How to Whitelist an App on Android (On Your Phone and Across Company Devices)

To whitelist (allowlist) an app on your own Android phone, open Settings > Apps, tap the app, choose Battery and set it to Unrestricted. That stops battery optimization from closing the app in the background. On a Samsung phone, also add it to Never sleeping apps. To allowlist apps on company phones, use Android Enterprise: approve the apps in managed Google Play, then apply a policy so only those apps can be installed. For the strictest version, kiosk mode locks a device to a short list of apps.

"Whitelist" means two different jobs on Android. The first half of this post covers the phone owner who wants an app to keep working. The second half covers the IT admin who wants only approved apps on company devices. The industry is moving to the word "allowlist", and this post uses both.

Whitelist an app on your own Android phone

Android stops background apps to save battery, and some makers do it aggressively. If a messaging, alarm or fitness app misses notifications, that is usually why. Menu names vary by maker and Android version. The paths below are the stock Android (Pixel) ones, with the Samsung differences noted.

Exclude the app from battery optimization

1. Open Settings > Apps and tap the app. If you do not see it, tap See all apps.
2. Tap Battery (on some versions, App battery usage).
3. Select Unrestricted. Older versions call this Don't optimize.

"Unrestricted" lets the app run in the background without limits, so it uses more battery. Do it for the apps that need it, not for all of them.

On Samsung: add the app to Never sleeping apps

Samsung adds a second layer that can put the app to sleep even after you set it to Unrestricted. Go to Settings > Battery (on some versions Battery and device care) > Background usage limits, open Never sleeping apps and add the app. Other makers, such as Xiaomi, can also block auto-start separately, so look for an "Autostart" or "Background" option in their settings.

Allow notifications

Go to Settings > Apps > [app] > Notifications and switch notifications on. If you use Do Not Disturb, add the app as an exception under the Do Not Disturb settings.

Allow unrestricted data

If Data Saver is on, the app may not sync in the background. Open Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver and add the app under Unrestricted data. Clearing a misbehaving app's cache is a separate fix: see how to clear the cache for apps on Android.

Allowlist apps on company Android devices

For IT, an allowlist is a rule that only approved apps can be installed or run. The opposite is a blocklist: every app is allowed except the ones you name. An allowlist is stricter and takes more upkeep. A blocklist is easier to start but never complete, because new apps appear daily.

On Android the supported way to do this is Android Enterprise, which Google builds into the operating system. Your management tool talks to Android through it. See what Android Enterprise is for the background.

Work profile or fully managed: pick the device mode first

• Work profile. A separate, IT-controlled profile on a device that also has the person's personal profile. Per Google's developer documentation, IT chooses which apps are allowed in the work profile, and personal apps and data stay under the user's control. Use it for employee-owned phones.
• Fully managed. The company owns the whole device and there is no personal profile. IT controls the whole app set. Use it for company-issued phones and tablets.
• Dedicated device. A fully managed device built for one job, such as a scanner, a sign or a kiosk. This is where kiosk mode lives.

Approve apps in managed Google Play

Managed Google Play is the Google Play your organization controls. You approve the apps your company allows, and the management tool decides which devices get which apps. Two settings matter:

• Allowlist. Only approved apps appear in the managed Play Store on the device. Anything not on the list cannot be installed.
• Blocklist. All apps remain available except the ones you block.

You can also push required apps so they install without the user asking, and block specific apps such as games or file sharing tools. To block one app, see how to block an app on Android.

Android kiosk mode: the strictest allowlist

Kiosk mode (Google calls it lock task mode) locks a device to a fixed list of apps. Per the Android developer documentation, the device is locked to an allowlisted set of apps and users cannot leave that set. It is built for dedicated devices, which must be fully managed. Typical uses are point of sale tablets, check-in screens, warehouse scanners and shared field devices.

A kiosk with a single app is a launcher with nothing else to open. A multi-app kiosk shows a home screen with only the apps you allow. Decide up front which system apps stay available, such as settings for Wi-Fi, so people can still recover a device in the field. Our guide to Android kiosk mode goes through the setup in more depth.

Roll out an allowlist without breaking the team

1. Inventory first. List what is installed today. You will find apps people rely on that nobody told you about.
2. Start with a blocklist if the fleet is large and mixed. Move to an allowlist once you know what is in use.
3. Use a test group. Apply the policy to a few devices from different teams for a week.
4. Keep the essentials. Phone, messaging, maps and the apps your work needs. An allowlist that blocks the dialer gets disabled by angry managers.
5. Write down the exception process. One form, one owner, a decision within a day or two.
6. Review quarterly. Remove apps nobody uses and check updates. Old allowed apps are a risk too.

Related reading: Android MDM restrictions and device admin on Android.

Managing this across many devices

An allowlist is easy on one phone and hard on two hundred. trio.so can allow or block apps on managed Android devices, or lock a phone to approved apps in kiosk mode. See Android device management.