Intune Deployment Guide
Required vs Available app assignments in Intune
Overview
Assignments decide who receives an Intune app and how that app is delivered. For Win32 apps, the main assignment intents are Required, Available for enrolled devices, and Uninstall.
This guide focuses on when to use each assignment type, how user and device targeting affect the result, and how to avoid common include/exclude mistakes.
What assignment types do
In Intune, assignment type controls the delivery behavior. Required assignments install automatically. Available assignments publish the app to Company Portal. Uninstall assignments remove an app from targeted devices when the app was installed through the same Intune app deployment.
| Assignment type | Behavior | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Required | Installs automatically on targeted users or devices | Mandatory apps, baseline tools, security agents |
| Available for enrolled devices | Shows in Company Portal for user-initiated install | Optional tools, pilot testing, self-service apps |
| Uninstall | Removes an app from targeted devices when Intune installed it | Retirement, replacement, cleanup after testing |
Assignments tab UI
The Assignments tab groups app targeting by intent. Keep the app in a small pilot group first, then expand only after install, detection, and reporting are verified.
Select the groups that should install, see, or uninstall this app.
Required assignments
Use Required when the app must be installed automatically. This is common for baseline apps, management tools, VPN clients, browsers, and security agents.
Required assignments are powerful because users do not need to open Company Portal. For that reason, start with a small device or user pilot group before assigning broadly.
Assign this app as required for a controlled pilot group.
Available assignments
Use Available for enrolled devices when users should choose whether to install the app. Available apps appear in Company Portal for targeted users, making this assignment type useful for optional apps and early pilot validation.
If users do not see the app in Company Portal, check the user assignment, user licensing, enrollment state, and whether the signed-in user matches the targeted user context.
Publish the app for self-service installation in Company Portal.
Uninstall assignments
Use Uninstall when the app should be removed from targeted devices. For Win32 apps, uninstall behavior depends on the app being managed by the same Intune app deployment and on the uninstall command being valid.
Do not assume that deleting a Required assignment will uninstall the app. Use the Uninstall assignment intent when removal is the desired action.
Target devices that should remove the app.
Include and exclude groups
Include groups define who gets the assignment. Exclude groups narrow that target. Use exclusions carefully, especially when testing uninstall or replacing Required assignments.
| Scenario | Recommended targeting pattern |
|---|---|
| Small pilot | Include one test user or device group only |
| Broad rollout with exceptions | Include broad group, exclude known exception group |
| Uninstall pilot | Use a dedicated uninstall group and verify the uninstall command first |
| Company Portal visibility | Target user groups for Available assignments |
Company Portal outcome
The end-user result depends on the assignment type. Required apps install automatically. Available apps appear in Company Portal. Uninstall assignments remove the app when the device receives the uninstall policy.
Quick checklist
- Use Required only after install, detection, and reporting are verified
- Use Available when users should install manually from Company Portal
- Use Uninstall only when the uninstall command has been tested
- Prefer simple pilot groups before broad targeting
- Review include/exclude logic before production rollout
Troubleshooting assignment issues
| Issue | What to check |
|---|---|
| App does not install automatically | Confirm the app is assigned as Required and the device or user is in the included group. |
| App is not visible in Company Portal | Confirm the app is assigned as Available for enrolled devices to the signed-in user. |
| Uninstall does not run | Verify the app has an Uninstall assignment and the uninstall command works silently. |
| Wrong devices receive the app | Review include and exclude group membership and wait for group membership to sync. |
| Assignment looks correct but nothing changes | Trigger a device sync and review Intune Management Extension logs. |
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