Add Profile

What

Apple profiles let you control settings, features, and restrictions for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS devices.

When/Why

Use profiles for initial setup, requested restrictions, and ongoing configuration changes. Common examples include Wi-Fi settings, camera restrictions, wallpaper settings, certificates, privacy controls, and other managed-device behavior.

How

Select the plus () in the top right to open the profile editor for a new profile.

Basic Profile Properties

Every configuration profile needs a few basic properties before it can be saved. At minimum, set a profile name and add at least one payload category.

How

The three most common elements to set, or change from the default value, are highlighted below:

In order, those elements are:

• Name: Must be unique, should be descriptive, and cannot be left blank.
• Security: Specifies when this profile can be removed by the user.
• Installation scope: Defines whether the profile installs for the system or for the user of the device.

The highlighted warning in the screenshot is a reminder that the profile must contain at least one payload category before it can be saved.

Navigating an Apple Profile

Configuration profiles are straightforward, but finding the right setting can take a minute. Use the platform, OS version, and search filters in the profile editor to narrow the list of available payload items.

How

For example, assume you want to set the wallpaper for an iOS device. Start by choosing the platform in the upper left:

Once the platform is set, the list of profile categories becomes smaller. If you know a setting is tied to a specific OS version, you can also use the version filter, though most profile builds do not need it.

With the platform filter in place, search for wallpaper to narrow the payload list further. The matching payload names are highlighted in the editor:

Setting Profile Payloads

The purpose of a configuration profile is to change endpoint configuration. The exact settings, and how they behave, depend on the payload you choose.

Profile work usually falls into two categories:

• Settings you have already built and tested before.
• New settings you have not worked with yet.

The first category is usually routine. For example, if you have already created Wi-Fi profiles for 41 locations, building the 42nd profile should be familiar.

For new settings, use both testing and documentation:

1. Experiment and test on a device you can inspect directly.
2. Use Apple's current device-management documentation:
   • Intro to device management profiles
   • Intro to device management payloads
3. For third-party payloads or settings, use the vendor's documentation.

FileWave, like other MDM providers, exposes settings defined by Apple or the relevant vendor. Those references are the authoritative source for what a payload key means and which OS versions support it.

How

Defining every MDM payload is outside the scope of this Knowledge Base, but these practices will keep profile work safer:

• Build profiles, especially restrictions, as small and focused as possible. Avoid mixing unrelated settings in one profile when you can.
  • This makes exceptions easier later because you do not have to split a large mixed profile apart.
• Test, test, and then test again against a device you control.
• Never create and deploy a profile directly to production without testing.
• Be especially careful when editing profiles that are already assigned, particularly Wi-Fi profiles or anything else where a mistake could disconnect devices or break management.

Here is a simple example that sets a wallpaper and prevents it from being changed. Notice that it uses two related payloads: