Opting for a mobile device management tool to manage company-owned Apple devices is essential for the IT teams to exercise comprehensive security and policy configuration. Deployed to employees, students, or as unattended kiosks, Apple devices can be effectively managed with the help of a strong MDM solution and a detailed iOS MDM profile or device policy to avoid misuse and unauthorized access.
iOS profiles and device management have to be in accordance with each other for the effective management of iPhones and iPads. An iOS MDM profile is a set of security policies curated by the company’s IT admins to secure devices. Using Scalefusion MDM, IT admins can create an extensive set of policies for company/school-owned iPads and iPhones before handing them over to the employees/students.
Scalefusion supports Apple DEP and Apple Business Manager for over-the air-enrollment. With Scalefusion, IT admins can create iOS profiles for devices and enforce these security policies on the devices even before they reach the end-user. Administrators can create multiple iOS profiles for various devices and gain granular control on iPhones and iPads used for work or education.
Once you have applied iOS device profiles on your managed devices, you can not only add a layer of security but also can customize the device UI with the branding of your company, push relevant content and apps, and also schedule jobs on the devices remotely.
Scalefusion iOS MDM Profile capabilities:
- Custom UI
With Scalefusion, you can customize the device screen layout and apply custom branding elements like home screen wallpaper, lock screen wallpaper, and company logo on the iPhones and iPads. You can also choose lock screen settings like touch-ID and notifications.
- Whitelisting/blacklisting websites and apps
Configure the websites and applications that you prefer to be accessed on the managed iPhones and iPads. You can block access to apps and websites by blacklisting them.
- Single App mode
If you are deploying iOS devices as kiosks or digital signage, you can configure the iOS MDM profile to run in single app mode. Support for single app mode is crucial for iPad device management in use-cases where iPads are deployed as digital signage or kiosk.
- Network configuration
To secure the devices, you can configure and push the WiFi and hotspot settings of the iOS MDM profile.
- Safari settings
To maintain user privacy on shared devices such as a Kiosk, you can configure the Safari settings like disallow autofill in forms and disallow popups.
- iCloud and Siri, App and OS updates
Allow or disallow Siri, configure iCloud storage and select Apple apps’ behavior on managed iPhones and iPads. You can also delay the OS updates for up to 90 days.
- Email and Exchange
Configure email and exchange settings and push them on the devices with the iOS profile.
Create iOS MDM profile on Scalefusion: Step-by-step:
Before you begin the process of creating an iOS profile it is recommended to supervise the iOS devices using Apple Business Manager/DEP. Apple supervision will enable you to have total control over the devices. Simultaneously, you need to initiate an Apple setup on your Scalefusion dashboard. This includes setting up APNs (Apple Push Notifications) certificates, adding the devices into DEP (Device Enrollment Program), and enabling VPP (Volume Purchase Program)
The next step is to create a brand identity for your iOS profiles. To do this, navigate to the branding section of the Device Management section. Add wallpaper and lock screen messages for your desired iOS profile.
Now, here’s how you can create an iOS MDM profile on Scalefusion for iOS device management:
- Navigate to Device Management section and choose the Device Profiles tab. Here, you can see all the previously created iOS device profiles for different operating systems. Click on the Create New Profile button on the top right corner.
2. Choose iOS in the OS selection and add a name to your iOS MDM profile. Click on submit
3. Whitelist or blacklist apps. Here, you can configure which apps are allowed on the devices configured with your iOS MDM profile. Alternatively, you can also select a few apps and blacklist them. Proceed by clicking on ‘next’.
4. Now select websites that you want to allow on devices. Choose if you want to have their shortcut on the device screen. Click on next.
5. Apply ‘branding’ to your iOS profile. You can select from the brands created in the Branding section.
6. In the next step, you can configure restrictions for the iOS MDM profile. These include single app mode, network settings, safari settings, iCloud and Siri Settings, Lock Screen Settings, App and OS updates, general settings, and email and exchange configuration.
7. Choose the desired settings for your iOS MDM profile and click on ‘create profile’.
Your profile will be created and can be applied to enrolled devices or device groups. Any changes made to the iOS device profile will be automatically reflected on the devices applied with this profile.
Scalefusion simplifies iOS device management with iOS device profile creation. Enroll your iOS devices in Scalefusion MDM and fine-tune your policy configuration on managed devices.
