If your team manages company mobile decides through an Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform, the Maintenance App's Update Now button may not work for you users.
MDM platforms include:
- IBM MaaS360
- Microsoft Intune
- Jamf
- Omnissa Workspace ONE
This article explains why the standard update feature may not work, and walks your IT team through the right way to deliver app updates.
Navigate to each section of this article with the links below:
- Overview
- MDM User Responsibilities
- Push Updates Through Your MDM
- Verify Update
- Monitor Future Updates (Apple Users Only)
- Still Stuck? Contact Support
Overview
Maintenance App updates include helpful features and new releases. Please ensure your users' apps are updated frequently so you can take advantage of EliseAI's latests offerings for maintenance teams.
When the Maintenance App detects that a new version is available, it displays an Update Now prompt. Users can:
- Tap Update Now: This redirects the user to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) listing for the app.
- Tap Skip Update: This allows the user to ignore the update for up to 7 days.
After tapping Update Now:
- On a personal device, the user can view the app store page, then tap Update to download the latest version.
- On an MDM-managed device, the redirect often fails.
Why the Redirect Fails for MDM-Managed Devices
Most MDM policies restrict direct access to App Store or Google Play to keep the device fleet controlled and compliant
When the redirect fails, users may see a "Web Address is Not Valid" error or land on a blank page. This is by design. The error does not indicate a bug in the app or your MDM.
In a managed environment, app updates are:
- Intended to flow from your MDM console your devices
- NOT intended to flow from the app store directly to users.
Once your IT team pushes the latest version through the MDM, devices receive it automatically and the app's Update Now prompt disappears.
MDM User Responsibilities
End Users
Tapping "Update Now" won't break your device, but it won't succeed either. From here, you can:
- Forward this article to your IT administrator, OR
- Use the Contact Support link on the update screen to open a ticket. Your IT team will take it from there.
IT Administrators
Use your MDM console to push the latest version of Maintenance App to your managed devices. See instructions below.
Push Updates Through Your MDM
Exact steps for by MDM platform, but the general flow applies to all of them:
-
Confirm Maintenance App is deployed as a managed app in your MDM's app catalog.
If users installed the app themselves before enrollment, it may not be MDM-managed and you must redeploy it as a managed app first.
-
Confirm the latest version is available in your app catalog.
Most MDMs sync with App Store and Google Play on a schedule (typically every few hours). If your catalog shows an older version than what's published, trigger a manual sync.
-
Push the update to your device groups through your MDM's app distribution or update workflow.
Most MDMs offer both manual ("update now") and automatic ("update when new version available") options.
-
Verify devices received the update by:
- Checking the version reported in your MDM console, OR
- Asking a user to open the app and check the version on the More > App Settings screen.
Apple Devices (Any MDM)
For iOS and iPadOS devices, the update flow runs through Apple Business Manager (ABM) and the Volume Purchase Program (VPP). This is sometimes called Apps and Books.
Even though Maintenance App is free, it still need to be acquired and assigned through ABM/VPP to be MDM-managed.
- Confirm your ABM account is linked to your MDM with an active VPP token.
- In ABM, search for Maintenance By EliseAI and assign licenses to your organization.
- The app should appear in your MDM's app catalog within one sync cycle.
- From your MDM console, distribute the latest version to your device groups.
- For ongoing updates, enable automatic updates in the app's distribution settings so future versions push without manual intervention.
Android Devices (Any MDM)
For Android devices, the update flow runs through Managed Google Play.
- Confirm your Managed Google Play account is linked to your MDM.
- Approve Maintenance By EliseAI in Managed Google Play.
- Approve future versions automatically if you'd like updates to flow without manual review.
- The app should appear in your MDM's app catalog within one sync cycle.
- From your MDM console, distribute the latest version to your device groups.
Platform-Specific Notes
Terminology and exact menu paths vary slightly by MDM:
- IBM MaaS360: Apps → App Catalog. Distribution settings include an auto-update option.
- Microsoft Intune: Apps → All apps. Use Required assignment for force-deployed updates.
- Jamf Pro: Apps → Mobile Device Apps. Use Make Available in Self Service or scope as required.
- VMware Workspace ONE: Resources → Apps → Native. Configure deployment as Auto for push installs.
If your MDM is not listed here, the same general workflow applies: look for the app catalog and distribution or assignment settings.
Verify Update
To verify an update, ask a user to open Maintenance App and tap into More > Settings.
- The version number shown there should match the latest version.
- The force-update prompt should no longer appear on launch.
If the update prompt still appears after pushing the new version through your MDM, please wait up to 24 hours for devices to check in and apply the update.
Contact support if the issue persists beyond 24 hours. See instructions below.
Monitor Future Updates (Apple Users Only)
EliseAI releases new Maintenance App version periodically, and force-update windows are typically 7 days.
To plan ahead and push updates through your MDM before users hit the force-update screen, your IT team can subscribe to release announcements from the Notification Settings page in the EliseAI.
Follow these steps to set up app release notifications. Your org admin may need to create this on your behalf.
- Navigate to Settings > Notifications in the EliseAI Portal.
- Click Create Notification at the top right of the page.
- Select Apple App Store Version Email as the notification type.
- Select User or Email Address as the recipient type.
- Enter users or emails who will receive the notification.
- Select Communities and a Timezone for the notification.
- Click Create.
New release announcements include the version number, changelog, and any deployment notes specific to MDM-managed environments.
See the Notifications Settings article for instructions on using this page.
Still Stuck? Contact Support
If you have followed the steps above and your devices are not receiving updates, please submit a ticket with the following information so our team can help quickly:
- Your MDM platform and version (e.g., MaaS360, Intune)
- Distribution method used (VPP/ABM, Managed Google Play, Enterprise signed)
- Current version of Maintenance App installed on affected devices
- Target version you're trying to install
- Whether Maintenance App is deployed as a managed app or was installed by users before enrollment
- A point of contact on your IT team for technical follow-up