SkieHow does the Skie app update itself on managed devices?
The Skie app updates itself without anyone touching the device. Each update is checked against a checksum before it is installed, so a damaged or altered file is rejected. Releases are rolled out in stages to chosen organisations and can be paused. Users cannot stop or uninstall Skie on a managed device.
A device management agent that cannot be updated becomes a liability, and one that anyone can update with any file is worse. Skie handles it with an automatic update that is verified. The device downloads the new version, checks its checksum, and installs it only if the checksum matches what Skie expects.
Updates arrive in stages. A new release goes first to organisations chosen for it, and further groups follow as confidence grows. If a problem appears, the release can be paused, which stops it reaching more devices. This is a release process run by the Skie team, so there is nothing for an organisation admin to schedule.
Because Skie is the device owner, updating does not depend on a student agreeing to a prompt. Uninstalling Skie, force stop, clear data and disable are blocked, and the settings app cannot be used to remove it. Installing from unknown sources is blocked as well, and all apps come from Google Play.
For the admin, an update shows up as the app version on the device page, and in Insights as the share on the latest app. If part of your fleet is behind, the cause is usually that those devices have not synced, so the Due and Overdue states point to the same devices.
Practical tip: when a release is staged, do not be alarmed that a colleague at another organisation has a newer version first. That is the rollout order, not a fault. Ask the Skie team if you need your organisation moved earlier or later.