Add an iOS/iPadOS line-of-business app to Microsoft Intune

Use the information in this article to help you add an iOS/iPadOS line-of-business (LOB) app to Microsoft Intune. A line-of-business (LOB) app is an app that you add to Intune from an IPA app installation file. This kind of app is typically written in-house. You will first need to join the iOS Developer Enterprise Program.

Note

Users of iOS/iPadOS devices can remove some of the built-in iOS/iPadOS apps, like Stocks and Maps. You cannot use Intune to redeploy these apps. If users delete these apps, they must go to the app store and manually reinstall them.

iOS/iPadOS LOB apps have a maximum size limit of 2 GB per app.

Bundle identifiers (for example, com.contoso.app) are meant to be unique identifiers of an app. For example, to install a beta version of an LOB app next to the production version for testing purposes, the beta version must have a different unique identifier (for example, com.contoso.app-beta). Otherwise, the beta version will overlap with the production and be treated as an upgrade. Renaming the .ipa file has no effect on this behavior.

You can deploy LOB apps to Shared iPad devices. For Shared iPad devices, line-of-business apps must be assigned as required to a device group containing Shared iPad devices from the Microsoft Intune admin center.

Select the app type

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
  2. Select Apps > All apps > Add.
  3. In the Select app type pane, under the Other app types, select Line-of-business app.
  4. Click Select. The Add app steps are displayed.

Step 1 - App information

Select the app package file

  1. In the Add app pane, click Select app package file.
  2. In the App package file pane, select the browse button. Then, select an iOS/iPadOS installation file with the extension .ipa. The app details will be displayed.
  3. When you're finished, select OK on the App package file pane to add the app.

Set app information

  1. In the App information page, add the details for your app. Depending on the app that you chose, some of the values in this pane might be automatically filled in.
    • Name: Enter the name of the app as it appears in the company portal. Make sure all app names that you use are unique. If the same app name exists twice, only one of the apps appears in the company portal.
    • Description: Enter the description of the app. The description appears in the company portal.
    • Publisher: Enter the name of the publisher of the app.
    • Minimum Operating System: From the list, choose the minimum operating system version on which the app can be installed. If you assign the app to a device with an earlier operating system, it will not be installed.
    • Category: Select one or more of the built-in app categories, or select a category that you created. Categories make it easier for users to find the app when they browse through the company portal.
    • Show this as a featured app in the Company Portal: Display the app prominently on the main page of the company portal when users browse for apps.
    • Information URL: Optionally, enter the URL of a website that contains information about this app. The URL appears in the company portal.
    • Privacy URL: Optionally, enter the URL of a website that contains privacy information for this app. The URL appears in the company portal.
    • Developer: Optionally, enter the name of the app developer.
    • Owner: Optionally, enter a name for the owner of this app. An example is HR department.
    • Notes: Enter any notes that you want to associate with this app.
    • Logo: Upload an icon that is associated with the app. This icon is displayed with the app when users browse through the company portal.
  2. Click Next to display the Scope tags page.

Step 2 - Select scope tags (optional)

You can use scope tags to determine who can see client app information in Intune. For full details about scope tags, see Use role-based access control and scope tags for distributed IT.

  1. Click Select scope tags to optionally add scope tags for the app.
  2. Click Next to display the Assignments page.

Step 3 - Assignments

  1. Select the Required, Available for enrolled devices, Available with or without enrollment, or Uninstall group assignments for the app. For more information, see Add groups to organize users and devices and Assign apps to groups with Microsoft Intune.

  2. Click Next to display the Review + create page.

Note

Users may receive the "Open in iTunes?" prompt when installing LOB apps from the iOS Company Portal. Instruct users to click 'Open' to install the LOB app.

Step 4 - Review + create

  1. Review the values and settings you entered for the app.

  2. When you are done, click Create to add the app to Intune.

    The Overview blade for the line-of-business app is displayed.

The app that you created now appears in the list of apps. From the list, you can assign the apps to groups that you choose. For help, see How to assign apps to groups.

Note

Provisioning profiles for iOS/iPadOS LOB apps have a 30 day notice before they will expire.

Step 5: Update a line-of-business app

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center.
  2. Select Apps > All apps.
  3. Find and select your app from the list of apps.
  4. Select Properties under Manage from the app pane.
  5. Select Edit next to App information.
  6. Click on the listed file next to Select file to update. The App package file pane is displayed.
  7. Select the folder icon and browse to the location of your updated app file. Select Open. The app information is updated with the package information.
  8. Verify that App version reflects the updated app package.

The update to the line-of-business app will be installed automatically.

Note

For the Intune service to successfully deploy a new IPA file to the device, you must update the CFBundleVersion string in the Info.plist file in your IPA package. You are allowed to upgrade an app by increasing the value, or downgrade an app by decreasing the value, however you cannot upload a new version of CFBundleVersion if the new app is identical to the existing one.

For an iOS LOB app targeted with available intent, auto-update of the application will happen as long as the following conditions are met:

  • The end user must request the specific Intune app from the Company Portal and the app must be successfully installed, or the app is already installed on the device.
  • The targeting for the user has not changed (app assignment with available intent is not removed and user is not removed from the group membership in the life cycle of the app assignment).
  • If the previous version of the app is installed through required intent, then the available app update will not happen. The app will be updated automatically as long as the user/device is part of required intent group.
  • If the app has both available and required deployments targeted, the resolved intent becomes 'RequiredAndAvailable'. Note: You cannot create Available and Required deployments to the same Microsoft Entra group, but you can use different Microsoft Entra group with same members in it. If the app was installed automatically on devices after the Required deployment is created (not manually installed from Company Portal) and the required deployment is later removed, the Available app update won't happen automatically on those devices and the users have to request the app from Company Portal.

Next steps