Set app and extension policies

For administrators who manage Chrome policies from the Google Admin console.

As a Chrome Enterprise admin, you can use your Admin console to apply app and extension policies across several apps at a time. For example, you might specify all the apps you want to force install for users, or pin on users' Chrome task bars.

Before you begin

To make settings for a specific group of users or enrolled Chrome Browsers, put the user accounts or browsers in an organizational unit.
To apply settings for Chrome Browser users on Windows, Mac, or Linux computers, turn on Chrome Management, for the organizational unit that they belong to.

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Set app policies

Can apply for signed-in users on any device, or enrolled browsers on Windows, Mac, or Linux. For details, see Understand when settings apply

Set an app or extension policy (main steps)

Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
From the Admin console Home page, go to DevicesChrome management.
If you don't see Devices on the Home page, click More controls at the bottom.
Click Apps & extensions.
On the left, select the organizational unit that contains the users or enrolled browsers you want to set the policy for.
For all users, select the top-level organization. Otherwise, select a child organization. Initially, an organizational unit inherits the settings of its parent.
At the top, click Users & Browsers.
On the far right, click Additional settings .
Set the app and extension policies you want to change. See Learn about each setting below.
Click Save.

Learn about each setting

Android applications on Chrome devices

By default, users in this organization are not allowed to install Google Play and Android Apps on devices. Selecting Allow will give users access to the approved apps in the Google Play Store on their Chrome devices.

Allowed types of apps and extensions

This setting allows you to block users from installing certain types of apps by unchecking the type of allowed app.

Type of app:

(click links to learn more about each type of app)

Apps and extension install sources

Allows you to specify which URLs are allowed to install extensions, apps, and themes. For example, if a URL where you have a .crx file matches the list, a Chrome installation prompt will appear if the user clicks on the URL. Put one URL pattern on each line. For examples, see the Chrome developer site.

This policy has no effect on Android apps running on Chrome OS. To set policies for Android apps on Chrome devices that support them, see Manage Android apps on Chrome.

Allow insecure extension packaging

Allows you to choose whether you want to allow or not allow insecure extension packaging. For more details, see here.

Permissions and URLs

You can use this setting in two ways:

Block installing types of apps

Prevent users from running apps or extensions that request certain permissions that your organization doesn’t allow. For details, see Prevent users from running apps based on permissions.

Prevent apps from altering webpages

Control whether apps or extensions in general can alter web pages you specify.

For details, see Prevent Chrome extensions from altering webpages.

Runtime blocked hosts—URLs to pages that you want to prevent apps from altering.
Runtime allowed hosts—URLs to pages that you want to allow apps to alter. Access is allowed even if the pages are also defined in Blocked URLs.

Chrome web store homepage

You can change the Chrome Web Store Homepage to a custom homepage for your users when they're signed in. You can also recommend apps and extensions for your domain in a custom collection named after your domain in the Chrome Web Store.

Chrome web store permissions

Choose Allow users to publish private apps that are restricted to your domain on Chrome Web Store to let users to publish private apps that are restricted to your domain on the Chrome Web Store. Learn more about how to create a private Chrome app collection and how to publish a private Chrome app.

Android reporting for users and devices

You will be able to monitor the success and failures of the installations to users and devices on your network by using the reporting tool found in the Admin console.

For setup information, see Monitor forced Android app installs.

Note: The report only shows information for managed users using managed Chrome devices that support managed Google Play.