Using EKB Managed Configurations

Enterprise Keyboard 5.0

Overview

Managed configurations are part of a specification developed by Google and the Android community for remotely configuring installed applications and devices through any Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) system that supports it. Originally known as "App Restrictions" because of their limited initial scope, managed configurations (MCs) are now being used by Zebra to remotely configure a variety of settings, including those for device hardware, software and security.

The features of a given app that are manageable using MCs are defined in its schema. The Enterprise Keyboard (EKB) schema is downloaded when visiting Google Play through the EMM console and selecting EKB for administration. The schema defines the features available for consumption by the EMM, and provides the information necessary to present the app's management UI within the EMM console.† This data-driven UI method allows delivery of new features and their corresponding UI attributes as soon as they become available, and without the need to download a new .exe. For more information about configuring Zebra devices with managed configurations, see Zebra OEMConfig.

† When viewed through an EMM console, the EKB management UI varies slightly depending on the EMM system in use.

Requirements

  • One or more Zebra devices running Android 11 or later
  • A supported EMM with EKB 4.2.0.14 and its schema downloaded from Google Play
  • EKB 4.2.0.14 (or later) installed on device(s) (can be deployed by EMM, if necessary)

Using MCs

General instructions for configuring EKB through using MCs are described below. For specific instructions of each step, please consult the documentation provided with the EMM system in use.

To configure EKB using MCs:

  1. Declare use of MCs in the app's manifest.xml file.
    Declare and specify the location of the app's managed configuration options file by placing the following element within the manifest's <application> element:

            
    <application>
        ...
        <meta-data
         android:name="android.content.APP_RESTRICTIONS"
         android:resource="@xml/app_restrictions" />
        ...

  2. Define the MC file.
    Create a file called app_restrictions.xml in the app's res/xml directory. The structure of that file is described in the Android developer community's reference for Restrictions Manager.
    The app_restrictions.xml file must contain a single, top-level <restrictions> element with one <restriction> child element for every configuration option implemented by the app. This automatically retrieves the corresponding schema for the app and makes the app available for deployment to the device(s) through the EMM.

  3. Configure app restrictions using MCs as described in the schema (and in sections below).
    For more infomation and descriptions of the available options, see the App Restrictions section of the Restrictions Manager guide.

  4. Use the EMM system to create and push a policy that deploys the newly created app_restrictions.xml file to device(s).

App Restrictions

Enterprise Keyboard parameters shown in the table below are currently manageable through an EMM using managed configurations.

Key Description Input Name Input Values
AutoCapitalization Controls whether to capitalize the first word of each sentence following a period Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
AutoCorrection Controls whether to allow automatic replacement of misspelled words with those found in the Add-on and Personal dictionaries when suggestion for one or more dictionaries is enabled. Suggested replacements are inserted by pressing the spacebar. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
BlockOffensiveWords Controls whether to the display as suggested spelling corrections words that might be deemed offensive or insensitive as determined by external standards of decency Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
DoubleSpacePeriod Controls whether to automatically insert a period and space when double-tapping the spacebar Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
KeyLongPressDelayMode Controls whether to enter the length of time (in ms) a key must be held down before being considered a long-press (default = 300ms), or to leave the setting unchanged. When "Enter duration" is selected, the long-press delay is set using the "KeyLongPressDelay" parameter. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
Flick Controls whether a finger "flick" can be used to input characters otherwise accessible by using the shift key or a long-press Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
KeyLongPressDelay Controls the length of time (in ms) a key must be held down before being considered a long-press (default = 300ms) Accepts an integer between 100 and 700 (ms) Accepts an integer between 100 and 700 (ms)
KeypressSoundVolumeMode Controls whether to enter the sound volume (as a percentage of the maximum) or to accept the System setting (default) Do not change
Enter volume
System default		 0
1
2
KeypressSoundVolume Allows the sound volume for each keypress to be specified as a percentage of the maximum.
Shown only if: Keypress Sound Volume Mode is set to "Enter duration"		 KeypressSoundVolume
KeypressVibrationDurationMode Controls whether to enter the length of time (in ms) to operate device vibration when a key is pressed or to accept the System setting Do not change
Enter duration
System default		 0
1
2
KeypressVibrationDuration Used to enter the length of time (from 0 to 100ms) that the device will vibrate to indicate that a key has been pressed (default = 0ms).
Shown only if: Keypress Vibration Duration Mode is set to "Enter duration"		 KeypressVibrationDuration
NextWordSuggestions Controls whether to Enterprise Keyboard will suggest possible next words based on the word being typed or most recently entered. This feature is sometimes referred to as "Predictive text." Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
PersonalizedSuggestions Controls whether Enterprise Keyboard will suggest words and terms that have been previously entered and stored in the Personal Dictionary Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
PopupOnKeypress Controls whether a "big character bubble" will pop up when a key on the Enteprise Keyboard is pressed Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
ShowCorrectionSuggestions Controls whether Enterprise Keyboard will display spelling correction suggestions for words being typed. Enable Auto-correction to accept suggested words by pressing the space bar Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
NumericLayoutMode Permits selection of the Numeric keypad layout Do not change
Telephone mode
Calculator mode		 0
1
2
ShowAlphaNumericTab Controls whether to display the alphanumeric tab among other selected keyboard layout tabs. Note: Hiding this tab prevents the alphanumeric key layout from being selected by the device user. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
NavigationMode Controls the means of navigating between keyboard layouts. "Tabs" mode permits switching layouts by swiping the key layout in either direction or by tapping directly on the desired tab. The tab bar will be visible at all times except when next-word suggestions (if enabled) are being displayed. Tabs
Keys		 1
0
SelectPreferTab Used to enter the tab to appear when EKB is invoked for text input Do not change
Numeric
Alphanumeric
Symbol
Scan
Voice		 0
1
2
3
4
5
ShowNumericTab Controls whether to display the numeric tab among other selected keyboard layout tabs Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
ShowSymbolTab Controls whether to display the symbol tab among the other keyboard layout tabs. Hiding this tab prevents the symbol key layout from being selected by the device user. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
ShowScanTab Controls whether to display the scan tab among the other keyboard layout tabs. The scan tab displays the scanner controls for collecting barcode data. Scanning from within Enterprise Keyboard requires the DataWedge service to be enabled on the device. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
ShowVoiceTab Controls whether to display the microphone tab, which enables voice input when selected by the user Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
SoundOnKeypress Controls whether to play a sound when a key is pressed. To control volume of Keypress sound, see Keypress Sound Volume. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
SuggestContactNames Controls whether to automatically display contacts from the device contact list when typing names. This feature works only with specific field types. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
VibrateOnKeypress Controls whether to activate device vibration (haptic feedback) when a key is pressed. To control the length of time the device will vibrate, see Keypress Vibration Duration. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
VoiceInputKey Controls whether to display the voice input key, which contains a microphone icon. When enabled, displays a key for allowing Enterprise Keyboard to accept spoken input using the device microphone. This feature is visible on GMS-enabled devices only. Do not change
Turn on
Turn off		 0
1
2
RemapAlphaP1 Used to enter a character, UNICODE value or EMOJI selection panel for substitution with the default key on the Numeric Keypad Row 4, Column 1. If this field is left blank, no changes occur to device settings; any previously selected value is retained.
RemapNumericP1 Used to enter a character, UNICODE value or EMOJI selection panel for substitution with the default key on the Numeric Keypad Row 1, Column 1. If this field is left blank, no changes occur to device settings; any previously selected value is retained.
RemapNumericP2 Used to enter a character, UNICODE value or EMOJI selection panel for substitution with the default key on the Numeric Keypad Row 2, Column 1. If this field is left blank, no changes occur to device settings; any previously selected value is retained.
RemapNumericP3 Used to enter a character, UNICODE value or EMOJI selection panel for substitution with the default key on the Numeric Keypad Row 3, Column 1. If this field is left blank, no changes occur to device settings; any previously selected value is retained.
RemapNumericP4 Used to enter a character, UNICODE value or EMOJI selection panel for substitution with the default key on the Numeric Keypad Row 4, Column 1. If this field is left blank, no changes occur to device settings; any previously selected value is retained.
RemapSymbolP1 Used to enter a character, UNICODE value or EMOJI selection panel for substitution with the default key on the Symbol Keypad Row 4, Column 1. If this field is left blank, no changes occur to device settings; any previously selected value is retained.
UseSystemLanguages Used to select which built-in languages to offer for selection when using Enterprise Keyboard. Options include languages delivered with Enterprise Keyboard and those included with Android. Do not change
Android System
Enterprise Keyboard		 0
1
2
LanguageAction Used to select whether languages provided by Enterprise Keyboard are used on the device Do nothing
Enable
Disable		 0
1
2
Language Used to select which language is used by Enterprise Keyboard on the device. When using Custom Language option, enter custom language name using the Custom Language parameter. English (US)
English (UK)
Polish
Slovak
Romanian
Czech
Russian
All Supported Languages
Custom Language		 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
LanguageCustom Used to enter the name of a custom language to be used by Enterprise Keyboard
KeyboardWidth Used to select a width for the soft input panel (SIP) when it appears on an external monitor as with Zebra Workstation Connect Do not change
Specify width
System default		 0
1
2
KeyboardCustomWidth Used to enter a custom width for the SIP as a percentage (from 25-100) to reduce its width when displayed on an external monitor An integer from 25–100
KeyboardHeight Used to select a height for the soft input panel (SIP) when it appears on an external monitor as with Zebra Workstation Connect Do not change
Specify height
System default		 0
1
2
KeyboardCustomHeight Used to enter a custom height for the SIP as a percentage (from 25-100) to reduce its height when displayed on an external monitor An integer from 25–100