In this post, I will show you 2 ways to deploy web app on iOS using Intune. A web app in Intune is basically a managed shortcut to a website. On iOS, it appears on the home screen just like a native app icon. When users tap it, the device opens the URL in Safari or a managed browser such as Microsoft Edge, depending on how you configure the app and your app protection policies.
There are two ways to deploy a web app shortcut on iOS/iPadOS devices via Intune. First one is by using Web clip app type and second option is to use a Web link type of deployment. Using any of these methods will create a web app shortcut on the managed iOS device.
Now, you might be wondering which deployment type to use: Web Link or Web Clip. Use an iOS/iPadOS Web Clip when you want an app-like experience that appears directly on the iOS home screen, it offers options like full-screen mode and precomposed icons, and is intended only for iPhone and iPad devices. Use a Web Link app when you want a single, reusable configuration that can target multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows, and when a simple managed shortcut is sufficient instead of a dedicated iOS-style web clip.
Below screenshot is from an iOS device where I have deployed both types of apps. Both these shortcuts open a website https://cloudinfra.net in the managed browser (Edge). If you don’t want to use a managed browser to open the web app, you can configure it in the app deployment. In the next sections, we will explore both the options and show you how to create a deployment for each type.
Create Web Clip App deployment for iOS/iPadOS
Let’s first look at the steps to create a Web clip app deployment for iOS/iPadOS via Intune.
- Sign in to the Intune admin center > Go to Apps > Select iOS/iPadOS under Platforms.
- iOS/iPadOS apps > Click + Create
- Click the drop-down for App type and select iOS/iPadOS web clip.
- Click Select button to proceed.
On the App information page, fill in:
- Name: Provide the name of Web application shortcut, For example: Cloudinfra (Webclip).
- Description: Provide a description for admins and users.
- Publisher: Provide publisher information.
- App URL: Provide the full URL of the web app, starting with https:// or http://. For example: https://cloudinfra.net.
- Require a managed browser to open this link: If set to Yes, the web app will open in Microsoft Edge browser. Ensure that Edge browser is installed on the iOS device. If you set this to No (default): Web app can launch in your default browser which could be chrome, Firefox etc.
- Logo: Add a logo for the app (optional).
Web clip app specific settings
- Full screen:
- If set to Yes: The web app opens as a full screen experience, hiding the browser UI. This makes it look more like a native app. For kiosk scenarios or app-like behaviour, set this to Yes.
- If set to No: The URL opens in the browser with normal address bar and controls.
- Ignore manifest scope (iOS 14 and later): This setting has no effect when Full screen is set to No.
- If set to Yes: A full screen web clip can navigate to external sites without showing Safari UI.
- If set to No: Safari UI will appear when a navigating away from the URL of Web clip app.
- Precomposed: Choose Yes if you want the icon to look exactly like your uploaded logo.
- If set to Yes: Prevents iOS from adding the default gloss/shine to the icon.
- If set to No: iOS can apply its shine effect to the icon.
- Target application bundle identifier (iOS 14 and later)
- Used when you want to open the URL in a specific app (for example, a browser or a custom app) by specifying its bundle identifier.
- If you want to force opening in a different browser or app, add the relevant bundle ID here and combine with app protection and device configuration if required.
- Scope tags (optional): A scope tag in Intune is an RBAC label you add to resources (policies, apps, devices) to limit which admins can see and manage them. For more Information, read: How to use Scope tags in Intune.
- Assignments: Assign the app to Entra security groups that contain the target users or devices. As a best practice, pilot with a small set first; once validated, roll it out more broadly. For guidance on assignment strategy, see Intune assignments: User groups vs. Device groups.
I have targeted the app deployment to Cloudinfra Users entra group.
- Review + create: Review the deployment summary and click Create.
Create Web Link App deployment for iOS/iPadOS
Web link is another method to deploy web app shortcuts on Intune-managed iOS/iPadOS devices. Web link app deployment is also available for Windows and Android devices as well.
An important point to note that once you deploy a web link app, by design, App URL cannot be modified. Therefore, make sure to configure the correct URL in the app deployment.
- Sign in to the Intune admin center > Go to Apps > Select iOS/iPadOS under Platforms.
- iOS/iPadOS apps > Click + Create
- Click the drop-down for App type and select Web link.
- Click Select button to proceed.
On the App information page, fill in:
- Name: Provide the name of Web application shortcut, For example: Cloudinfra.
- Description: Provide a description for admins and users.
- Publisher: Provide publisher information.
- App URL: Provide the full URL of the web app, starting with https:// or http://. For example: https://cloudinfra.net.
- Require a managed browser to open this link: If set to Yes, the web app will open in Microsoft Edge browser. Ensure that Edge browser is installed on the iOS device. If you set this to No (default): Web app can launch in your default browser which could be chrome, Firefox etc.
- Logo: Add a logo for the app (optional).
- Scope tags (optional): A scope tag in Intune is an RBAC label you add to resources (policies, apps, devices) to limit which admins can see and manage them. For more Information, read: How to use Scope tags in Intune.
- Assignments: Assign the app to Entra security groups that contain the target users or devices. As a best practice, pilot with a small set first; once validated, roll it out more broadly. For guidance on assignment strategy, see Intune assignments: User groups vs. Device groups.
- Review + create: Review the deployment summary and click Create.
Uninstalling Web App from iOS Devices using Intune
If you want to remove the deployed web app from iOS devices, then simply target the entra group in the uninstall section of the app deployment. It’s important to note that if you delete the assignment without first changing it to uninstall, the web clip will remain on the device and cannot be removed by the user.
