App Wrapping

App Wrapping is a method in which an additional security layer is added to an existing mobile application without modifying the app's original source code. The app is, in a sense, packaged into a new shell that enforces corporate policies on data protection, encryption, and access control directly at the application level. The app's appearance and functionality remain unchanged for the user.

The technical core of App Wrapping is the application of security and management policies without any intervention in the source code. This is achieved either via the software development kit (SDK) of an enterprise mobility management (EMM) provider, integrated directly into the app code, or through a dedicated wrapping tool that retrofits the app with security functions. Typical features include encryption of app data, control of copy-and-paste actions, micro-VPN connections, and selective remote wiping of corporate data.

App Wrapping is used primarily in BYOD scenarios where employees use personal devices that are not enrolled in an MDM solution. A company with field staff can, for example, equip an internal CRM app with data protection policies to ensure that customer data cannot be uploaded to personal cloud services or shared with other apps — without managing or restricting the employee's private device.

A key advantage of App Wrapping is the separation of private and corporate data at the app level, without requiring full device management. Particularly when companies want to give certain employees, external contractors, or partner organizations access to internal systems, App Wrapping offers a flexible and privacy-compliant way to do so securely.

App Wrapping and device management are not mutually exclusive but complementary. How both approaches work together in a comprehensive device management solution can be explored there in detail.