Specific platform requirements

Different operating systems impose specific requirements for deploying, installing, or using applications on the appropriate mobile devices.

Android

The mobile device must be configured for installation from unknown sources. The corresponding toggle can be found in the Android Settings. See User Opt-in for apps from unknown sources for details.

iOS

All applications managed through the Application Center must be packaged for "Ad Hoc Distribution". With an iOS developer account, we can share the application with up to 100 iOS devices. With an iOS enterprise account, we can share the in-house application with an unlimited number of iOS devices. See iOS Developer Program and iOS Enterprise Program for details.

BlackBerry

Applications must be signed with a signing key for "BlackBerry OS 7 and earlier" that can be obtained by BlackBerry. Unsigned applications cannot access the full BlackBerry API of the device. Therefore, only very simple applications do not require this signing process. See BlackBerry Keys Order Form for details.

Windows Phone 8

Applications are not installed from the Windows Store, but from the Application Center, which acts as what Microsoft documentation calls a "Company Hub". See Company app distribution for Windows Phone for details.

To use a company hub, Windows Phone requires you to register a company account with Microsoft and to sign all applications, including the Application Center client, with the company certificate. Only signed applications can be managed through the Application Center.

You must enroll all mobile devices through an application enrollment token associated with the company account. The Application Center helps you to enroll devices through facilities to distribute the application enrollment token. See Application enrollment tokens in Windows Phone 8 for details.

Windows 8

The Application Center mobile client is provided as a normal desktop executable file (.exe). Use it to install on the device Windows Store applications, packaged as .appx files.

Install a file of type appx on the device without using Windows Store is called sideloading an app. To sideload an app, we must comply with the prerequisites in Prepare to Sideload Apps. The Windows 8.1 update simplifies the prerequisites for sideloading. See Sideloading Store Apps to Windows 8.1 Devices.

Files of type .exe cannot be executed on ARM-based tablets, so Application Center does not support Windows RT; only Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are supported.

Application Center does not provide any predefined way for distributing the mobile client.

Parent topic: Application Center