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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ABM token can not work if it is downloaded from an existing ABM Device Management Service
Hi Dear Apple experts, I am hitting a problem (observed from Apr-15, maybe earlier) for renewing ABM/DEP token from my MDM server. My renewal steps: Download public key from my MDM server Upload the public key to the ABM Device Management server instance in ABM portal, and download a new token Upload the new token to my MDM server The problem here is at step-2: If upload the public key to an existing ABM Device Management server instance in ABM portal, then the generated token will be rejected by my MDM server with error "Could not find recipient info"; However, if upload the public key to a newly created ABM Device Management server instance, then everything is good. So, looks to me, it is the token issue when renewing an existing ABM MDM instance. Could you please help take a look? Thanks, Wei
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Replacing a passcode profile with a passcode declaration on macOS requires a passcode change
We've put in a feedback assistant request, but not sure if we will get feedback in that channel or not and also want to highlight for others. When replacing a basic passcode profile on a macOS device with a passcode declaration, the user is required to change the password after logging out and back in. Explicitly including the "ChangeAtNextAuth" key set equal to false, set required a password change after logging out and back in. Once the declaration is active and the password has been changed, future updates to the passcode declaration do not require a password change unless the existing password is not compliant. Steps to reproduce: Install a basic passcode profile on a macOS device Ensure the existing password matches the requirements specified in the profile Install a passcode declaration with the same settings as the passcode profile currently installed Remove the traditional passcode profile from the device After the passcode declaration is installed, check the local pwpolicy with the command pwpolicy getaccountpolicies and look for the key policyAttributePasswordRequiredTime Log out of the macOS device Log back into the macOS device and you are presented with a change password prompt Expected result: Simply replacing an existing passcode profile with the exact same settings in a passcode declaration should not require a password change if the existing password is compliant. Actual results: After replacing the passcode profile with a passcode declaration, a password change was required even though the existing password was compliant. Initial testing was done with a macOS VM running 15.5. Additional testing has now been done with a macOS VM running 26.4.1 and the same behavior was observed.
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pwpolicy -clearaccountpolicies and DDM Passcode Policies
If I have a macOS devices enrolled in MDM, with a DDM policy defined to deliver passcode settings to the device I can run: sudo pwpolicy -getaccountpolicies to see the configuration on the device. I can subsequently run: sudo pwpolicy -clearaccountpolicies Then all passcode policies applied in my declarations are cleared from the device allowing the user to set and use any password they want with no bearing on the delivered passcode settings. I have left my macOS devices for days on and off network and the pwpolicy data never returns. The passcode settings do not restore on the device until I do one of the following: manually re-push all declarations from MDM log off and log back on reboot the computer It was my understanding that DDM was meant to assess device state and self heal on its own without requiring an MDM service to re-push any commands. Based on this finding this seems broken or I may misunderstand how DDM is supposed to work. macOS version: 26.4.1
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Bypass stolen device security delay for BYOD device enrolment into an MDM (MicroMDM) solution.
Hi, Is there any possible Apple approved way or workaround if we can bypass the stolen device protection delay of 1 hour when a user try to install our MDM server's enrolment profile on unknown location? I do not want managed apple account solution. I need solution for BYOD devices not for company owned. Thank you, Software Engineer - iOS
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MCRestrictionsPayload (allowListedAppBundleIDs) breaks Apple Watch native app enumeration — `nanotimekitcompaniond` reports "Missing .app from directory: /Watch/"
forum-post-v2-evidence.log MCRestrictionsPayload (allowListedAppBundleIDs) breaks Apple Watch app enumeration — nanotimekitcompaniond reports "Missing .app from directory: /Watch/" Summary Installing a Configuration Profile with com.apple.applicationaccess payload containing allowListedAppBundleIDs causes native Apple Watch apps to disappear from the paired Watch — even when their bundle IDs are explicitly in the whitelist. Log analysis shows this is not a bundle ID matching problem: nanotimekitcompaniond on the iPhone fails to enumerate the <companion>.app/Watch/ subdirectories where native watchOS app stubs live. Follow-up to https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/745585 — community-confirmed but received no official response. Environment iPhone 16 (iPhone17,3), iOS 26.4.2 (23E261), supervised Apple Watch paired via Bridge.app Profile installed locally via Apple Configurator (no MDM server required) Smoking gun Within ~5 seconds of profile install, two processes (nanotimekitcompaniond and NTKFaceSnapshotService) log identical errors for eight companion-app paths: nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: file:///Applications/MobilePhone.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../Calculator.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../Bridge.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../MobileTimer.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../Camera.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../VoiceMemos.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../MobileMail.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../FindMy.app/Watch/ NTKFaceSnapshotService[3758] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: <same 8 paths> The Watch's app icons and face complications both go through these processes, which explains the symptoms users see. iOS itself flags the payload as Watch-incompatible — but applies it anyway profiled[179] <Notice>: Payload class MCRestrictionsPayload (com.apple.applicationaccess) is not supported on any Watch version profiled[179] <Notice>: Payload class MCRestrictionsPayload (com.apple.applicationaccess) is not available on HomePod profiled[179] <Notice>: Beginning profile installation... profiled[179] <Notice>: Profile "...v2..." installed. So profiled knows the payload doesn't target watchOS — yet its side effects clearly manifest there. Tests performed Test Bundle IDs in whitelist Result v1 249 (every installed iOS app: Apple + 3rd party) Walkie-Talkie, Messages, Find My + more disappear from Watch v2 295 (v1 + every Apple extension/Nano* daemon seen in syslog: *.MessagesActionExtension, *.FindMyNotifications*Extension, *.FindMyWidget*, com.apple.NanoBackup, com.apple.NanoMusicSync, com.apple.NanoPreferencesSync, com.apple.NanoTimeKit.face, com.apple.NanoUniverse.AegirProxyApp, com.apple.tursd, com.apple.FaceTime.FTConversationService, com.apple.Bridge.GreenfieldThumbnailExtension, etc.) Identical Missing-.app errors. Same apps disappear. Conclusion: this is not a bundle ID matching issue — adding more IDs doesn't help. The system fails to enumerate <companion-iOS-app>.app/Watch/ regardless of whitelist contents. Many users in my prior thread reported trying 100+ bundle ID combinations without success; this evidence explains why. Reproduction (no MDM required) Pair Apple Watch with iPhone normally. Generate a Configuration Profile with com.apple.applicationaccess + any non-empty allowListedAppBundleIDs array. Install via Apple Configurator's cfgutil install-profile, or AirDrop + Settings → Install. Within ~5 s, nanotimekitcompaniond errors appear (visible via idevicesyslog). Native Watch apps backed by an iOS companion stub disappear from the Watch's app grid and from face complications. Hypothesis MCRestrictionsPayload applies an enumeration filter that does not descend into .app/Watch/ subdirectories when computing visible apps. nanotimekitcompaniond consequently sees those directories as missing, the Watch's Carousel (SpringBoard equivalent) hides the apps, and NTKFaceSnapshotService can't load corresponding complications. Because profiled itself logs the payload as "not supported on any Watch version", this appears to be unintended bleed-through. Questions for Apple Is MCRestrictionsPayload / allowListedAppBundleIDs officially supposed to affect Apple Watch apps? profiled says no. Is there an undocumented bundle ID pattern (e.g. <companion>.watchapp, or a Bridge.app/Watch/ prefix) that needs whitelisting to keep native Watch apps visible? Is the recommended workaround to use blacklistedAppBundleIDs instead? Should the enumeration error (Missing .app from directory: .../Watch/) be tracked as a separate watchOS framework bug? Artifacts Curated evidence log with timestamps, profile installer events, and the eight Missing-.app errors is attached as forum-post-v2-evidence.log. Full idevicesyslog captures (multiple install/remove cycles, ~2M log lines) and the .mobileconfig files are available on request. Thanks — looking forward to guidance.
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Does Enterprise Program Expiration Impact an Existing APNs Certificate for MDM?
Hi, I have a question regarding the relationship between the Apple Developer Enterprise Program membership and an existing APNs certificate used for MDM. Current Situation We are operating an MDM server. We have already obtained a valid APNs certificate via the Apple Push Certificates Portal. Our Apple Developer Enterprise Program membership is about to expire. The only asset we have in the Enterprise account is the MDM CSR used during the APNs certificate issuance process. Question If the Apple Developer Enterprise Program Membership expires: Will the existing APNs certificate remain valid until its expiration date? Or will it become invalid immediately due to the account expiration? Thank you.
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ABM token can not work if it is downloaded from an existing ABM Device Management Service
Hi Dear Apple experts, I am hitting a problem (observed from Apr-15, maybe earlier) for renewing ABM/DEP token from my MDM server. My renewal steps: Download public key from my MDM server Upload the public key to the ABM Device Management server instance in ABM portal, and download a new token Upload the new token to my MDM server The problem here is at step-2: If upload the public key to an existing ABM Device Management server instance in ABM portal, then the generated token will be rejected by my MDM server with error "Could not find recipient info"; However, if upload the public key to a newly created ABM Device Management server instance, then everything is good. So, looks to me, it is the token issue when renewing an existing ABM MDM instance. Could you please help take a look? Thanks, Wei
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0
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0
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616
Activity
3w
Replacing a passcode profile with a passcode declaration on macOS requires a passcode change
We've put in a feedback assistant request, but not sure if we will get feedback in that channel or not and also want to highlight for others. When replacing a basic passcode profile on a macOS device with a passcode declaration, the user is required to change the password after logging out and back in. Explicitly including the "ChangeAtNextAuth" key set equal to false, set required a password change after logging out and back in. Once the declaration is active and the password has been changed, future updates to the passcode declaration do not require a password change unless the existing password is not compliant. Steps to reproduce: Install a basic passcode profile on a macOS device Ensure the existing password matches the requirements specified in the profile Install a passcode declaration with the same settings as the passcode profile currently installed Remove the traditional passcode profile from the device After the passcode declaration is installed, check the local pwpolicy with the command pwpolicy getaccountpolicies and look for the key policyAttributePasswordRequiredTime Log out of the macOS device Log back into the macOS device and you are presented with a change password prompt Expected result: Simply replacing an existing passcode profile with the exact same settings in a passcode declaration should not require a password change if the existing password is compliant. Actual results: After replacing the passcode profile with a passcode declaration, a password change was required even though the existing password was compliant. Initial testing was done with a macOS VM running 15.5. Additional testing has now been done with a macOS VM running 26.4.1 and the same behavior was observed.
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2d
pwpolicy -clearaccountpolicies and DDM Passcode Policies
If I have a macOS devices enrolled in MDM, with a DDM policy defined to deliver passcode settings to the device I can run: sudo pwpolicy -getaccountpolicies to see the configuration on the device. I can subsequently run: sudo pwpolicy -clearaccountpolicies Then all passcode policies applied in my declarations are cleared from the device allowing the user to set and use any password they want with no bearing on the delivered passcode settings. I have left my macOS devices for days on and off network and the pwpolicy data never returns. The passcode settings do not restore on the device until I do one of the following: manually re-push all declarations from MDM log off and log back on reboot the computer It was my understanding that DDM was meant to assess device state and self heal on its own without requiring an MDM service to re-push any commands. Based on this finding this seems broken or I may misunderstand how DDM is supposed to work. macOS version: 26.4.1
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0
Views
1.1k
Activity
2w
Bypass stolen device security delay for BYOD device enrolment into an MDM (MicroMDM) solution.
Hi, Is there any possible Apple approved way or workaround if we can bypass the stolen device protection delay of 1 hour when a user try to install our MDM server's enrolment profile on unknown location? I do not want managed apple account solution. I need solution for BYOD devices not for company owned. Thank you, Software Engineer - iOS
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Views
593
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6d
Can an MDM capability iOS app enrol a device using user authentication enrolment using OAuth2 without managed Apple ID?
Hi, Is there any possible way we can install enrolment provisioning profile using iOS app using User/Account Authentication Enrolment such as described in this thread: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/implementing-the-oauth2-authentication-user-enrollment-flow
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1
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638
Activity
6d
MCRestrictionsPayload (allowListedAppBundleIDs) breaks Apple Watch native app enumeration — `nanotimekitcompaniond` reports "Missing .app from directory: /Watch/"
forum-post-v2-evidence.log MCRestrictionsPayload (allowListedAppBundleIDs) breaks Apple Watch app enumeration — nanotimekitcompaniond reports "Missing .app from directory: /Watch/" Summary Installing a Configuration Profile with com.apple.applicationaccess payload containing allowListedAppBundleIDs causes native Apple Watch apps to disappear from the paired Watch — even when their bundle IDs are explicitly in the whitelist. Log analysis shows this is not a bundle ID matching problem: nanotimekitcompaniond on the iPhone fails to enumerate the <companion>.app/Watch/ subdirectories where native watchOS app stubs live. Follow-up to https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/745585 — community-confirmed but received no official response. Environment iPhone 16 (iPhone17,3), iOS 26.4.2 (23E261), supervised Apple Watch paired via Bridge.app Profile installed locally via Apple Configurator (no MDM server required) Smoking gun Within ~5 seconds of profile install, two processes (nanotimekitcompaniond and NTKFaceSnapshotService) log identical errors for eight companion-app paths: nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: file:///Applications/MobilePhone.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../Calculator.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../Bridge.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../MobileTimer.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../Camera.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../VoiceMemos.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../MobileMail.app/Watch/ nanotimekitcompaniond[1498] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: .../FindMy.app/Watch/ NTKFaceSnapshotService[3758] <Error>: Missing .app from directory: <same 8 paths> The Watch's app icons and face complications both go through these processes, which explains the symptoms users see. iOS itself flags the payload as Watch-incompatible — but applies it anyway profiled[179] <Notice>: Payload class MCRestrictionsPayload (com.apple.applicationaccess) is not supported on any Watch version profiled[179] <Notice>: Payload class MCRestrictionsPayload (com.apple.applicationaccess) is not available on HomePod profiled[179] <Notice>: Beginning profile installation... profiled[179] <Notice>: Profile "...v2..." installed. So profiled knows the payload doesn't target watchOS — yet its side effects clearly manifest there. Tests performed Test Bundle IDs in whitelist Result v1 249 (every installed iOS app: Apple + 3rd party) Walkie-Talkie, Messages, Find My + more disappear from Watch v2 295 (v1 + every Apple extension/Nano* daemon seen in syslog: *.MessagesActionExtension, *.FindMyNotifications*Extension, *.FindMyWidget*, com.apple.NanoBackup, com.apple.NanoMusicSync, com.apple.NanoPreferencesSync, com.apple.NanoTimeKit.face, com.apple.NanoUniverse.AegirProxyApp, com.apple.tursd, com.apple.FaceTime.FTConversationService, com.apple.Bridge.GreenfieldThumbnailExtension, etc.) Identical Missing-.app errors. Same apps disappear. Conclusion: this is not a bundle ID matching issue — adding more IDs doesn't help. The system fails to enumerate <companion-iOS-app>.app/Watch/ regardless of whitelist contents. Many users in my prior thread reported trying 100+ bundle ID combinations without success; this evidence explains why. Reproduction (no MDM required) Pair Apple Watch with iPhone normally. Generate a Configuration Profile with com.apple.applicationaccess + any non-empty allowListedAppBundleIDs array. Install via Apple Configurator's cfgutil install-profile, or AirDrop + Settings → Install. Within ~5 s, nanotimekitcompaniond errors appear (visible via idevicesyslog). Native Watch apps backed by an iOS companion stub disappear from the Watch's app grid and from face complications. Hypothesis MCRestrictionsPayload applies an enumeration filter that does not descend into .app/Watch/ subdirectories when computing visible apps. nanotimekitcompaniond consequently sees those directories as missing, the Watch's Carousel (SpringBoard equivalent) hides the apps, and NTKFaceSnapshotService can't load corresponding complications. Because profiled itself logs the payload as "not supported on any Watch version", this appears to be unintended bleed-through. Questions for Apple Is MCRestrictionsPayload / allowListedAppBundleIDs officially supposed to affect Apple Watch apps? profiled says no. Is there an undocumented bundle ID pattern (e.g. <companion>.watchapp, or a Bridge.app/Watch/ prefix) that needs whitelisting to keep native Watch apps visible? Is the recommended workaround to use blacklistedAppBundleIDs instead? Should the enumeration error (Missing .app from directory: .../Watch/) be tracked as a separate watchOS framework bug? Artifacts Curated evidence log with timestamps, profile installer events, and the eight Missing-.app errors is attached as forum-post-v2-evidence.log. Full idevicesyslog captures (multiple install/remove cycles, ~2M log lines) and the .mobileconfig files are available on request. Thanks — looking forward to guidance.
Replies
2
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0
Views
129
Activity
21h
Does Enterprise Program Expiration Impact an Existing APNs Certificate for MDM?
Hi, I have a question regarding the relationship between the Apple Developer Enterprise Program membership and an existing APNs certificate used for MDM. Current Situation We are operating an MDM server. We have already obtained a valid APNs certificate via the Apple Push Certificates Portal. Our Apple Developer Enterprise Program membership is about to expire. The only asset we have in the Enterprise account is the MDM CSR used during the APNs certificate issuance process. Question If the Apple Developer Enterprise Program Membership expires: Will the existing APNs certificate remain valid until its expiration date? Or will it become invalid immediately due to the account expiration? Thank you.
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1
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40
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5h