Overview
Unmanaged apps are apps that are installed on devices outside of ArborXR. Unmanaged apps cannot be installed on devices from ArborXR since the app file (.apk) is not uploaded to ArborXR during this process.
For this guide, it is assumed that all Unmanaged Apps have been either:
Pre-installed by the device manufacturer.
Downloaded to the device from each device's respective app store.
Side-loaded via SideQuest or adb.
💡 With this feature, Unmanaged Apps can easily be:
Added to ArborXR Home so end-users can one-click launch.
Designated as the kiosk app in Kiosk Mode and automatically launches upon powering on the headset.
💡 Note: If you want to use an app on the device's app store, we recommend contacting the app developer for app licensing information. We even have ways that make it easy for app developers to share applications with their customers through ArborXR. Feel free to include us in the conversation if you ever get to this point with an app developer.
Create Unmanaged Apps
Navigate to Content Library in the side navigation menu.
Click Add Content.
Select Unmanaged App.
This will open a modal where you will need to:
Enter the Title of the application.
Select the Platform Compatibility (i.e., whether the app is built for Pico Neo 2, HTC VIVE Focus Plus, etc.).
Enter the app's Package Name (i.e. Android's unique identifier for applications usually formatted
com.example.app).
💡 For Unmanaged Apps to appear in ArborXR Home, our system must be made aware of the unique identifier for the app in question. For Android applications, the unique identifier is the Package Name. Once our system is made aware of the unique identifier of the app in question, the Unmanaged App can be shown in ArborXR Home or auto-launched as the kiosk app.
📖 To identify the Unmanaged App's package name, refer to our running list of common package names or obtain the package name using this guide.
Click Add App.
Details Tab
Details tab: Modify the Title and Description, assign Tags, and Add Platform compatibility.
Title: The title of the unmanaged app as it will be seen in VR.
Package Name: Android's unique identifier for applications usually formatted
com.example.app.Description: The description entered in the Description input is user-facing within VR in ArborXR Home.
Tags: Tags provide a way for the dashboard and ArborXR Home users to filter content. For more information on how to use this feature, check out our article on Tags.
Add Platform: Add additional types of devices that can run this app. For example, if the unmanaged app is developed for Quest devices, assign Meta Quest 1, Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest Pro compatibility.
Add Unmanaged App(s) to ArborXR Home or Kiosk Mode
ArborXR Home
Navigate to the individual ungrouped device or device group in question.
Select the Headset Experience tab.
Select ArborXR Home.
Under Included Apps, click on Unmanaged Apps to expand the section then select the managed apps that users should have access to within ArborXR Home.
Scroll down then click Apply Changes.
💡 NOTE: Provided the selected unmanaged applications are installed on the device(s), either because they were pre-installed by the device's manufacturer or were downloaded from the device's app store, the applications will appear in ArborXR Home.
To learn more about configuring ArborXR Home, see this article.
Kiosk Mode
From the Devices & Groups section, navigate to the individual ungrouped device or device group.
Select the Headset Experience tab.
Select Kiosk Mode.
Under Kiosk App, click on Unmanaged Apps to expand the section then select an unmanaged app to designate it as the kiosk app.
Scroll down then click Apply Changes.
💡 NOTE: Provided the selected unmanaged application is installed on the device(s), either because it was pre-installed by the device manufacturer or was downloaded from the device's app store, the application will automatically launch upon powering on the device.
To learn more about configuring Kiosk Mode, see this article.