Microsoft Intune changes to start biting unprepared admins
(2026/01/19)
- Reference: 1768831212
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/01/19/microsoft_intune_deadline/
- Source link:
Today's a critical day for administrators managing a fleet of mobile devices via Microsoft Intune. Without updates, apps - including Microsoft's own - may stop working.
Microsoft [1]warned in 2025: "Starting January 19, 2026, or soon after, we're making updates to improve the Intune mobile application management (MAM) service."
The updates require iOS-wrapped apps, iOS SDK-integrated apps, and the Intune Company Portal for Android to run the latest versions or "be blocked from launching your app."
[2]
It isn't just line-of-business applications that are affected. Microsoft stated: "If your users haven't updated to the latest Microsoft or third-party app protection supported apps, they'll be blocked from launching their apps."
[3]
[4]
The potential problem isn't so bad for Android apps. "Once one Microsoft application with the updated SDK is on the device and the Company Portal is updated to the latest version, Android apps will update," Microsoft said.
It's a little more complicated for iOS: apps compiled with Xcode 16 require release 20.8.0 of the Intune App SDK for iOS, and apps compiled with Xcode 26 require release 21.1.0 or later of the Intune App SDK for iOS. The App Wrapping Tool must also be updated to use 20.8.1 for Xcode 16, and 21.1.0 for Xcode 26.
[5]Microsoft hiring energy strategists to power its Asian datacenters
[6]Sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that! PCs refuse to shut down after Microsoft patch
[7]Microsoft taps UK courts to dismantle cybercrime host RedVDS
[8]Microsoft's 'From SA' scheme on trial as license resale row refuses to die
Microsoft applications such as Outlook and Teams are also affected and must be updated to avoid service interruptions and calls to the support helpdesk from users wondering why messaging services have stopped working.
The deadline was initially December 15, but Microsoft later extended it. However, as of January 19, unprepared administrators may start to see affects. Kyle Reis, a principal software engineering manager at Microsoft, [9]wrote of the SDK requirement: "Users who have signed into the app and have MAM policies applied will eventually be blocked from accessing the application if it has not been updated to 20.8.0 or later.
[10]
"Not all users will experience impact immediately, as the timing may depend on the policy configuration of their organization (MAM conditional access, offline grace period timers, MTD integration policy, etc)." ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/fundamentals/in-development#update-to-the-latest-intune-company-portal-for-android-intune-app-sdk-for-ios-and-intune-app-wrapper-for-ios
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/19/asia_tech_news_roundup/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/16/patch_tuesday_secure_launch_bug_no_shutdown/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/microsoft_uk_courts_redvds/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/microsoft_from_sa_licensing/
[9] https://github.com/microsoftconnect/ms-intune-app-sdk-ios/discussions/598
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Microsoft [1]warned in 2025: "Starting January 19, 2026, or soon after, we're making updates to improve the Intune mobile application management (MAM) service."
The updates require iOS-wrapped apps, iOS SDK-integrated apps, and the Intune Company Portal for Android to run the latest versions or "be blocked from launching your app."
[2]
It isn't just line-of-business applications that are affected. Microsoft stated: "If your users haven't updated to the latest Microsoft or third-party app protection supported apps, they'll be blocked from launching their apps."
[3]
[4]
The potential problem isn't so bad for Android apps. "Once one Microsoft application with the updated SDK is on the device and the Company Portal is updated to the latest version, Android apps will update," Microsoft said.
It's a little more complicated for iOS: apps compiled with Xcode 16 require release 20.8.0 of the Intune App SDK for iOS, and apps compiled with Xcode 26 require release 21.1.0 or later of the Intune App SDK for iOS. The App Wrapping Tool must also be updated to use 20.8.1 for Xcode 16, and 21.1.0 for Xcode 26.
[5]Microsoft hiring energy strategists to power its Asian datacenters
[6]Sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that! PCs refuse to shut down after Microsoft patch
[7]Microsoft taps UK courts to dismantle cybercrime host RedVDS
[8]Microsoft's 'From SA' scheme on trial as license resale row refuses to die
Microsoft applications such as Outlook and Teams are also affected and must be updated to avoid service interruptions and calls to the support helpdesk from users wondering why messaging services have stopped working.
The deadline was initially December 15, but Microsoft later extended it. However, as of January 19, unprepared administrators may start to see affects. Kyle Reis, a principal software engineering manager at Microsoft, [9]wrote of the SDK requirement: "Users who have signed into the app and have MAM policies applied will eventually be blocked from accessing the application if it has not been updated to 20.8.0 or later.
[10]
"Not all users will experience impact immediately, as the timing may depend on the policy configuration of their organization (MAM conditional access, offline grace period timers, MTD integration policy, etc)." ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/fundamentals/in-development#update-to-the-latest-intune-company-portal-for-android-intune-app-sdk-for-ios-and-intune-app-wrapper-for-ios
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/19/asia_tech_news_roundup/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/16/patch_tuesday_secure_launch_bug_no_shutdown/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/microsoft_uk_courts_redvds/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/15/microsoft_from_sa_licensing/
[9] https://github.com/microsoftconnect/ms-intune-app-sdk-ios/discussions/598
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aW5jOhdzBnmiQlgA9oIa_wAAAc0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Intune
Stu J
I've never come across anyone that actually thinks it's any good or remotely fit for purpose, it just gets adopted because Microsoft pull the same anti-competitive shit they always do - they bundle it in with other totally unrelated licenses, making it very difficult to articulate a business case for superior non-Microsoft solutions to the beancounters, because they think that InTune is "free".
Re: Intune
Anonymous Coward
It does some things OK (windows configuration using scripts and app rules). Where it's particularly shit is deplpyment and updating of apps which aren't Microsoft store ones. Hence there are third-party addon services available to actually do this, because trying to do it through Intune involeves a lot of manual pissing about.
If there's any software that should be regulated out of existence...