12.6.0 - All my AFW activations don't work any more

I've got UEM 12.6.0 in a test environment and have been activating and what not on a Priv and a Samsung S6 Active for months with no problems. Last week I try to do a S6 activation and it works, but doesn't not install any apps. If I remember correctly I got lots of Play Store stopping. Fast forward I get a K1 and I'm having a similar problem, apps not installing, but not getting the play store stop msgs, but basically acts the same way. I try the priv, same thing (with play store stops). These are test phones so I do wipes to give it cleanest possible start.

After partial activation I go into play store (work profile) and in my apps under library can see all the apps with buttons to install. If I do that they all get installed, UEM console shows them installed and all seems well. Just can't get an activation to go cleanly.

Have opened a ticket with BlackBerry Support but wanted to share here and see if anyone has seen or is having the same issue.

I'm starting to think something changed with apps, or play store that is causing this whole thing to go whacko. I've sent BlackBerry Support device and UEM logs so hopefully they see what's going on.

Roveer

Latest update to play store has issues in afw as crashes on me constantly as well with uem 12.6.3

Been on vacation so haven't opened a ticket yet cause they can be aggressive about closing.
I'm back tomorrow so post any update as I'm curious to see where this goes or if i will need to toss a rock in the ticket pool as well

Makes me sad that we end up finding these problems. Sometimes I think there are only 4-5 people using UEM. I'll report back their findings. I've been sending them device and UEM logs for 2 days now and haven't gotten any information on cause of the problem.

Turns out i had opened a ticket. Sent update, waiting to hear back

Maybe sounds silly, but if you use the google domain way of accessing the apps, have you try to login to the work play store and approve the update of your apps? +1 UEM operator here. :)

Originally Posted by Mynet85

Maybe sounds silly, but if you use the google domain way of accessing the apps, have you try to login to the work play store and approve the update of your apps? +1 UEM operator here. :)

As a part of the failed activation I get a work google play store on the device. I can go right into that and after restarting it several times because it keeps blowing up (and installing apps each time) I can eventually make my way to the "library" where all the apps that UEM is trying to send to the device are sitting there with install buttons. I basically can complete the activation that way (and have), but BB has to fix the activation process so it works right. I'm really trying to figure out if others are having the same situation or if it is unique to my environment. It sounds like Rodney is having a similar situation. Also, waiting to hear back from BB Support. Haven't heard a peap since I opened the ticket. Usually I see new software being pushed after I open tickets and they eventually "fix" the problem.

Two tips: First on your desktop computer go to https://play.google.com/work login with your google domain account and check update menu. Second, when you do the AfW activation instead of google account sign in, type afw#blackberry , once you activated go to accounts and delete this not real account. This way you need to type only once your google account credentials.

Originally Posted by Mynet85

Two tips: First on your desktop computer go to https://play.google.com/work login with your google domain account and check update menu. Second, when you do the AfW activation instead of google account sign in, type afw#blackberry , once you activated go to accounts and delete this not real account. This way you need to type only once your google account credentials.

That is only for AfW Work only accounts, we are dealing with AfW Work and Personal. It is consistent with newly activated devices.

The first part of my message is still valid. You need to check the pending unapproved permission updates on https://play.google.com/work later you can set to auto accept all further permission updates.

Originally Posted by Mynet85

The first part of my message is still valid. You need to check the pending unapproved permission updates on https://play.google.com/work later you can set to auto accept all further permission updates.

Thanks, just gave that a try but there were no updates in play.google.com/work as I'm assuming UEM has already taken care of this via the magic button in the UEM Apps section, aka Update Apps button.

This is also a new issue as of early July or very late June. Hoping BB support comes back with something. I haven't had to reboot devices the way Roveer is, as I found I can simply keep opening the Work play store or sit back and wait for it to restart the service itself and eventually all apps auto install.
It's still ugly and annoying almost like dealing with pushing apps to iOS or Samsung KNOX where it notifies you and waits till you acknowledge every single app it's pushing. Man I hate that.

Oh, I've done the magic button many times. I can cajole the apps to getting installed by either restarting work google play store, or eventually going into work google play store and going to library and installing those that just won't install on their own. I end up with a fully activated phone, it's just that it doesn't work automatically any more. BB Support still thinks its something on my end.

I found while looking in the work play store web site (where you go to "unapprove" apps that there is another level of approval that allows approval and all future approvals. I might try setting my apps to that and try activation. BB definitely has something broken here but they keep thinking it's my setup.

I also noticed during some of my work play store restarts I get a play store approval dialog where I have to accept terms of service before work play store starts. Maybe that is something new and it's causing UEM problems?

Rodney, Maybe we share each other's ticket numbers (pm) and share them in our own tickets with BB Support to show them there is a greater problem?

Roveer

Originally Posted by Roveer

Oh, I've done the magic button many times. I can cajole the apps to getting installed by either restarting work google play store, or eventually going into work google play store and going to library and installing those that just won't install on their own. I end up with a fully activated phone, it's just that it doesn't work automatically any more. BB Support still thinks its something on my end.

I found while looking in the work play store web site (where you go to "unapprove" apps that there is another level of approval that allows approval and all future approvals. I might try setting my apps to that and try activation. BB definitely has something broken here but they keep thinking it's my setup.

I also noticed during some of my work play store restarts I get a play store approval dialog where I have to accept terms of service before work play store starts. Maybe that is something new and it's causing UEM problems?

Rodney, Maybe we share each other's ticket numbers (pm) and share them in our own tickets with BB Support to show them there is a greater problem?

Roveer

I was thinking the same thing. I spoke to bb support today and mentioned your identical izsue on tbis thread.
I'll pm you my ticket so we can hopefully get bb support to work together.

Promising news, I did further testing and found the pattern.
Any apps you try to install in AfW work container that are already installed on personal side will crash Google Play store.
As example I have Hub+ apps installed on personal side, and if I approve and install these in AfW on device, Google play store crashes when it installs them through the shared app cache. Meanwhile installing apps in AfW container that are not already installed in personal side will download and install fine without crashing the Google play store.
I have a feeling this MAY be related to the updates BB did to managing Play store and app management in UEM 12.7, but BB will have to confirm.

That's a huge find!. I'll give that a try and see if I get same result. BB Support escalated my ticket last night. I keep forgetting to request that and waste a week with guys who think we've messed up our settings. BB Support is painfully slow. I get one turn a day and usually in a totally different time zone. Thanks.

I concur with your find. I did 2 things. I did an activation with apps that were NOT on the personal side of the phone, and the activation went without a hitch. Total success.

I then did 2 activations (priv and keyone), where I deleted (or disabled) apps on the personal side that would be installed with the activation and on both phones it went without any problems (14 total apps). So it would appear that the problem is exactly what you said. If any apps that are being installed during activation already exist on the personal side, then the activation fails. I will update my incident with BB Support.

Roveer

Just checking in. Have you received any information with your support incident with BB? Since they have sent me to level 3 support I've basically started all over again. They as asking for a whole new set of logs capturing activations. They released a new UEM on the 14th that they thought was fixing but for me it did not. They still think problem is limited to me. Let me know what you are finding on your end. Thanks.

I demanded mine be escalated, haven't heard back. Calling tomorrow to shake the tree

Do you know Femi? He's support manager. I make him uncomfortable when I get blown off.

Now they've made me upload screenshots of every profile defined to my users. They sent me a bunch of errors from my Android bug reports and said they were going to engage "internal teams", which to me means - "india". Let's see what comes of this.

Do you have any KEYone devices on your UEM system? I want to check another Keyone only bug I have uncovered.

Originally Posted by Roveer

Now they've made me upload screenshots of every profile defined to my users. They sent me a bunch of errors from my Android bug reports and said they were going to engage "internal teams", which to me means - "india". Let's see what comes of this.

Do you have any KEYone devices on your UEM system? I want to check another Keyone only bug I have uncovered.

Unfortunately no Keyone here.
I got in contact with a great support tech I've had a few times over last couple of years who is looking into it now as I still haven't heard anything since ticket was supposed to be kicked up the ladder.

Originally Posted by Rodney Wilder

Unfortunately no Keyone here.
I got in contact with a great support tech I've had a few times over last couple of years who is looking into it now as I still haven't heard anything since ticket was supposed to be kicked up the ladder.

Let me know how you make out. Still haven't heard anything back on my open issue. As for the K1, even know the problem only appears when device is activated on UEM I got a stock response from support to contact BB Mobile for support, totally ignoring the fact that the issue only occurs with UEM. These guys are really not doing a great job. Anyway, I'll let you know once I've heard something back on the activation issue.

Support has been less than helpful unfortunately.

Good news is Google pushed a new Google Play Services 11.2 update this week, I just did a quick device deactivate and reactivate and the issue 'appears' to be resolved at least on my samsung with android 7.0
I'll try to test on the PRIV as well sometime later and will also backup my samsung and wipe it then reactivate again.

Update - tested PRIV, it activated and apps installed without Google play hiccup. Definitely points to the August Google play services update that resolved

Originally Posted by Rodney Wilder

Support has been less than helpful unfortunately.

Good news is Google pushed a new Google Play Services 11.2 update this week, I just did a quick device deactivate and reactivate and the issue 'appears' to be resolved at least on my samsung with android 7.0
I'll try to test on the PRIV as well sometime later and will also backup my samsung and wipe it then reactivate again.

Update - tested PRIV, it activated and apps installed without Google play hiccup. Definitely points to the August Google play services update that resolved

Based on information in your post, I deactivated/reactivated my devices and they both activated with absolutely NO issues... I'm going to update my BB Support ticket (which is currently stuck at "Investigating" with the information you provided. Thanks so much for letting me know about this development.

Originally Posted by Roveer

Based on information in your post, I deactivated/reactivated my devices and they both activated with absolutely NO issues... I'm going to update my BB Support ticket (which is currently stuck at "Investigating" with the information you provided. Thanks so much for letting me know about this development.

Amusingly, after I had provided my findings in my ticket then posting here where you confirmed and updated your own ticket accordingly, they ignored my update and asked me to update my google play services. hahahaha.

30 days with an open ticket, then it fixes itself with a google update and BB Support still has the ticket as "investigating". They are really behind on all this android stuff having to reach out to god knows where for help wasting weeks in the meantime. I have little to no faith that my K1 ringtone issue will get any sort of meaningful resolution but that's the only other open issue for me.