Device Management

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Allow administrators to securely and remotely configure enrolled devices using Device Management.

Device Management Documentation

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MDM Profile Installation Issue on iPhone 17 - Suspected Parameter Transmission Error
Issue Description: We are experiencing MDM profile installation failures specifically on iPhone 17 devices. After extensive testing and comparison between affected and working devices, we suspect this appears to be a parameter transmission error rather than device settings. Technical Analysis: Device Settings Comparison: No differences found between problematic and working devices in system settings, indicating this is not a configuration issue. Suspected Parameter Transmission Error: • Device model information appears to be restricted or blocked during profile download • User ID and phone number parameters are not being transmitted to the server • Installation logs show missing login ID and phone number entries Symptoms: • During MDM profile installation, the "Apps & Restrictions" section that should appear is missing • Profile download parameters are suspected to not be properly transmitted to the server • Installation process fails at the profile configuration stage Critical Finding: When we cloned a previously working device to create a problematic device configuration, the cloned device also began experiencing the same installation failures. This strongly suggests the issue is related to device-specific parameters or identifiers. Additional Information: We continue to receive reports of this issue from our iPhone 17 users, and these reports are occurring across various iOS versions. Request for Assistance: Has anyone encountered similar MDM profile installation issues on iPhone 17? Are there known limitations or changes in how device parameters are transmitted during MDM enrollment on this model? Any guidance on debugging parameter transmission or known workarounds would be greatly appreciated.
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425
Oct ’25
Inquiry: Inconsistent VPP UpdateBehavior with DDM (auto-update timing + manual-update gating)
Hi there, We’re testing Declarative Device Management (DDM) for VPP app management and followed the latest declaration template here: https://github.com/apple/device-management/blob/release/declarative/declarations/configurations/app.managed.yaml Our goal is to enable VPP auto-updates via the declaration. The payload we’re using looks like this: "AppStoreID": "1231325957", "InstallBehavior": "{\"Install\": \"Required\", \"License\": {\"Assignment\": \"Device\"}}", "UpdateBehavior": "{\"AutomaticAppUpdates\": \"AlwaysOn\"}" } What we’re seeing Device A (no Apple ID signed into App Store): User can manually update the VPP app with the above declaration in place. ( The same user cannot update the app if UpdateBehavior is not in the declaration payload. Device B (Apple ID signed into App Store, and the same Apple ID doesn't have the above app purchased): User cannot manually update the same VPP app. The App Store shows the error seen when UpdateBehavior is absent: “ cannot be updated because it was refunded or purchased with a different Apple Account.” Also, in this case, the user has no way to purchase the (free) app by their own as the app shows as owned/managed by MDM server. We have to remove the declaration, let the user purchase the same app, then re-deploy the declaration to allow the user to click that "Update" button when a new version for that app is available. Additionally, we’re unsure about the criteria/timing for automatic VPP app updates under DDM. After a new version became available, we waited several hours but the app did not auto-update. Repro summary App: VPP, device-assigned license Declaration: AutomaticAppUpdates = AlwaysOn, install required Device A: not signed into App Store → manual update allowed Device B: signed into App Store → manual update blocked with “refunded/different account” error Auto-update did not occur after waiting several hours post-release Any guidance, confirmation of expected behavior, or tips on additional logging we should collect (e.g., specific App Store / MDM / DDM logs and subsystems) would be greatly appreciated. If this is a known issue or requires a Feedback Assistant report, we’re happy to file one. Thanks,
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436
Oct ’25
[iOS 26.1 beta 2] allowCamera restriction not working properly on both supervised and BYOD devices
Details: Device: iPhone 12 Pro Max System: iOS 26.1 beta 2 Issue Description: When testing MDM device restriction capabilities on iOS 26.1 beta 2, I found that the allowCamera restriction does not work as expected. Observed Behavior: • On a BYOD device: When allowCamera is set to false, the Camera and FaceTime apps disappear from the Home Screen, as expected. However, third-party apps (such as WeChat) can still access the camera and take photos. • On earlier versions (e.g. iOS 26.0.1): Setting allowCamera to false correctly blocks all apps, including third-party apps, from accessing the camera. Initially, I assumed Apple might have changed this restriction behavior so that allowCamera only applies to supervised devices. However, after testing on supervised devices, I found that even there, when allowCamera is set to false, the Camera and FaceTime apps are hidden, but third-party apps can still use the camera. This indicates that the restriction is not functioning correctly in iOS 26.1 beta 2. Expectation: When allowCamera is set to false, all camera access — including third-party apps — should be blocked. Request: Could someone from Apple’s development or MDM team confirm whether this is an expected behavior change or a potential bug in iOS 26.1 beta 2?
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Nov ’25
Third party apps can not be restricted access to the camera in iOS 26.1
We use Device Management Profile to restrict all apps from using camera on unsupervised devices. It works fine until iOS 26.1 beta. In iOS 26.1, only the camera icon is removed from Home screen, the third party apps can still use camera. In our scenario, the camera of employees' iPhones are disabled when they enter the factory and are restored when they leave. According to the documentation, disabling camera on unsupervised devices is deprecated. But supervision is not feasible option because these iPhones are owned personally by employees. Is there any new solution for camera restriction on unsupervised devices? Thanks.
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1.2k
Oct ’25
ABM API Problems with C# and PEM file
I am needing to access the ABM API via C#. Searching has directed me to use BouncyCastle. I have downloaded the PEM file. However, using the following: using (var reader = File.OpenText(pemFilePath)) { var pemReader = new PemReader(reader); var keyObject = pemReader.ReadObject(); I get the error "problem creating EC private key: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
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Oct ’25
Delays in associating the serial of a device with an app in apple business manager
We are expering frequent delays recently when associating a device serial with the adamid of an app in our business manager account. I get an event id back when calling the /associate api but when i check the status of that event id is can be sat in a pending state for sometimes several hours. Need to understand why and if its a configuration issue
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272
Oct ’25
Incorrect MDM Command Structure in DeclarativeManagement Example
I'm writing to point out a potential structural error in an example of the DeclarativeManagement command. This could cause significant confusion for developers implementing the MDM protocol. The standard structure for a server-to-device MDM command requires CommandUUID and the Command dictionary to be siblings under the top-level dictionary. The CommandUUID serves as a top-level identifier for the entire command envelope. This is the correct, expected structure: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>RequestType</key> <string>DeclarativeManagement</string> </dict> </dict> <key>CommandUUID</key> <string>0001_DeclarativeManagement</string> </dict> </plist> This is an example of the incorrect structure I've seen: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>CommandUUID</key> <string>0001_DeclarativeManagement</string> <key>Command</key> <dict> <key>RequestType</key> <string>DeclarativeManagement</string> </dict> </dict> </dict> </plist>
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605
Oct ’25
Supervised Watch Erase All Content and Settings?
There is a longstanding restriction payload for supervised iOS devices that disables "Erase All Content and Settings." We have been experimenting with supervised watches paired with supervised phones that have that payload applied, and yet "Erase All Content and Settings" remains available on the watch. Is this: – a) An error with our payload? Should we be sending something else? – b) A bug in watchOS supervision? – c) A deliberate design choice? If so, what is the rationale for preventing organizations from maintaining this very basic level of control over devices they may be configuring and dispatching into the field?
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Oct ’25
Software Update Enforcement Specific
When using the SoftwareUpdateEnforcementSpecific to target an update to iPad OS 18.7.1, will the update be triggered to be downloaded immediately after the iPad has an active Internet connectivity? Or, if the SoftwareUpdateSettingsAutomaticActionsObject download string is set to AlwaysOff, will this mean that the update enforced will not start downloading automatically, but only when the user decides? I am trying to understand how these two can be combined together or if they work independently, as while trying to enforce a specific version, we need to eliminate the possibility to download an iPad OS version using cellular data, as our devices have an eSIM installed and the cost of using that for the iOS updates will be quite high. Maybe there is a setting to only allow the iOS updates to be downloaded via Wi-Fi. Thanks!
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Oct ’25
Problem applying screen changes (icon arrangement) in iOS 26 using Apple Configurator v2.18 on macOS Sequoia 15.6.1
I encounter a connection error with Apple Configurator v2.18 when, after making changes in macOS Sequel 15.6.1, I want to apply and transfer the changes to the iPhone icon layout in iOS 26: Apple Configurator v2.18 crashes and returns an error message: ‘Try the operation again. If it fails, quit the application, launch it again, and try again. [NSCocoaErrorDomain – 0x1001 (4097)]’ I have done some research, and it seems that this bug has been identified and fixed in Apple Configurator 2 v2.19 (Build 10434). Have you encountered this problem? Do you know where to find version v2.19? This fixed version does not appear to have been released yet, and Apple support has been unable to help me. Thank you all for your help.
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109
Oct ’25
Request for Update to ABM Device Management Profile Setting – iOS 26.x / iPhone 17 MDM Restore Loop
Dear Apple Developer Team, Following the rollout of iOS 26.x and the introduction of the iPhone 17, we have identified a critical issue affecting Mobile Device Management (MDM) enrolment and restore operations. The issue appears to stem from the Device Management Profile configuration 'do_not_use_profile_from_backup' within Apple Business Manager (ABM), which currently defaults to False. This setting should be modified to True to ensure proper functionality. When the profile remains set to False, organisations leveraging MDM encounter repeated failures during device backup and restore operations. Specifically, restoring a supervised or managed device triggers a persistent MDM registration loop, effectively preventing deployment of iPhone 17 devices in managed environments. We recommend that Apple review and adjust the default Device Management Profile property within ABM to address this issue and restore full MDM compatibility for iOS 26.x and later.
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469
Nov ’25
VPP License Management - How to Handle When [clientUserIdStr] is Not Included in the Response
We are managing VPP license switching operations using Apple's VPP Manage Licenses API. License information is managed by matching the “clientUserIdStr” data with the VPP account ID information managed on the server side. We received an inquiry stating that a VPP license did not activate despite the activation process being performed. Upon checking the API results, the update API returned a success status during execution. However, the “clientUserIdStr” information was missing from the license information field in the response of the information retrieval API. We kindly request your guidance on the reason why the “clientUserIdStr” information is missing when retrieving license information, and the steps to ensure this information is reliably returned. VPPAccoountId:0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef adamIdStr:521974902 *Some details have been altered from the actual data to protect personal information.
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315
Nov ’25
No prompt/notification on device when using ABM/ASM MDM migration deadline in iOS 26
I'm are attempting to use the device management migration feature in Apple Business Manager / Apple School Manager (for devices running iOS 26 / iPadOS 26) to re-assign managed devices from one MDM server to another. We followed the published procedure (select device(s) → Assign Device Management → Set deadline → Continue). However, we are observing that on the device side, no notification or prompt appears to the user (such as “Enrollment Required” or “Your organization requires this device to enroll in a different device management service”), even after the migration deadline has passed. Here are the environment details: Device OS version: (iOS 26.1) Device ownership: enrolled via Automated Device Enrollment MDM re-assignment in ABM: old MDM server(name: https://dev5.clomo.com/panel/mackey-dev/ ) → new MDM server (name: https://obliging-bunny-equally.ngrok-free.app/ ) Deadline set: (12/10/2025 12:00 AM) Network connectivity: confirmed online at deadline time We would like to know: Under what exact conditions will the device display the notification/prompt, and what common mis-configurations prevent it from appearing? Is there any device log or activity indicator in ABM/ASM to confirm that the migration instruction has been sent to the device? In cases where the prompt does not appear, what troubleshooting steps can we perform on the device (or in the MDM/ABM configuration) to correct it?
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127
Nov ’25
MDM - Command to identify Not now state
Hi Team, As per this documentation Handling NotNow Status Responses | Apple Developer Documentation, the last command that is delivered to the device on a connection should be the one that the device reported NotNow so that the device will automatically retry when it is ready to consume commands. Our question is it possible to have a fixed command which we can try at the end once all commands are tried and if device has reported NotNow for any of the commands. E.g. If there were 3 commands delivered to the device one by one SSO profile (com.apple.sso ) was delivered and device reported NotNow VPN profile (com.apple.vpn.managed) was delivered and the device reported NotNow DeviceInformation command was delivered and the device reported Acknowledged. As there were NotNow responses earlier, can we try a certificate profile(com.apple.security.pkcs1), with a dummy certificate payload, to ensure that the last command delivered to the device in this connection is responded with NotNow. Questions: Can we use a fixed command e.g. certificate profile(com.apple.security.pkcs1) as in above example to ensure the last command delivered to the device has NotNow response. Or is it better to try one of the commands which the device reported NotNow earlier. As in above example should we try the SSO or VPN profile at step 4 instead of the certificate profile? Following up to above, when a device reports NotNow for any profile installation command, can we say it will always report NotNow for certificate profile(com.apple.security.pkcs1) as well for all iOS and MacOS devices?
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294
Nov ’25