How to Update Intune VPP Office Apps on iOS
Question details
Users need a method to manually update required device-licensed VPP applications, such as Microsoft Office, through the Intune Company Portal when automatic updates are disabled.
- Product
- Microsoft Intune and Apple VPP
- Device & OS
- iOS / iPadOS
- Scenario
- Managing iOS application updates in an enterprise MDM environment without giving end-users App Store or Apple ID access.
- Observed behavior
- When automatic app updates are disabled in Intune's Apple VPP token settings, end-users cannot update apps themselves since they lack App Store access, leaving the apps outdated.
Ensure you have administrator privileges in the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center to view and modify Apple VPP token settings.
Manage VPP App Updates as an Intune Administrator
Because device-licensed VPP apps are managed through MDM, end-users cannot manually update them without App Store access. Administrators must push these updates or re-enable automatic updates.
Device-licensed VPP apps bypass the need for a user Apple ID and are strictly controlled by the MDM service. If the 'Automatic app updates' setting is turned off in the Apple VPP token configuration, users are entirely blocked from initiating updates on their own via the Company Portal.
To ensure devices remain up to date, administrators must either allow Intune to handle automatic updates globally or manually push new versions of the required apps to device groups.
Log in to the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center using your administrator credentials.
In the left-hand menu, go to Tenant administration, click on Connectors and tokens, and then select Apple VPP tokens.
Select the active token for your iOS devices and click on Settings. Locate the 'Automatic app updates' configuration and change it to 'Yes'.
Save your configuration changes and trigger a sync for the VPP token. Intune will now automatically manage and push app updates to enrolled devices during their regular check-in cycles.
Deploy WPS Office as a Lightweight Alternative via MDM
Managing Microsoft Office updates on iOS devices can be challenging due to strict OS version requirements and large file sizes. WPS Office is a free, highly compatible, and lightweight alternative that simplifies enterprise deployment and MDM management.
- 1. Add to Apple Business Manager: Search for WPS Office in Apple Business Manager and add licenses to your Volume Purchase Program (VPP) account.
- 2. Sync with Microsoft Intune: Sync your VPP tokens in the Intune admin center so WPS Office appears in your app list.
- 3. Deploy to Devices: Assign WPS Office as a required app to your iOS device groups for fast, lightweight deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can users manually update VPP apps from the Intune Company Portal?
No, the Intune Company Portal app on iOS does not provide a feature for end-users to manually trigger updates for device-licensed VPP apps. These updates are strictly managed by the MDM administrator.
Why do users see Office updates in the App Store but cannot install them?
If an enrolled device is running an older iOS version, the App Store may show pending updates for Office apps. However, the installation will fail because the latest Microsoft Office apps require one of the two most recent iOS or iPadOS versions.
Does the iOS update policy in Intune update installed applications?
No. The iOS/iPadOS software update policy only handles operating system upgrades. App updates are handled separately through the Apple VPP token settings or individual app deployment configurations.
How do I ensure required apps are always up to date on supervised devices?
Ensure that 'Automatic app updates' is set to 'Yes' in your Apple VPP token settings within Intune. This allows Intune to automatically check for new app versions and push them to devices without user interaction.
