an EMM, instruct the EMM to do the following:

1. Uninstall (remove) the EHS app, referencing the package and activity names as indicated below.

  • Package name: com.zebra.mdna.enterprisehomescreen
  • Main activity/class name: com.zebra.mdna.enterprisehomescreen.HomeScreenActivity

2. OPTIONAL: If a new enterprisehomescreen.xml configuration file will be deployed with the new version of EHS, skip to Step 3. Otherwise, instruct the EMM to remove the file /enterprise/usr/enterprisehomescreen.xml from the device. This will clear configuration settings from the previously installed EHS app.

Warning: Do not remove the /enterprise/usr folder; it could effect the behavior of other apps.

3. It is sometimes necessary to reboot the device to complete the uninstallation.

Remote uninstallation of EHS is now complete.

Capabilities of EMM systems vary. Please refer to the EMM documentation for specific information about command usage.

Change the Default Launcher

Removing EHS as the default launcher on a device can be done with a simple change in the Settings panel or by uninstalling EHS. Either of these scenarios can be accomplished manually on the device, programmatically through EMDK or remotely using StageNow or an EMM (if supported).

If EHS is removed from the device and the Android Launcher is the only remaining launcher on the device, it will become the default launcher. If more than one launcher will remain on the device after EHS is removed, a new default launcher should be selected to ensure desired operation.

To manually change the default launcher on a device without removing EHS:

1. In Admin Mode open the Settings panel and tap Home:

2. Tap on the Android Launcher to select it as the default launcher and Home screen.

The trash can icon seen here offers an alternative means of uninstalling EHS and restoring the Android Launcher.

Battery and Wi-Fi Quick View

In addition to the separate panels for viewing Battery and Wi-Fi status provided in the menus of Admin- and User-Mode Launcher screens, EHS provides Quick View, an alternate way of accessing real-time status of these critical devices from a single screen.

EHS 4.0 and later allows administrators to control Wi-Fi information display.

To view Battery and Wi-Fi status:

From Admin or User Mode, tap the "i" icon as indicated below:

The Battery/Wi-Fi Quick View panels appears, displaying real-time status of both devices:

Battery and Wi-Fi Quick View NOT available on WS50 devices. More about EHS on WS50.