FAQ
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Everything you need to know about Zappl. Can't find what you're looking for? Drop us a message.
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What MDM platforms does Zappl support?
Zappl works with Jamf, Intune, Addigy, IRU and Mosyle. If you use a different MDM, get in touch and we'll confirm compatibility.
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How many applications does Zappl support?
Zappl supports 1,100+ macOS applications and is continuously adding more. View the full catalog at the app-catalog page.
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How long does deployment take?
Most teams are up and running in under 30 minutes. Deploy the Zappl app via a PKG or script, push a configuration profile to set everything up, and you're done — all through your existing MDM with no new infrastructure required.
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Do I need to install anything on each Mac manually?
No. The Zappl agent is deployed silently across your entire fleet via your MDM. Users won't notice a thing.
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How much does it cost?
All of our monthly and annual plans are documented on the pricing page. For example if you have up to 250 devices our scale plan on annual billing would work out around £2 per device per month.
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Is there a free trial?
Yes. You can start a free 30-day trial whenever you are ready, no credit card required.
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Where do app updates come from?
Directly from the vendor. Zappl downloads the same installer you'd get from visiting the developer's website yourself — there's no manual packaging, no central hosting, and no third-party middleman. You always get the genuine, unmodified update straight from the source.
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Are unmanaged applications updated too?
Yes. Zappl can detect and patch apps installed outside of your MDM, giving you full fleet coverage.
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Do users need to log out or restart for updates to apply?
No. Zappl installs updates while users are logged in and working.
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Does Zappl skip updates if an app is currently in use?
Yes. If an app is in use, Zappl leaves it alone and tries again later. Updates are only applied silently when the app is closed. The only exception is when a scheduled update prompt kicks in, at which point users are notified and asked to quit the app so it can be updated.
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What happens if a user is on a video call when Zappl runs?
Zappl detects active camera or screen sharing sessions and skips the update until the user is free. No interruptions.
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Can we run Zappl in a report-only mode before enabling updates?
Yes. You can enable compliance reporting while keeping updates turned off, so you get a clear picture of your fleet's current state before Zappl starts patching anything. Useful for a risk-free trial period.
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Can we spread update checks across a large fleet to reduce network load?
Yes. A configurable stagger window spreads background update checks randomly across your devices, up to six hours, so they don't all hit the network at the same time.
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Does Zappl use Munki?
No. Zappl is built entirely in Swift and operates independently with no reliance on Munki or any third-party open source tooling.
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How do we monitor compliance across our fleet?
The Zappl portal gives you real-time compliance data per app, per device. You can see exactly which Macs are out of date and by how much.
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Can we schedule automated compliance reports?
Yes. You can generate ad-hoc reports or set up scheduled email reports that go out to your team automatically.
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What is Eligible Compliance?
Eligible Compliance excludes devices in storage or where users are on annual leave, giving you a more accurate picture of your active fleet's compliance.
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How quickly do fleets typically become compliant?
Most fleets hit 90%+ compliance within the first few days of deployment.
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Can Zappl update apps silently without prompting users at all?
Yes. Background updates run silently whenever an app isn't in use. No prompt, no interruption — the user simply has the latest version next time they open the app.
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Can we control which apps are updated and when?
Yes. You can set update schedules, configure deferral limits, and add your own branding directly in the config profile.
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Can we exclude certain apps from being updated?
Yes. You can specify an exclusion list to block certain apps from being updated, or an allowed list if you only want Zappl to update specific apps. Exclusions always take priority if an app appears in both lists.
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Can we control how often users are prompted to update?
Yes. You configure the prompt frequency yourself, for example once a week, so users aren't being pestered daily but updates still get applied on a regular schedule.
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Can users delay updates themselves?
Yes. You can configure grace periods that allow users to defer updates for a set amount of time before they become mandatory.
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Can we set how many times a user can defer an update before it becomes mandatory?
Yes. You configure the deferral limit yourself. Once a user hits that limit, the update is enforced on the next Zappl run.
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Can we see if a user has been deferring updates on a specific device?
Yes. The portal's device records show per-device deferral activity, so you can identify users who are repeatedly pushing updates back.
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What is AppBar?
AppBar is Zappl's menu bar companion for end users. It sits quietly in the macOS menu bar and gives users self-service access to update and install apps from your company-approved catalogue, without needing admin credentials.
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What can users do with AppBar?
Users can update apps on demand, browse and install from 1,100+ approved applications, and view a full seven-day activity log of everything Zappl has done on their Mac, including silent background updates.
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Does AppBar require admin rights to install apps?
No. Users can install and update apps without admin credentials, reducing helpdesk friction and keeping your fleet compliant without IT involvement.
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Does AppBar show background activity too?
Yes. AppBar surfaces the last seven days of Zappl activity including silent updates that ran automatically in the background. Users can see exactly what's been updated and when.
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Can we control which apps users can install via AppBar?
Yes. You can define an allowed installs list to restrict AppBar to specific approved apps, or an exclusion list to block only certain apps while keeping the rest of the catalogue available.
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What version of Zappl is required for AppBar?
AppBar requires an active Zappl licence and Zappl version 2.3.0 or later.
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Is Zappl Cyber Essentials certified?
Yes. Dare Technology, the company behind Zappl, is Cyber Essentials certified and maintains strict internal security protocols to protect client data.
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Where is customer data stored?
All customer data is stored in fully certified EU data centres, compliant with data protection laws and protected by strong security measures.
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How is data encrypted in transit?
All data sent from client devices to the Zappl portal is encrypted using RSA and AES encryption, ensuring your fleet data is never exposed in transit.
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Is two-factor authentication supported?
Yes. 2FA is mandatory and enforced for all accounts accessing the Zappl portal. It cannot be disabled.
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How does Zappl verify app updates are safe before installing them?
When our Zappl server identifies new updates for apps within our catalog, the software is downloaded on the server and checked for any Malware. If the software fails this check, the new version is not added to our database and will not be downloaded by the Zappl agent on any client computers. If the software passes the above check, we proceed to add the new version to our app database. The Zappl agent (installed on client machines) will then attempt to download the software directly from the vendor. Prior to running the installation, we verify the developer signing information using either the signature on the .pkg file, or the signature of the .app file within a .dmg or .zip installer. If the signature does not meet the verified signature of the software vendor, the download is immediately deleted and the software is not installed. As an additional security measure, we add an expected sha256 hash of each installer file to our app database. If a downloaded installer file does not match this expected file hash, the download is immediately deleted and the software is not installed.
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