AppConfig for EMM solutions with Mattermost mobile apps#

What is AppConfig?#

AppConfig is a standard approach for app configuration and management introduced by the AppConfig Community, a group of leading EMM providers and app developers who have come together to make it easier for developers and customers to drive mobility in business. The community’s mission is to streamline the adoption and deployment of mobile enterprise applications by providing a standard approach to app configuration and management, building upon the extensive app security and configuration frameworks available in the OS.

AppConfig provides an easy way to configure enterprise mobile applications with any of the EMM providers listed on the AppConfig website.

Mattermost mobile apps can be configured in your EMM solution using AppConfig with the apps on the public app stores (Google Play and Apple App Store), or as an “in-house app” you compile yourself.

Mattermost AppConfig values#

The following table shows all the configuration options that can be sent from the EMM provider of your choice to the Mattermost mobile apps. You can also download an XML template of the configuration file for use with your EMM provider.

Key	Description	Type	Default Value	Valid Values	iOS Support	Android for Work Support
inAppPinCode	Require users to authenticate as the device owner before using the app. Prompts for fingerprint or passcode when the app first opens and when the app has been in the background for more than five minutes.	String	`false`	`true \| false`	Yes	Yes
blurApplicationScreen	Blur the app when it’s set to background to protect any confidential on-screen information. On Android, it also prevents taking screenshots of the app.	String	`false`	`true \| false`	Yes	Yes
jailbreakDetection	Disable app launch on jailbroken or rooted devices.	String	`false`	`true \| false`	Yes	Yes
copyAndPasteProtection	Disable the ability to copy from or paste into any text inputs in the app.	String	`false`	`true \| false`	Yes	Yes (since v1.24.0)
serverUrl	Set a default Mattermost server URL. Supports a single server only while v2.0 of the mobile app supports multiple server connections.	String		URL	Yes	Yes
serverName	Automatically populates the server display name for the URL specified in serverURL.	String		alphanumeric or empty	Yes	Yes
allowOtherServers	Allow the user to change the above server URL. If set to `true`, users can connect to multiple servers that aren’t specified in the server URL setting. If set to `false`, users can only connect to a single defined server.	String	`true`	`true \| false`	Yes	Yes
username	Set the username or email address to use to authenticate against the Mattermost Server.	String			Yes	Yes
useVPN	Enable connection to the Mattermost Server to use a per-app VPN or VPN on-demand.	String	`false`	`true \| false`	Yes	No
timeoutVPN	Set how long the request waits (in milliseconds) for an initial VPN connection to establish before timeout.	String	30000		Yes	No
vendor	Name of the EMM vendor or company deploying the app. Used in help text when prompting for passcodes so users are aware why the app is being protected.	String	Mattermost		Yes	Yes
inAppSessionAuth	Use the app’s internal browser for SSO instead of an external browser.	String	`false`	`true \| false`	Yes	Yes

Other AppConfig settings#

As part of AppConfig, EMM administrators can set the following additional configuration options for the Mattermost mobile apps:

App Tunnel: Leverage the “Per-app VPN” capabilities in most commercial VPN solutions.
Prevent App Backup: Prevent users from backing up app data.
Enforce App Encryption: Set security policies such as requiring encryption.
Remotely Wipe App: Use the EMM tool to distribute the app to devices as a managed application so it can be remotely wiped. If the app was previously installed, mark it so the EMM converts the app to a managed app.

Other configurations may be available depending on your EMM provider.