Adding software says what should be on your devices. Installation status shows what is really there, device by device, and lets you fix the gaps from the Factorial IT console.

Feature/Functionality

Overview

For every app you manage, you can see:

• Its install state on each device it targets.
• The version on the device next to the version your package provides.
• Counters across all devices: how many have the app, how many are still working on it, and how many failed.
• Actions to install, reinstall, update or uninstall it on one device.

What is included

Two rules decide whether a device and an app show up together:

• Only software you added in the console. Factorial IT tracks only the apps listed under MDM > Software. Apps that employees installed on their own never appear, even though the agent detects them.
• Only targeted devices. A device is listed for an app only when the app targets it. That means the app targets every device on that platform, or the device is in one of the app's targeted device groups.

This is not a full software inventory. To see every title detected on a device, open that device in Fleet.

Where to find it

1. To check one device, open the device drawer from any device list and select the Software tab.
2. To check one app, open its software page and select the Devices tab, next to Setup.
3. To compare apps, use the three count columns in MDM > Software. They are part of the default All view. In a custom view, add them from the column picker.

Install statuses

Factorial IT shows four statuses. They are worked out on the server from what Fleet knows about each device, so the console, the counters and the device list always match.

Presence wins over failure. If the app is still on the device, it shows Installed even when its last install or uninstall attempt failed. Failed always means the app is missing, so counters and lists stay reliable while you triage.

Hover over In progress to see why it is still pending:

• Device online: the operation is running on it right now.
• Device offline: the operation is queued and runs when the device next comes online.

Versions

The device drawer has two version columns:

• Installed version: what was detected on the device.
• Library version: what your Factorial IT package or App Store app provides.

Either one can be blank. Fleet reads the installed version from the device inventory, separately from the installs it tracks. A just-installed app, or a package Fleet cannot identify, can show Installed with no version. When both versions are known and the library one is newer, the main action changes to Update.

Install, update and uninstall

Each row offers up to two actions. Factorial IT chooses the main one from the status and the versions:

An action is a request, not an instant change. Factorial IT sends the command, the row moves to In progress, and the real status arrives at the next sync.

Uninstall is not available for:

• Apple App Store apps and .ipa apps, because the store handles removal.
• Apps that Factorial IT installs on every device it manages.
• Software deployed through an MDM control.

An action can also be blocked for a while. Hover over the button to see the reason:

Investigate a failure

1. Open the software page and select the Devices tab.
2. Find the Failed row and its See in Fleet link, next to the status.
3. Hover over the link to read the reason Fleet gave.
4. Open the link to see the full install output: the script result, or the detection query that decided the app is missing.

How the status refreshes

1. Every device sync. Each time a device checks in, Factorial IT recalculates the status of every app that targets it. You do not need to launch a scan.
2. Every change to an app. Adding, editing or deleting software re-syncs both the devices it targeted before and the ones it targets now. Rows appear and disappear as targeting changes.
3. On demand. Click Refresh in the device drawer to re-sync one device. On a software page, open the actions menu and click Refresh device software to re-sync every device that app targets.

Refreshes run in the background, so rows and counters update a few seconds later. After you trigger an action or a refresh, the tables poll for a minute and update by themselves. A newly added app shows zero on every counter until its first sync finishes.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Troubleshooting

• An app shows Failed. The usual causes are:
  • The installer needs a flag or a pre-install step the package does not include.
  • The detection query does not match how the app registers itself. See "Find the right program name for Automatic Install".
  • The device does not meet an installer requirement, such as free disk space or a minimum OS version.
• An app an employee installed is missing from the list. Only software added under MDM > Software is tracked.
• A device is missing for an app. The app does not target it. Check the app's platform and device groups.
• The app reads Installed but has no version. Fleet could not identify the version yet, or the install has only just finished.
• The Install button is greyed out. Hover over it. Either another operation is running, or scripts or MDM are off on the device.

FAQ

1. Does this list every app on a device?
   No. It only covers software you added in Factorial IT and that targets the device.
    
2. Why does an app read Installed when the last attempt failed?
   The app is still on the device. Failed is only used when the app is missing.
    
3. Why can't I uninstall an App Store app?
   The App Store handles removal of those apps, so Factorial IT does not offer Uninstall.
    
4. How long until a status changes after I click an action?
   The row moves to In progress straight away. The final status arrives at the next sync with the device.