Haat × Samsung Knox
Team Brief 1.3
Product / Operations / Mobile Engineering

Samsung Knox for Haat Partner +

For Haat-supplied restaurant tablets in Israel: enrollment, app delivery, controlled releases, device restrictions and everyday operations.

Keep this mental model: KME enrolls the Samsung tablet → Knox Manage manages the tablet and app → Haat Partner + remains Haat's application.

1Register HaatKnox account + services
→
2KMERegister / assign tablet
→
3Knox ManageTablet becomes managed
→
4Haat Partner +Install, login, verify
Direct APKCan we push from Knox Manage?Yes. Upload, target and send an install/update command. Upload alone is not deployment.
Restaurant experienceCan only Haat Partner + be accessible?Yes, with a supported single-app kiosk and user restrictions. Essential system apps remain.
Release controlCan Haat choose who gets it?Yes, by target device or group. Keeping different app versions also requires a controlled release channel.
Documented = Samsung / Google factHaat design = recommended operating choicePilot = must prove on our exact tablet/app
01 · Basics first

What each part does

Knox Suite contains more products, but these are the pieces that matter for the first restaurant tablet.

KME

Knox Mobile Enrollment

Job: add/approve Samsung devices, assign an enrollment profile, and send them into the chosen management system during setup.

Knox Manage

Daily device + app management

Job: manage enrolled devices, app assignment, update settings, profiles/policies, kiosk, status and device actions.

Managed Google Play

Android app delivery channel

Job: distribute public/private managed apps to Android Enterprise devices and apply managed update behavior.

Haat Partner +●
H+

Register Haat

Israel HQ creates Haat's Samsung Knox business account and opens the Knox Admin Portal.

Account ready
Illustration only — not the real Haat app or Samsung console.
KME registers and directs a tablet into management. Knox Manage then applies apps and policies. Being registered is not proof that the app is installed or a restaurant is signed in.
What do the short names mean?

KME: Knox Mobile Enrollment. APK: Android app installation file. Fully managed: the organization manages the whole business device. Kiosk: a restricted screen with only approved app access. Track: a separate release/testing channel. versionCode: Android's numeric app-version counter.

Official documentation: Samsung: enrollment options · Samsung: single-app kiosk and allowed utilities · Android: versionCode and downgrade protection

02 · Device registration & enrollment

Registration comes before management

This brief assumes supported Samsung tablets enrolled as fully managed business devices, with an active Knox Manage trial or licence.

1

Create the Haat Knox organisation

Israel HQ registers Haat with Samsung account for Business / Knox, then uses Knox Admin Portal for services, administrators, licences and Customer ID.

Where to register: SamsungKnox.com → Sign in / business registration.
After this step: Haat has its Knox organisation and can start configuring Knox Manage and KME.
3

Register the tablet in KME and assign the Knox Manage profile

For fleet procurement, a Samsung-approved reseller can upload devices to Haat using Haat's Customer ID. Haat approves the upload and assigns the enrollment profile. For small/manual cases, Samsung also documents QR enrollment.

After this step: an eligible new/factory-reset tablet can enter the configured enrollment flow. It is still not fully managed until enrollment completes.
Pending upload

Reseller uploaded the device, but Haat has not approved it yet.

Registered + profile assigned

KME knows the device and which enrollment profile it should use.

Profile assigned, not yet enrolled

KME can show this state. The restaurant tablet has not completed EMM/UEM enrollment yet.

Enrolled in Knox Manage

Now Haat has normal day-to-day management of the tablet.

Not registered in KME? The tablet does not get KME's reseller/OOBE automatic assignment. That does not make management impossible: Samsung documents QR enrollment for both reseller-uploaded and non-reseller-uploaded devices when configured appropriately.
Official device states: KME device status · OOBE and QR enrollment
03 / Deliver the app

Two app-delivery routes. Different update triggers.

In both routes, the tablet must be enrolled, reachable and assigned the app. Restaurant login remains a separate Haat step.

Direct upload

Knox Manage in-house APK

The Android installation file is hosted in Knox Manage. Haat uploads a signed build, targets devices and assigns or pushes installation.

Library > Apps > IN-HOUSE APPS > ADD IN-HOUSE APP
Google distribution

Managed Google Play

Use the existing public listing or appropriate private listing. Publish the release in Play, then use Knox Manage to set assignments and update policy.

Library > Apps > select the Play app > Assign app(s)
Does uploading an APK install it immediately? No: upload alone makes the file available. Assign it or send the install/update command. An eligible online tablet can then install without restaurant action; the reviewed documentation gives no fixed completion time in seconds.

Official documentation: Add apps - new console · Assign apps - new console · Internal app assignment - original console

Where is the direct Install / Push action?

New console: open Devices > select tablet > LIBRARY > Apps > INSTALLED APPS > ACTIONS > Install or update in-house app. The app-detail device list also documents Install app and Push app actions.

For a replacement binary, update the app package first. Samsung's Original console procedure is Application > Modify > upload newer APK > save > reassign to the target group. Do not mix the two consoles' menu paths.

This is a direct management action, not waiting for Google Play to publish that APK.

Official documentation: Device information and app commands · App details and Push app - new console · Upload and reassign an APK - original console

Is switching on auto-update on the tablet enough?

No. A consumer Play Store auto-update switch does not distribute a file sitting in Knox Manage. For a direct APK, Haat supplies the newer package and triggers its managed deployment. For a Play app, Haat publishes a release, makes it available to the intended track/devices and sets the managed update policy.

Even a private app uploaded through the embedded Google Play window is still Play-distributed, not the in-house APK route. A saved draft in Play Console is not a published update.

Official documentation: Add apps - new console · Upload and reassign an APK - original console · Google: update timing and interruptions

Can we mix a Play release and a Knox-uploaded APK?

Not casually. Updates need compatible package identity and signing. With Play App Signing, the upload key may differ from the app-signing key on the installed app. A locally signed APK may therefore fail to replace the Play build.

A compatible Play release may also update an installation from another source when Google's eligibility conditions are met. Haat should select and test one controlled update route per device cohort; switching channels needs a migration test.

Official documentation: Android: app signing and upload keys · Android: update and cross-store rules

04 / Release management

What Haat can control around an app release

This is the operational core: choose the build, choose the audience, choose the install/update behavior, observe rollout state, and decide when to expand. Knox supplies management controls; Haat decides the business rollout.

  1. PrepareSigned build + higher versionCode
  2. TargetTest device, specific restaurant, or group
  3. DeployDirect APK push or Managed Google Play
  4. VerifyInstalled version + Haat test order
Most important distinction: Haat controls the target and rollout decision. Knox Manage does not know which business should be a pilot unless Haat maps that restaurant to a tablet/group. Managed Google Play and Knox Manage in-house APK are two different delivery channels with different release controls.
AudienceUse a manual device group for chosen tablets, or a dynamic group when membership can be derived from supported device/user attributes. A specific restaurant means targeting its mapped tablet.
InstallationKnox Manage app assignment supports automatic installation. For auto-installed apps, Samsung documents an optional Schedule installation start time.
After install/updateSamsung documents an option to automatically run an assigned app after installation and every app update, or not run it automatically.
Managed Play updatesPer-app automatic update choices include Wi-Fi/default-style behavior, High priority, and Postpone for 90 days.
Direct APKFor an in-house app, upload the newer APK and deploy/reassign it. On a selected device, Knox Manage also documents Install or update in-house app.
EvidenceDevice details show installed apps with version and assigned apps with version, installation status and source. Haat should verify the business flow separately.
Release-control matrix
NeedKnox Manage in-house APKManaged Google Play
Push to selected business/tabletYes. Target a device/group; Samsung documents an install/update command for a selected device.Use Knox group/app assignment or an app track strategy. Business selection still depends on Haat's tablet-to-restaurant mapping.
Automatic installSupported through managed assignment / installation command on the applicable managed-device flow.Yes. Knox Manage supports auto-installed assignment for managed apps.
Automatic update behaviorUpload the newer APK, then deploy/reassign/update it through Knox Manage. It is not driven by Play's High priority setting.Google supports Default, High priority and Postpone modes; Knox Manage exposes managed automatic update choices.
Candidate version for testersUse a deliberately tested targeting process; do not assume one shared app record safely pins different groups to different versions.A closed test track can expose a pre-release version to an enterprise/device policy before production.
Percentage rolloutNo native Knox Manage app-release percentage slider was verified. Haat can deliberately select a percentage-sized device group.Google Play staged rollout supports percentages, but eligible users are selected randomly; this is not exact restaurant selection.
Pause expansionStop sending the next planned deployment. Do not assume a command already received by a device can be magically recalled.Google Play staged rollouts can be halted/resumed. Already installed versions remain installed.

The table separates features documented by Samsung/Google from Haat's rollout design. Exact behavior must still be proven on Haat's production management mode and APK.

Group names alone do not hold a version back. Calling groups “Pilot” and “Production” controls audience only. If both are eligible for the same Play production version, both can update. Version isolation needs an appropriate app track, release channel, or a tested in-house deployment process.
1. Management check

Tablet is enrolled and has a recent Last seen value.

2. Deployment check

Expected installed version is reported and the app assignment is successful.

3. Restaurant check

Haat Partner + is authenticated to the intended restaurant / Business A.

4. Business acceptance

Send a test order. A successful install alone is not a successful restaurant release.

Engineering guardrails: treat release identity as infrastructure. Updates normally require the same package/application identity, compatible signing, and a higher versionCode. If Haat changes delivery channel between direct APK and Managed Google Play, signing ownership and update compatibility must be proven before production migration.

Official documentation: Samsung: assign apps, installation/update/auto-run settings · Samsung: manual and dynamic groups · Samsung: installed/assigned app status and commands · Google: closed app tracks

How precisely can we choose who receives a release?

One restaurant: map that restaurant to its tablet and target that device or a one-device group where the chosen delivery path supports it. 10 selected restaurants: put those ten mapped tablets into a manual device group and assign/deploy to that group. Dynamic groups can automate membership only when supported group attributes match the rule Haat needs.

A native Knox Manage Android app-release percentage slider was not verified in the current Samsung documentation reviewed. A Haat-defined 10% wave is therefore a selected group, not Knox randomly choosing 10%.

Google Play staged rollout is different: Play can release an update to a percentage, but Google says users are selected randomly from the eligible audience. Use that when random percentage rollout is acceptable; do not describe it as “Restaurant A through J”.

Official documentation: Samsung: manage group members · Samsung: manual/dynamic groups · Google Play: staged rollouts

Can we do 10%, 25%, 50%, or selected businesses?

Selected businesses: yes, through their mapped device/group. For example, selecting 10 of 100 tablets is a Haat-defined 10% batch. A native automatic percentage rollout control in Knox Manage was not verified in the reviewed Samsung docs.

Google Play staged rollout does support a percentage, but Google chooses eligible users at random. That is useful for broad risk reduction, but it is not the same as choosing ten named restaurants.

Official documentation: Samsung: target groups during app assignment · Google Play: percentage staged rollout

How do we keep Production off a pilot build?

Managed Google Play: a closed test track is the cleanest documented mechanism for exposing a candidate version before production. Google supports assigning accessible track IDs through enterprise policy. Samsung also documents private-app track selection in its Knox Manage documentation; confirm the exact workflow in Haat's current console.

In-house APK: target candidate deployment deliberately. The reviewed Samsung documentation does not establish a universal “pin Production to old version while Pilot uses the replaced shared app record” guarantee. Prove isolation using one pilot device and one untouched production device before scaling.

Official documentation: Google: closed test tracks · Samsung: Managed Google Play app tracks · Samsung: in-house APK update/reassignment

What if we discover a bug after rollout starts?

First: stop expanding the audience. If using a Google Play staged rollout, Play Console supports halt and resume. If using planned Knox device/group waves, do not send the next wave.

This does not undo a build already installed. For a faulty Android build, the normal recovery is a fixed build with a higher versionCode, then deploy that forward-fix to affected devices. An offline device also cannot receive a new cloud-delivered fix until connectivity returns.

Do not use group deletion as a casual emergency control: Samsung says deleting a group unassigns associated apps/profiles/content. Treat “stop future rollout” and “remove an already installed app” as separate operations.

Official documentation: Google Play: halt/resume staged rollout · Android: versionCode · Samsung: group deletion/unassignment behavior

What happens to an offline restaurant tablet?

An offline tablet cannot download or complete a new cloud-delivered app update. For Managed Google Play High priority, Google explicitly says an offline device updates the next time it connects to the internet.

For a direct Knox in-house APK deployment, do not promise a completion time while the tablet is unreachable; confirm the device checks in and verify the installed version after connectivity returns. “Push now” is therefore not instant completion.

Official documentation: Google: managed app update behavior · Samsung: Last seen, app versions and install/update command

What release settings can Ops control without rebuilding the APK?

For app assignment, Samsung documents installation type, managed automatic update behavior, an optional scheduled installation start time for auto-installed apps, automatic launch after installation or after every update, managed configuration, and assignment to groups/organizations.

Changing these management settings is different from changing application code. If Haat Partner + itself needs new functionality, Engineering still ships a new build.

Official documentation: Samsung: assign apps · Samsung: edit app settings and push update

How do we know a rollout actually reached restaurants?

In device details, Samsung documents an INSTALLED APPS view with app version and an ASSIGNED APPS view with version, installation status and source. This is the Knox-side release evidence.

For Haat, complete the acceptance loop with the application's own evidence: correct restaurant/session, connectivity to Haat backend, and a test order. Knox can prove device/app state; it does not prove an order was accepted by Haat's backend.

Official documentation: Samsung: device and app details

05 / Updates and recovery

A push can be immediate. Completion is not guaranteed instant.

The key distinction is the time you send the instruction versus the time each tablet reports the new version installed.

In-house APK

Send an install/update command now

Upload the newer package, choose the targets and deploy. This bypasses Play publication for that file. Actual completion still depends on device contact, download, available storage, valid signing and the Android installer.

Managed Google Play

Use the managed update policy

High priority requests the available release as soon as possible. Google warns that some large deployments can take up to 24 hours. It can close the app during installation and ignores the normal maintenance-window/network constraints.

For Haat: automatic means the restaurant need not tap Install. It does not mean zero interruption, a simultaneous fleet-wide update, or a fixed number of seconds.

Official documentation: Upload and reassign an APK - original console · Google: update timing and interruptions · Android: update and cross-store rules

What does Samsung mean by install immediately?

Its new-console assignment guide contrasts an unscheduled installation with a scheduled start. It does not publish a per-device seconds-level completion promise. A scheduled start is not a completion deadline, either.

For Haat's pilot, record command sent, new version reported, app reopened and test order completed. Repeat with weak connectivity and with the app active. The actual results determine whether the direct route meets Haat's urgency requirement.

Official documentation: Assign apps - new console · Device information and app commands

What if the tablet is offline, full, or fails the install?

An offline tablet cannot download the update. After it reconnects, check deployment status rather than assuming success. Insufficient storage, an incompatible package or mismatched signature needs remediation. Inspect the reported installed version and logs, then retry the intended assignment/action.

Dashboard Last seen is a management-contact timestamp, not a live promise that Haat is receiving orders.

Official documentation: Device information and app commands · Android: update and cross-store rules · Google: update timing and interruptions

Can we roll back a bad APK?

Not as a normal lower-version overwrite. The ordinary recovery is a forward-fix with a higher versionCode. Example: stable 310 → faulty 311 → repaired 312. Reusing older code still needs testing against the current on-device database and data.

Uninstall/reinstall deletes app data and may require restaurant login again. It is a disruptive recovery procedure, not a seamless rollback. Direct Knox delivery does not remove Android's version/signing checks.

Official documentation: Android: versionCode and downgrade protection · Android: update and cross-store rules

Can the update avoid interrupting an order?

No blanket guarantee. Google explicitly says an active app may be closed for a high-priority update. For routine changes use a tested maintenance policy; for an incident Haat must weigh interruption against leaving the fault running.

Saving order state, reconnecting and preventing duplicate actions are Haat app/backend responsibilities. Test the supported auto-run-after-update or kiosk relaunch behavior rather than assuming it restores a business session.

Official documentation: Google: update timing and interruptions · Internal app assignment - original console

Are APK updates and Android OS updates the same setting?

No. App assignments and managed app-update settings govern Haat Partner +. Android system-update settings and optional Knox E-FOTA govern device firmware. Scheduling the first app installation is also different from choosing the policy for later app releases.

Official documentation: Samsung: Android Enterprise app-update settings · Assign apps - new console · Samsung: firmware management

06 / Devices, restrictions and dashboards

One business app for the restaurant. Control and visibility for Haat.

This applies to supported fully managed business tablets, not unmanaged personal Android devices.

Knox Admin Portal

Company, services, licences, administrators and Customer ID.

Knox Mobile Enrollment

Device registration and enrollment-profile assignment.

Knox Manage

Daily devices, app assignments, policies, commands and reports.

Can only Haat Partner + be accessible? Yes: choose it for a supported single-app kiosk, restrict user installation/uninstallation, and limit settings access. It can be the only accessible business app, not literally the only installed package. Do not disable Google Play services or required management/update components to achieve a clean screen.

Official documentation: Samsung: single-app kiosk and allowed utilities · Samsung: Android Enterprise restrictions

What the dashboard can tell you
LayerUseful information
Knox ManageDevice status, Last seen, model, Android/security-patch versions, battery level, storage/RAM, network details, installed app version, assigned-app installation status, policy state and device logs. Fields vary by device and management mode.
Knox Asset Intelligence
Optional service
Deeper app-crash, not-responding and abnormal-event analysis. Separate setup and entitlement; do not assume all these charts are part of Knox Manage.
Haat backend / app analyticsCorrect restaurant, current login/session, orders received or missed, acceptance times and revenue. These are not automatically Knox business metrics.

Reported device data is not live by definition: check its last-updated time. A managed tablet is not proof of a healthy order flow.

Official documentation: Device information and app commands · Samsung: dashboard tiles · Asset Intelligence: crashes and app issues

Can we hide the Play Store and block other apps?

Yes: make it inaccessible to the restaurant through the kiosk experience, while keeping the required Play delivery components working when using Managed Google Play. Restrict user installs, uninstalls, other sources and account changes as appropriate.

Do not blindly apply Samsung's Hide apps policy to core components: the documentation says it can uninstall an already-installed app. Hiding user access, disabling a package and removing a package are different operations.

Official documentation: Samsung: single-app kiosk and allowed utilities · Samsung: Android Enterprise restrictions

Which restrictions are useful for a restaurant?

Knox Manage documents controls for user installation/uninstallation, app settings, allowed/blocked app use, camera, screenshots, USB and connectivity. Kiosk settings control Home/Recents, the notification/status bars, power-menu access and selected settings.

Apply the ones Haat actually needs. Keep a tested support path for Wi-Fi, sound and any printer. Essential background apps may need to remain allowed; test that the restriction does not break the managed APK update route.

Official documentation: Samsung: Android Enterprise restrictions · Samsung: single-app kiosk and allowed utilities

Where do Ops check a rollout or a problem device?

New console: Devices > select tablet > LIBRARY > Apps. Compare INSTALLED APPS with ASSIGNED APPS and their installation status. Device information adds battery, storage, OS and firmware; logs help diagnose actions.

Dashboard tiles summarize device states, issues, enrollment and assignments; reports can be customized. Location needs its collection policy/permissions. Some older network-usage counters are explicitly unavailable on Android 10+, so do not promise universal live traffic metrics.

Official documentation: Device information and app commands · Samsung: dashboard tiles · Samsung: custom reports

Can support control the screen, reboot or wipe?

Knox Manage exposes supported device actions and can launch a Knox Remote Support session. Remote Support is a separate service with its own setup/entitlement and device permission or consent requirements; it is not universal unattended access.

Lock, reboot or wipe are management actions, not ways to correct a restaurant's Haat account. For a lost tablet, revoke Haat access as well; an offline device cannot execute a new remote wipe until reachable.

Official documentation: Samsung: device actions · Device information and app commands

07 · Restaurant activation & real scenarios

Restaurant login stays with Haat

Manual login is the baseline. Automatic activation remains a separate app and backend project.

TODAY

Existing manual login

Tablet enrolls → Haat Partner + auto-installs → restaurant signs in → verify Business A → test order → Restaurant is ready.

No Haat app change is assumed.
FUTURE

Automatic restaurant activation

Tablet assigned to Business A
↓
Knox Manage sends managed configuration / activation input
↓
Haat Partner + reads the managed configuration
↓
Haat backend validates the device / activation securely
↓
Haat creates the authenticated Business A session
Knox does not create the Haat login session. Knox alone cannot log an arbitrary app in. Requires Haat Partner + and backend work.

Official documentation: Android: implementing managed configurations · Assign apps - new console

Does assigning a tablet to Business A automatically log it in?

No. Naming or grouping a tablet only organizes management. Future automation can send managed configuration to an app that implements it. Haat's backend must validate activation and issue the correct session. No password or reusable privileged secret should be treated as a safe plain configuration field.

The current APK's support is unconfirmed. A business identifier is a routing hint, not proof of authorization.

Official documentation: Android: implementing managed configurations

Can a tablet be managed without KME registration?

Yes, through another supported enrollment method such as QR setup, unless Haat restricts its environment to KME-only enrollment. But a tablet merely listed in KME is not yet a managed device. App delivery starts after successful management enrollment and assignment.

Official documentation: Samsung: enrollment options · Samsung: Android Enterprise app-update settings

Proposed team ownership: Israel HQ / Operations owns production approvals and the restaurant device inventory. India mobile engineering builds, tests and investigates app issues with appropriate admin access.