Google has released a tool that lets you manage Android devices using a server-side API and with no need to write your own management app.

Until now, if you wanted to manage an Android device, you had to write your own Device Policy Controller (DPC) app. This is basically an agent deployed by the developer, and mostly it was done by Android Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) partners.

The new Android Management API widens this to be something that any developer can do without needing to worry about the underlying Android framework. You create a Google Cloud project, then call the API using a couple of REST API calls.

The API relies on you defining policies that say how the device should be managed rather than setting up discrete transactions. Google interprets the policies into a set of actions for the target device, and executes those requests using the Android Device Policy app, a Google-made managing agent. Because the agent is provided by Google, developers don’t need to be concerned about which APIs are available or the specifics of a particular version of Android. The developers say you could set up the same management policy across an organization, even if the devices in use come from multiple manufacturers.

The first set of APIs focus on purpose-built uses for devices such as digital signage, ticket printing, and kiosks. The developers are working on other specific uses, and will eventually add the ability to control all Android enterprise solution sets.

The Android Management API is now available in beta for all partners and developers. Using Google’s API Explorer, you can try out the API and provision a device so long as you have a new or factory reset Android 6.0+ device and a Gmail account.

More Information

Quickstart Trial For API

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