Android Microsoft Launcher JSON config weblink opening in edge in private browser, how to open in normal browser

Question

Hi,

Hoping someone would be able to assist.

We currently have an App Configuration Policy in Endpoint Manager (Intune) assigned to a specific device group (Dynamic) (android) which configures Microsoft Launcher for Android.

Within the config, we have constructed a JSON config setting which consists of the applications we want to be available on the home-screen as well as the layout of the home-screen.

Two of "applications" configured within the JSON are WebLinks. Now I have followed the guidance Microsoft have published here Set Pinned Web link to correctly embed the JSON keys and property names for the weblinks, and this has worked as the icons are on the homepage of the android device, in the correct order and open in Microsoft Edge.

But, the issue I'm experiencing is, whenever clicking on either of the icons, it opens Microsoft Edge in a private browser, which we haven't set in the JSON config, and I can't find any documentation on how to force the weblink to open in a non-private tab/browser.

This is an issue, as we are using SAML SSO to pass through the users credentials from Microsoft Edge and other Microsoft applications signed into on the device to the Weblinks, ensuring that the app signs itself in every time. But, with the Weblink opening in a private tab/browser every time, it doesn't pass through those credentials and requires the user sign in every time.

To try to alleviate the issue, we have also created a second app config policy to the same device group, which forces edge to not allow private browsing when opening the Microsoft Edge application. This App Config Policy works when opening Microsoft Edge from the device, but whenever I click on either of the weblinks which have been configured in the JSON, they open in a private version of Edge.

Is anyone able to assist please?

For reference, see below the JSON for the weblinks:

{

            "key": "com.microsoft.launcher.HomeScreen.WebLinks",

            "valueBundleArray": [

                {

                    "managedProperty": [

                        {

                            "key": "label",

                            "valueString": "WeblinkName#1"

                        },

                        {

                            "key": "link",

                            "valueString": "URL#1"

                        }

                    ]

                },

                {

                    "managedProperty": [

                        {

                            "key": "label",

                            "valueString": "WebLinkName#2"

                        },

                        {

                            "key": "link",

                            "valueString": "URL#2"

                        }

                    ]

                }

            ]

        },

Answer 1

@Connor Wilkinson, Thanks for posting in Q&A. For the Pinned Web link we configure in Microsoft launcher, it opens in Edge with InPrivate mode. Please check if there's app configuration policy set for Edge to configure Inprivate mode. If there's no such setting, I guess it can be a by design behavior. And after researching, I didn't find the setting in Microsoft launcher to block the InPrivate mode. You can open case to see if we can get more help:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/get-support

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Answer 2

maybe this will help explain your situation?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/apps/apps-add-android-for-work#managed-google-play-web-links

"Web links pushed down from Managed Google Play will not open in the corporate context of Microsoft Edge if you have configured your Intune application protection policy setting Receive data from other apps to be Policy managed apps. When a web link is pushed down through Managed Google Play, it’s not recognized as a MAM-managed app, which is why Microsoft Edge will open in the personal context or InPrivate mode if the user is not signed in with a personal account***.*** For related information, see Android app protection policy settings in Microsoft Intune."