To qualify for the Android Enterprise Recommended program, Android devices must follow specific requirements. These rules make sure users and IT admins get a simple, consistent experience.
User interface (UI) & user experience (UX) requirements
To make sure users and IT admins have a consistent experience, devices must follow UI and UX requirements. These guidelines cover setup, app use, and privacy.
Device enrollment & first run setup
- Unlocked devices: OEMs or resellers must sell unlocked devices.
- Management modes: Devices must support all Android Enterprise management modes.
- Out-of-box setup: Devices must offer a simple setup flow. To make sure setup is quick and predictable, don’t add OEM-specific screens during enrollment.
- Services order: OEM-specific services must run after Android Enterprise setup completes.
- Setup flows: Setup flows must follow the UX guidelines for Android Enterprise Recommended devices.
- Education screen: Fully managed and company-owned devices with a Work Profile must show an education screen. This screen must state that your organization manages the device.
- View terms: When a user taps View terms during setup, the screen must display the correct terms and conditions.
App experience & pre-installed content
- App performance: Apps must perform well on managed profiles and devices.
- Consistency: Devices must display a consistent experience for icons, badged apps, and the Work Profile.
- Work apps container: At initial setup, the device must group work apps into personal and work tabs.
- Non-essential apps: To prevent bloatware, don’t install non-essential apps on managed devices without IT admin approval.
- For Android 11: Default launcher apps must support business or work accounts. The system doesn’t permit games or consumer apps.
- For Android 12 and higher: The system doesn’t force non-essential apps. IT admins can select which apps to distribute to users.
- Preinstalled apps limit: The system must limit preinstalled apps to the approved lists.
- Work Profile devices: The Work Profile should only include the default system apps that have a launcher icon:
- Contacts
- Downloads
- Play Store
- EMM app, if in the system image
- Android Device Policy, which the system can hide in the launcher
- Fully managed devices: Fully managed devices should only include the default system apps that have a launcher icon:
- Camera
- Contacts
- Downloads
- Google, if present in the system image
- Messaging
- Dialer
- Play Store
- Settings
- EMM app, if present in the system image
- Android Device Policy, which the system can hide in the launcher
- Launcher icon defaults: On Android 12 and higher, only one preinstalled app can have a launcher icon for specific app types. These types include camera, contacts, downloads, messaging, and dialer apps.
- Work Profile devices: The Work Profile should only include the default system apps that have a launcher icon:
- App installation permissions: Only Google Play, the EMM DPC, or Google-approved apps can install apps on managed devices. No other apps can have install privileges. This requirement applies to Android 11 and higher.
- Enterprise branding: Google must approve enterprise branding to maintain consistency across EMM providers. Devices that use Android Open Source (AOSP) assets don’t require a review.
User settings, privacy & consistency
- Privacy notifications: When provisioning completes, the device must show a privacy notification.
- Lock screen disclosure: The lock screen on company-owned devices must show a disclosure at the bottom of the screen.
- Quick Settings drawer: The Quick Settings drawer must show a privacy disclosure at the bottom of the drawer when a user opens it fully.
- Admin visibility details: Settings must include a section that outlines what details the IT admin can check on the device.
- Managed device info page: The device must prevent modifications to the AOSP implementation of the managed device info page.
- Separated settings: The device must show separate settings when the Work Profile is active, including installed accounts and location permissions.
- Settings summaries: Settings must display summaries like “Recently opened apps” above the profile tabs.
- Storage tab: Storage settings must have tabs at the top level to link directly to files.
- Pause work apps: The device must provide an on-screen control to let users pause work apps easily and restore them quickly.
- Caller ID: The device must identify work and personal callers in the phone app and caller ID.
- Work password: If an IT admin enables a separate work password, the device lock screen must display a briefcase icon
- Work Profile schedule: Digital wellbeing configurations must include Work Profile scheduling.
- Cross-profile toggle: If an app isn’t in both profiles, the device disables the cross-profile toggle and links to Google Play.
Operating system (OS) & security requirements
To protect the enterprise environment, Android devices must meet specific OS and security requirements.
Knowledge worker devices
OS & security updates
- Update plans: The OEM must share an update plan and distribute Android security updates after Google releases them.
- OS upgrades: Major OS upgrades must meet all Android Enterprise Recommended requirements to maintain status.
- Purchasing: IT admins can buy unlocked devices from a third-party distributor or direct from the OEM.
Minimum specifications for knowledge worker devices
|
OS |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
RAM |
2 GB |
3 GB |
3 GB, 4 GB recommended |
3 GB, 6 GB recommended |
6 GB |
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Storage |
32 GB |
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Speed |
1.4 GHz |
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Architecture |
64-bit |
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Battery life |
8 or more hours |
No requirements |
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Camera |
Front and rear recommended |
Optional |
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Encryption |
Encrypted by default |
Encrypted, BoringSSL recommended | ||||||
Note: If devices feature front and rear cameras, resolutions must be at least 2 MP for front cameras and 8 MP for rear cameras.
Service support for knowledge worker devices
|
OS |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Security update support |
90-days |
OEMs must publish 90-day security update info on their websites and link to Google Security Bulletins. This info must include the end date when the device is guaranteed to receive security updates and the fixes contained in each update.
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Major update release support |
Current and 1 letter upgrade |
Current and 1 major upgrade, list guaranteed upgrades |
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Rugged devices
OS & security updates
- Update plans: The OEM must share an update plan and distribute Android security updates after Google releases them.
- OS upgrades: Major OS upgrades must meet all Android Enterprise Recommended requirements to maintain status.
Minimum specifications for rugged devices
|
OS |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
RAM |
2 GB |
3 GB |
3 GB, 4 GB recommended |
3 GB, 4 GB recommended |
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|
Storage |
16 GB |
16 GB, 32 GB recommended |
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|
Speed |
1.1 GHz |
1.4 GHz |
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|
Architecture |
32-bit |
64-bit |
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Ingress protection |
IP54 certified |
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|
Drop test integrity |
MIL-STD-810G or IEC 62-2-32 |
MIL-STD-810G or IEC 60068-2-32 |
MIL-STD-810G or IEC 60068-2-31:2008 |
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Encryption |
Encrypted by default |
Encrypted, BoringSSL recommended | ||||||
Note: All GMS-certified rugged devices must use encryption by default. Low RAM devices aren’t permitted for Android 16 rugged specifications.
Service support for rugged devices
|
OS |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Security update support |
90 days for 5 years from the initial ship date of the device | OEMs must publish 90-day security update info on their websites and link to Google Security Bulletins. This info must include the end date when the device is guaranteed to receive security updates and the fixes contained in each update. | ||||||
|
Major update release support |
Current and 1 letter upgrade, upgrades within 18 months of board support package (BSP) drop |
Current and 1 major upgrade, list guaranteed upgrades |
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For a list of devices that are no longer Android Enterprise Recommended, read Archived Android Enterprise Recommended Devices.