Apple MDM Enrolment Methods
Description
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Enrolling Apple devices involves the installation of an MDM Enrolment Profile.
Installation may be initiated by either the user or the device. This same distinction also applies to the linking of the enrolment. |
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Initiating Enrolment
This refers to the driving force of enrolment.
Consider Automated Device Enrolment (ADE), delivering the Profile before authentication (if configured). This is an example of profile-based enrolment.
Account-driven enrolment relies on the authentication of a user in advance.
User vs Device Enrolment
Automated Device Enrolment links enrolment with the identity of the device; providing the maximum management options available. The extreme opposite is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) enrolment. This is an example of the user's identity linking enrolment and provides the minimum amount of control.
User enrolment cryptographically separates organisational data from user data and limits many features of MDM. Further details explained in Apple's KB:
Overview
Therefore, the key methods of enrolment can be categorised as:
- profile-based device enrolment
- account-driven device enrolment
- profile-based user enrolment
- account-driven user enrolment
Enrolment Methods
Automated Device Enrolment
On startup, the device reaches out to Apple and, where associated, the Enrolment Profile is delivered to the device and installed. The user is then prompted for authentication (if not configured for no authentication).
OTA Enrolment
This enrolment type potentially has two offerings:
- User authenticates to download the Enrolment Profile and then instals the Profile manually.
- An Enrolment Profile is provided to the user, for example by email, and the user manually instals the Profile.
BYOD
BYOD also could be described with two possible options:
- Enrolment Profile is downloaded and then the user authenticates (deprecated, see below note)
- User authenticates in Settings and then approves the subsequently downloaded Profile.
Deprecation
Although definitions exist for all enrolment methods above, as of iOS18 and macOS15 Apple will no longer support profile-based user enrolment. This impacts the first described BYOD enrolment method, meaning BYOD with personal devices must action account-driven user enrolment.
Account-Driven User Enrolment
Although these are personal devices, this enrolment method requires the user to add credentials into Settings which must be a Managed Apple ID. Federated Authentication links a supported IdP with Apple, matching Managed Apples IDs with IdP usernames and passwords.
Initial support for Account-driven user enrolment is currently targeted for FileWave 15.5. Confirmation of inclusion should be available closer to release.
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