Restricting Android features on devices
You can restrict Android operating system features in device owner mode. For example, you can restrict factory reset, changing credentials, use of Google Play and Google Chrome, file transfer over USB, changing location settings, and manage system updates.
You can restrict Android features in the Feature restrictions section.
To open the Feature restrictions section:
- In the console tree, in the Managed devices folder, select the administration group to which the Android devices belong.
- In the workspace of the group, select the Policies tab.
- Open the policy properties window by double-clicking any column.
Complete the following steps within 15 minutes. Otherwise, you may face an error when saving changes to the policy.
- In the policy Properties window, select the Device owner mode > Feature restrictions section.
Restrict device features
On the Device Features tab of the Feature restrictions section, you can enable or disable the following features:
- Prohibit factory reset
- Prohibit screen sharing, recording, and screenshots
- Prohibit changing language (Android 9.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing date, time, and time zone (Android 9.0 or later)
- Prohibit adding and removing Google accounts
- Prohibit adjusting volume and mute device
- Prohibit outgoing phone calls
- Prohibit sending and receiving SMS messages
- Prohibit changing credentials
- Prohibit keyguard camera
- Prohibit keyguard notifications
- Prohibit keyguard trust agents
- Disable keyguard swipe
- Prohibit adjusting brightness (Android 9.0 or later)
- Prohibit ambient display (Android 9.0 or later)
- Force screen on when plugged in to AC charger (Android 6.0 or later)
- Force screen on when plugged in to USB charger (Android 6.0 or later)
- Force screen on when plugged in to wireless charger (Android 6.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing wallpaper (Android 7.0 or later)
- Prohibit status bar (Android 6.0 or later)
- Prohibit adding users
- Prohibit switching user (Android 9.0 or later)
- Prohibit removing users
- Prohibit safe boot (Android 6.0 or later)
- Prohibit unmuting microphone
- Prohibit disabling microphone (Android 12.0 or later)
Restrict app features
On the Apps tab of the Feature restrictions section, you can enable or disable the following features:
- Prohibit use of camera
- Prohibit camera toggle (Android 12.0 or later)
- Prohibit use of Google Play
- Prohibit use of Google Chrome
- Prohibit use of Google Assistant
- Prohibit installation of apps from unknown sources
- Prohibit modification of apps in Settings
- Prohibit installation of apps
- Prohibit uninstallation of apps
- Prohibit disabling app verification
Restrict storage features
On the Storage tab of the Feature restrictions section, you can enable or disable the following features:
- Prohibit debugging features
- Prohibit mounting physical external media
- Prohibit file transfer over USB
- Prohibit backup service (Android 8.0 or later)
Restrict network features
On the Network tab of the Feature restrictions section, you can enable or disable the following features:
- Prohibit use of Wi-Fi
- Prohibit enabling/disabling Wi-Fi (Android 13.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing Wi-Fi settings
- Prohibit Wi-Fi Direct (Android 13.0 or later)
- Prohibit sharing pre-configured Wi-Fi networks (Android 13.0 or later)
- Prohibit adding Wi-Fi networks (Android 13.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing pre-configured Wi-Fi networks
- Prohibit airplane mode (Android 9.0 or later)
- Prohibit use of Bluetooth (Android 8.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing Bluetooth settings
- Prohibit outgoing data sharing over Bluetooth (Android 8.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing VPN settings
- Prohibit resetting network settings (Android 6.0 or later)
- Prohibit changing mobile network settings
- Prohibit use of cellular data while roaming (Android 7.0 or later)
- Prohibit use of Android Beam via NFC
- Prohibit use of tethering
Restrict location services
On the Location Services tab of the Feature restrictions section, you can configure the following settings:
- Prohibit use of location
- Prohibit sharing location
- Prohibit changing location settings (Android 9.0 or later)
Restrict system updates
Managing update settings on mobile devices is vendor-specific. On some Android devices, the restriction on manual installation of operating system updates may work incorrectly.
On the Updates tab of the Feature restrictions section, you can configure the following settings: