Can I route specific apps through 5G network slicing?

Yes. On devices and networks that support 5G network slicing, AMAPI can route traffic for specific applications through dedicated enterprise slices rather than the default carrier data path.

A 5G network slice is a logically separate path through the carrier network with its own quality of service, latency, and bandwidth characteristics. An enterprise can subscribe to one or more slices from a participating carrier and configure managed devices to use them.

In AMAPI, this is controlled through two policy fields:

• preferentialNetworkService at the policy level enables preferential network service on the device
• preferentialNetworkServiceSettings defines up to five preferential network configurations, each identified as PREFERENTIAL_NETWORK_ID_ONE through PREFERENTIAL_NETWORK_ID_FIVE
• preferentialNetworkId on each application policy assigns that application to one of the configured slices. A defaultPreferentialNetworkId can also be set at the policy level for any application that does not specify one

• Device must be running Android 13 or later for per-app routing on fully managed devices. Work profile-wide routing (all work apps through one slice) has been possible since Android 12
• The device must support 5G slicing and be connected to a 5G network from a carrier that has provisioned slices for the enterprise
• The enterprise must have a commercial arrangement with the carrier to obtain slices and the mapping between PREFERENTIAL_NETWORK_ID_n values and actual carrier slices
• The EMM must expose the relevant AMAPI fields in its console. Not all EMMs have exposed these yet

• Guaranteeing bandwidth for a video conferencing or field-service app during periods of congestion
• Separating payment or point-of-sale traffic onto a slice with defined latency and routing guarantees
• Routing CCTV, telemetry, or industrial IoT app traffic through a dedicated slice distinct from general browsing and messaging

• Slicing is a carrier capability, not a device capability alone. Without an enterprise slice provisioned by the mobile network operator, the policy has no effect
• Slicing does not substitute for an enterprise VPN. Slicing controls the path through the carrier network; it does not by itself terminate the traffic inside the corporate network
• Coverage for 5G slicing remains limited geographically and by carrier in 2026, so organisations should confirm coverage in the regions where devices operate before relying on it