VMware Workspace ONE Community
ChrisI984
Contributor
Contributor
‎09-11-2023 01:34 AM

Tricky MDM NFC Issue on Android phones

We've got a few phones in the hands of our security staff at a UK hospital with a weird NFC issue....

  • Samsung A14 5g
  • Android 13
  • locked down via the Workspace Launcher

The security staff are supposed to open a particular app call TrackTik and tap various NFC tags to log and prove that they are doing their patrols and they are safe etc...

We recently upgraded them from some old pda's running Android 8, to new budget Samsung's running Android 13. and that means we had to design them a new profile because the old one won't work with Android 13.

One of the first things we noticed is that there is seemingly no toggle or rule to enable/disable NFC in the new profile menu's even though there is a clear toggle for NFC in the legacy profile designer.

However, the phone is able to use NFC just fine while running the profile... For example, If I tap an NFC tag at the Launcher it beeps and buzzes. 

I also pushed this app to the phones via the profile and it is able to return NFC tag details without any tinkering or permissions needing to be granted.... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wakdev.wdnfc&hl=en&gl=US

But in TrackTik when we tell it we want to log an NFC tag, it behaves as if the NFC sensor has been disconnected and nothing happens!

So you would probably ask at this point, what's that got to do with Workspace One, Surely I need to speak to TrackTik... But here's the twist.

If I put the Launcher in to admin mode and exit the launcher... TrackTik can scan the NFC tag...

So TrackTik won't help me because as far as they're concerned, my MDM has broken it and their app works.

But I need to figure out why my MDM profile is stopping one particular app from using NFC.

Anyone got any ideas?

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2 Replies
TimHardy
Enthusiast
Enthusiast
‎09-13-2023 05:41 AM

It sounds like launcher is blocking a system app from running,

To check this Replicate the fault, then click the drop down arrow (top right of launcher) > Select settings > select “Denylisted apps”. Within this menu it will display all the app IDs that launcher has blocked from running.

hopefully you will see something in this menu, take that app ID and add it as a miscellaneous app to the launchers hidden apps section.

Once complete try your NFC tags again.

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ChrisI984
Contributor
Contributor
‎09-14-2023 04:31 AM

Actually, we covered this I think.

When we first approached the affected phones, one of them had 2 apps in the blocked apps list.... The phone and the samsung browser.

We added them the allowed hidden apps in the launcher config but it made no difference.

I dont think those apps going on the block list was related ot be honest, I dont think this issue is generating any blocked apps.

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