Require Approved Client Apps

This Conditional Access Policy requires users to access resources only through approved client apps or apps protected by app protection policies. It helps ensure that organizational data is accessed securely and only through trusted applications.

Settings this baseline controls

Setting	What it does
Policy name	Specifies a display name for the Conditional Access Policy Learn more
Enable policy	Specifies the state of the conditional Access Policy. Possible values are: enabled, disabled, enabledForReportingButNotEnforced. Required. Learn more
Included users	User IDs in scope of policy Learn more
Included roles	Role IDs in scope of policy Learn more
Included groups	Group IDs in scope of policy Learn more
Included guest types	Guest or external user types in scope of policy Learn more
Excluded users	User IDs excluded from scope of policy Learn more
Excluded roles	Role IDs excluded from scope of policy Learn more

5 more settings

Setting	What it does
Excluded groups	Group IDs excluded from scope of policy Learn more
Excluded guest types	Guest or external user types excluded from scope of policy Learn more
Grant controls	List of values of built-in controls required by the policy. Possible values: block, mfa, compliantDevice, domainJoinedDevice, approvedApplication, compliantApplication, passwordChange, unknownFutureValue Learn more
Included device platforms	Possible values are: android, iOS, windows, windowsPhone, macOS, linux, all, unknownFutureValue. Learn more
Client app types	Client application types included in the policy. Possible values are: all, browser, mobileAppsAndDesktopClients, exchangeActiveSync, easSupported, other. Required. Learn more

Adding a baselineAdd, configure or remove a single baseline on a tenant, a user or a group, without deploying a whole scheme.→

Configure it

Add this baseline when mobile users should reach Microsoft 365 only through an app that’s either approved or wrapped in an Intune app protection policy. It’s the usual way to protect data on personal Android and iOS devices without enrolling the whole device.

1. Add the baseline to the tenant directly (see Adding a baseline), or carry it in a scheme you deploy to every tenant you manage (see Deploying a scheme).

2. Leave Included users covering everyone, and use Excluded users or Excluded groups for your organisation’s break-glass accounts.

3. Leave Included device platforms set to Android and iOS, the personal-device platforms this policy is meant for.

4. Leave Grant controls set to require an approved client app or an app protection policy, satisfying either one. Requiring both together is stricter, but only works once every affected app supports app protection policies.

5. Save.

   Turn on Auto-remediation if you want Octiga to reapply the policy whenever it’s changed in Microsoft 365, so Android and iOS users keep needing an approved app or Intune app protection.

Caution

Set up an Intune app protection policy for the apps you’re protecting before this baseline takes effect for them. Without one, users on the affected platforms lose access to those apps rather than being nudged toward an approved app.

Licence: Entra ID P1 or P2

This baseline needs Entra ID P1 or P2 on the tenant. Without it, Octiga excludes the baseline rather than reporting it as deviated — see Licence requirements.

Check it worked

After the next sync, this baseline shows Passing once a policy with state set to enabled and the approved-app-or-app-protection grant controls exists in Microsoft Entra. You can confirm it in the Microsoft Entra admin centre under Entra ID > Conditional Access > Policies. The next time end users sign in from an affected Android or iOS device, they’re prompted to install a broker app (Microsoft Authenticator or Company Portal) and use an approved client.

Standards this addresses

CISv8 4.1v8 3.6

NISTPR.DS-5SC-7AC-20

ISO 27001A.8.12A.8.13

Doing this for every tenant?

Step through the deploy wizard to apply a scheme to a tenant, groups or users, and see what Managed and Direct do at deploy time.

Deploying a scheme→