Hello world! First post here. Developing my first app. It primarily targets supervised and MDM managed devices. A few questions: For supervised devices, is serial number available? I want to get the number and use it for app auto activation Is MDM required for supervised devices? Or, as long as a device is enrolled through Apple Business Manager? Which capacity shall I request for the app? Thanks so much!

Hello, this may not be the correct place to ask this question so I apologize in advance if this is the case. I am currently running into two specifc issues while continuing to implement the app.managed configuration which are quite frustrating and I will detail them below Unlike MDM where an application could be "reinstalled", by sending an install application command down for the same app DM does not have a similar mechanism which causes some issues as (while inconsistent) devices do not always respect the configuration sent down, and will not begin downloading VPP applications. They can be seen in the configuration when checking under VPN & Device Management but they do not return on a status report, alternatively and app will "install" but will have a cloud symbol next to it requiring a download (which I believe would be impossible on supervised devices without apple accounts/have restricted apple accounts associated to them). These apps are also reported incorrectly, as they return a managed response while being inaccessible. Both of these issues are solved by removing and reinstall applications (occasionally). Is there any easier way to trigger a re-install or is this the only way to trigger this? The Version element that can be optionally sent down does not seem to work (or if it does, does so inconsistently). A device will very happily download the application initially with the version element present, though when we detect an updated external ID from the VPP program and send down an updated configuration devices behave unexpectedly. Some have ignored it, some have responded back that a download has begun (with no download taking place and the application clearly still being the initial installed version as can be see in the apps page) or it just works, but there is not consistency. I realize a new UpdateBehavior object has been added to possibly handle this, but it is only supported in iOS 26 and above and there are plenty of people who do not have phones that can upgrade that far. Are there alternative ways to enforce an application update other than uninstalling and reinstalling the application without the version (or will sending down a config without a version after one was originally pinned force it to update to latest?) Kind Regards

Hi guys, I need to configure a VPN to work only for specific apps. I already have a supervised iPhone, and I’ve successfully configured the VPN, but right now it applies to the whole phone. I need it to work just for some apps. I tried using both Apple Configurator and iMazing, but I can’t find this option there.

Hello ! Currently, we have customers who use about 5,000 devices. In the case of ios26, the phone number is not acquired overall, and 18.x, 17.x, and 16.x are all acquired in half and not acquired in half. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/deviceinformationcommand/command-data.dictionary/queries-data.dictionary It seems that it is the right behavior not to acquire it on the specification sheet. However, I wonder when it became impossible to acquire. (There are devices that can be acquired and devices that can't be acquired in the same os version.) Will the devices that are being acquired be blocked someday? When it was developed in 2019, it was in a state that could be acquired in full. I would also like to ask if there is an alternative way to get your phone number. Thank you.

On iOS 26, if in "Single App Mode", the device gets stuck on the lock screen. Devices are configured in SAM (kiosk mode), without a PIN requirement. Since updating to iPadOS 26, every single device that locks (goes to sleep) becomes completely unresponsive at the lock screen. Touch input does not work. The only way to regain access is to reboot the device, which will boot to the SAM app, but then lock again if it goes to sleep. Related discussion in the public forums.

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,

After applying the MDM camera restriction on iOS 26.1 beta 2, the camera availability status is reported incorrectly. After applying the MDM camera restriction [UIImagePickerController isSourceTypeAvailable:UIImagePickerControllerSourceTypeCamera] return YES

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?

Target Device: iPhone 13, iOS 18.5, enroll to MDM by enrollment profile Command: Response: Anyone could help?

In iOS 26.1 beta 4, under MDM restrictions that disable the camera via a configuration profile, the Camera and FaceTime apps are hidden as expected. However, other third-party apps can still access and use the camera function normally. This is unreasonable.

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!

Hi, I found In-App purchase feature is restricted even with User-based VPP. I understand Device-based VPP does not accept In-App purchase, however User-based VPP accept In-App purchase. (It works on iOS 15 device actually.) When I tried subscribe ChatGPT on iOS 26 device using User-based VPP, an error dialog is shown that explains In-App purchase is not allowed. sysdiagnose shows logs belog: 情報 2025-10-26 23:58:22.350841 -0700 storekitd [Client] (ChatGPT) Initializing client デフォルト 2025-10-26 23:58:22.353982 -0700 storekitd [Client] (ChatGPT) Initialized with server Production bundle ID com.openai.chat and request bundle ID com.openai.chat] デフォルト 2025-10-26 23:58:22.354020 -0700 storekitd [CanMakePayments] In-app purchase disabled because app com.openai.chat has MID based SINF In iOS 15 device, no storekitd logs are found and appstored and several processes seem to handle In-App purchase. Does In-App purchase no longer work with User-based VPP? Thank you.

We are implementing the Return to Service (RTS) with App Preservation flow. During testing, we were able to successfully fetch the Bootstrap Token as part of the ADE enrollment process. However, when attempting to initiate the Return to Service command with App Preservation enabled, the following error was returned: [ { "ErrorCode": 12089, "ErrorDomain": "MDMErrorDomain", "LocalizedDescription": "Could not erase device.", "USEnglishDescription": "Could not erase device." }, { "ErrorCode": 66002, "ErrorDomain": "MDMBootstrapTokenErrorDomain", "LocalizedDescription": "Failed to generate LAContext for bootstrap token", "USEnglishDescription": "Failed to generate LAContext for bootstrap token" } ] Below is the sample request (with dummy data). The actual request contained valid values in all fields: <?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>RequestType</key> <string>EraseDevice</string> <key>ReturnToService</key> <dict> <key>Enabled</key> <true /> <key>WiFiProfileData</key> <data>WiFiProfileData</data> <key>BootstrapToken</key> <data>BootstrapTokenValue</data> <key>MDMProfileData</key> <data>MDM Profile Data</data> </dict> </dict> <key>CommandUUID</key> <string>3670</string> </dict> </plist>

Hello Apple Developer Community, I am implementing the "Return to Service" feature with app preservation in our MDM solution (iOS 26+). My goal is to use the EraseDeviceCommand to securely erase user data while preserving managed apps, and then have the device automatically re-enroll without user interaction. What I am doing: The device is supervised and successfully enrolled in Automated Device Enrollment (ADE). The device has generated and escrowed a bootstrap token to our MDM server (SetBootstrapToken received). I am sending the EraseDeviceCommand to the device via MDM with the necessary parameters for Return to Service with app preservation. The command payload includes: Enabled: true The previously escrowed BootstrapToken (as Base64 data). WiFiProfileData (as Base64 data) to ensure connectivity post-erase. Example Payload Structure (Simplified): <key>ReturnToService</key> <dict> <key>Enabled</key> <true/> <key>BootstrapToken</key> <data>YOUR_BASE64_TOKEN</data> <key>WiFiProfileData</key> <data>YOUR_BASE64_WIFI_PROFILE</data> </dict> The observed behavior: The erase command is successful. The device performs the secure user data erase. Crucially, the managed applications are preserved and automatically installed again after the reboot (confirming app preservation is working). The device connects to the Wi-Fi network successfully. The issue: I am not seeing the GetBootstrapToken request from the device hit our MDM server's check-in URL during the post-erase setup assistant phase. The re-enrollment seems to complete, but this specific request is missing from our server logs. My questions: Is the GetBootstrapToken request an explicit check-in message type, or is it an implicit part of the general CheckIn process during ADE re-enrollment when the token is used? If the device successfully re-enrolls and preserves apps, is the explicit GetBootstrapToken request still expected? Or does the token included in the EraseDeviceCommand payload satisfy all authentication needs for this workflow? What specific conditions or capabilities on the MDM server side might prevent the device from sending this specific request, even if the overall process succeeds? Any insights from Apple engineers or other developers who have successfully implemented this flow would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello, I am building a Content Filter app for iOS and would like to get access to some information about network connections that are happening on the device. I managed to have the handle(_ report: NEFilterReport) method of my NEFilterControlProvider called, but the bytesOutboundCount and bytesInboundCount properties of the report are always 0. How can I have the real byte count of the connection ?

I recently reviewed the device management restrictions page of the developer docs (https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/restrictions) and noticed that several items are now marked "In a future release, this restriction will begin requiring supervision." Some of these changes are likely to have a dramatic impact on our app and business! So my question is threefold: a) where can I find out or request more information about the planned changes (e.g. timeline would be especially helpful)? b) why are these changes being implemented at all? c) to whom / where can I protest these changes (aside from this forum and feedback assistant)?

For additional security we would like to avoid keeping generated certificates (their private keys) on our server after installing them on a device, but still be able to reference them in later installed configuration profiles via MDM. However, it seems that for a configuration profile's payload to use a certificate (e.g. VPN payload), the certificate payload must be present in the same profile. Are we missing anything, perhaps it's already possible somehow? Ideal workflow for us would be: our MDM server generates a certificate (private+public keys) for a given device our MDM server sends this certificate to the device as configuration profile and saves PayloadUUID of the certificate's payload our MDM server deletes the generated private key from its storage. At this point the private key is present only on the device. at some point in the future our MDM server sends a configuration profile that references the certificate from step 2 via the saved PayloadUUID (e.g. using key PayloadCertificateUUID in a VPN payload) Current result: device responds to MDM server with error "The profile “VPN” could not be installed. Certificates needed for the VPN service “VPN” are invalid." Desired result: device is able to find the previously installed certificate via its PayloadUUID. Alternatively, it could be certificate fingerprint or something similar. One more alternative could be to replace steps 1-3 by an app on the device that obtains a certificate (in any way), installs it to device as a configuration profile, passes the certificate's PayloadUUID to our MDM server and then doing step 4.

Hi everyone, I submitted this feature request through Apple’s Feedback Assistant and wanted to share it here, because many families run into the same issue and Apple prioritizes features based on the number of reports they receive. Current limitation: Screen Time only allows one single Downtime period per day for child accounts. For families with separate school hours and bedtime, this is very impractical. My real-world use case: • Downtime 1: 08:00–13:00 (school) • Downtime 2: 20:00–06:00 (bedtime) Both serve completely different purposes, but are not possible to combine with the current system. My suggestions to Apple: Support multiple Downtime periods per day for child accounts. Allow custom exceptions per Downtime block (e.g., allow Phone app). Provide more flexibility overall for families using Screen Time. If you would benefit from this too, it would be great if you could submit the same request via the Feedback app – the more reports Apple receives, the higher the chance for implementation. My Feedback ID: FB21265678 Thank you! 🙏 Hallo zusammen, ich habe über die Feedback-App einen Vorschlag an Apple eingereicht und wollte ihn hier teilen, weil viele Familien dasselbe Problem haben und Apple mehr Rückmeldungen braucht, um das Thema zu priorisieren. Aktuelles Problem: In Bildschirmzeit kann für Kinder aktuell nur eine einzige Auszeit pro Tag eingerichtet werden. Für Familien mit getrennten Schul- und Schlafenszeiten ist das extrem unpraktisch. Mein Anwendungsfall: • Auszeit 1: 08:00–13:00 (Schule) • Auszeit 2: 20:00–06:00 (Schlafenszeit) Beides erfüllt unterschiedliche Zwecke, ist aber nicht kombinierbar. Mein Vorschlag an Apple: Mehrere Auszeiten pro Tag für Kinderaccounts. Pro Auszeit eigene Ausnahmen festlegen (z. B. Telefon erlauben). Allgemein mehr Flexibilität im Screen-Time-System für Familien. Wenn ihr das ebenfalls hilfreich findet, wäre es super, wenn ihr es auch über die Feedback-App meldet – je mehr, desto besser. Feedback-ID meines Vorschlags: FB21265678 Danke euch! 🙏

Hi, everyone! Is there any way to change ACL of existing Private key in system keychain using MDM? We would like to add the binary or .app to access list of the key. I tried to send script via MDM which imported/exported our certificate with private key with required ACL. But can we change it without import/export?

Hi,team: I have configured SystemExtensions and WebContentFilter for supervised devices through mdm, and set NonRemovableFromUISystemExtensions in SystemExtensions, but found that my network filter cannot be deleted in macOS10, macOS11 and macOS12, but it can still be turned off by selecting the network filter in the network and choosing to disable the service. However, it cannot be turned off in macOS13, macOS14 and macOS15. How can I prevent supervised devices from turning off the network filter in 10, 11 and 12? The macOS 10.15.7 image is as follows: macOS15.1.1 cannot delete and cannot close the image as follows: Hope to receive your reply！