I took notes during the "What's new in managing Apple Devices" session. If interested, please see the attached "Notes from session": Session Notes For the session video, please see the following link: https://developer.apple.com/wwdc22/10045

Dear Apple Team, As an MDM (Mobile Device Management) service provider, we are writing to bring attention to an issue that is affecting many of our customers who manage large fleets of iOS devices. Specifically, we have encountered challenges with the app update process via MDM, which is impacting both kiosk devices and non-kiosk devices in a variety of use cases. Issue 1: App Updates Delayed on Kiosk Devices Many of our customers are deploying kiosk devices that are used 24/7 independently with no attendants. In these cases, when an app update is sent through MDM via the installApplication command, the installation does not begin immediately. Instead, the update starts only after the device is locked. However, since these kiosk devices are running continuously, they are rarely locked, preventing the app update from occurring. To force the update, administrators need to manually remote lock or physically lock the device, which is a time-consuming process. This becomes even more challenging for devices like Apple TV, where remotely locking and unlocking the device to complete app updates is especially difficult, making it hard to keep the apps up to date in a timely manner. Issue 2: User Cancellations of Critical Updates on Non-Kiosk Devices In the case of non-kiosk devices, customers are encountering another challenge: when a critical update is pushed during business hours, users are often prompted to install the update. However, many users tend to cancel the update, leaving devices unpatched and potentially vulnerable. This behavior can delay the deployment of important security patches, which is a critical concern for organizations managing sensitive data or business-critical apps. Request for a Solution Our customers have expressed the need for a more reliable and forceful app update mechanism. Specifically, we are requesting the following features to improve the app update experience: Scheduled app updates: The ability to schedule app updates, similar to the way OS updates are handled. If the user does not install the update within a specified timeframe, the update should begin automatically or prompt the user with a stronger reminder. Force install option: A feature that would allow MDM administrators to force an app update immediately, without relying on user intervention. This would ensure that critical updates are installed promptly, improving security and system stability across all devices. These features are essential for many of our customers who rely on timely and consistent app updates to maintain security, functionality, and compliance across their managed devices. Without these options, they face challenges in ensuring devices are kept up-to-date, which can result in security vulnerabilities and operational disruptions. We kindly request that Apple consider adding these functionalities to improve the MDM app update process and provide a more reliable experience for both kiosk and non-kiosk device management. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your feedback and any potential improvements in future iOS updates. Raised in the same manner as feedback: FB15910292

Hi, I'm adding a Content Filtering (FilterDataProvider) on macOS to an existing app and using MDM to avoid user interaction. I start by pushing the following payloads to my machine: com.apple.system-extension-policy com.apple.webcontent-filter And then installing notarized pkg containing my app and the NE. Inspecting the system logs shows the following error: neagent Failed to find a com.apple.networkextension.filter-data extension inside of app com.company_name.app_name.daemon And calling submit(request: .activationRequest(forExtensionWithIdentifier: bundleId, queue: queue)) results in: Missing entitlement com.apple.developer.system-extension.install Installing from Xcode on a SIP disabled machine works fine and both NE and CF are working as expected. I followed the steps mentioned here https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/737894 however the embedded entitlements already contained -systemextension suffix so I'm not sure if re signing and the subsequent steps are needed. I also double checked that com.apple.developer.system-extension.install is present, certificates are not expired and that get-task-allow is not present in the embedded profile. Here is what my release entitlement file looks like: <?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>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.security.application-groups</key> <array> <string>com.company_name.app_name.network-extension.content-filter</string> </array> </dict> and my release app entitlement: <?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>com.apple.developer.endpoint-security.client</key> <true/> <key>com.apple.developer.networking.networkextension</key> <array> <string>content-filter-provider-systemextension</string> </array> <key>com.apple.developer.system-extension.install</key> <true/> </dict> </plist> redacted logs @eskimo may I ask for your help here!

Would it be possible to prevent deletion of specific apps on iOS devices using MDM.

I’m looking for advice on implementing an Active Supervision Mode for enhanced parental control. My goal is to restrict access to both iOS system apps and third-party applications to create a safer and more tailored digital experience for my child. Here’s what I’d like to achieve: App Restrictions: Block specific apps (both iOS and third-party) and allow access only to approved ones. Time Limits: Set daily usage limits for individual apps or app categories. Content Filtering: Apply restrictions to block inappropriate content and age-inappropriate apps. Remote Management: Manage these settings remotely from my device for added convenience. Activity Monitoring: View app usage stats or receive alerts for policy violations. I understand that Screen Time on iOS offers basic parental controls, but I’m exploring whether iOS supports more advanced capabilities natively or through additional configurations. I’ve also heard that enrolling a device in Apple Business Manager (ABM) and linking it to an MDM (Mobile Device Management) solution might provide greater control. If this is a viable solution, could anyone provide guidance on: Enrolling a personal or family-owned device into Apple Business Manager. Linking an MDM for configuring app restrictions and monitoring usage. Alternatively, if there are third-party parental control apps that work seamlessly with iOS to achieve these goals, I’d appreciate your recommendations! Thanks in advance for your insights!

I’m looking for advice on implementing an Active Supervision Mode for enhanced parental control. My goal is to restrict access to both iOS system apps and third-party applications to create a safer and more tailored digital experience for my child. Here’s what I’d like to achieve: App Restrictions: Block specific apps (both iOS and third-party) and allow access only to approved ones. Time Limits: Set daily usage limits for individual apps or app categories. Content Filtering: Apply restrictions to block inappropriate content and age-inappropriate apps. Remote Management: Manage these settings remotely from my device for added convenience. Activity Monitoring: View app usage stats or receive alerts for policy violations. I understand that Screen Time on iOS offers basic parental controls, but I’m exploring whether iOS supports more advanced capabilities natively or through additional configurations. I’ve also heard that enrolling a device in Apple Business Manager (ABM) and linking it to an MDM (Mobile Device Management) solution might provide greater control. If this is a viable solution, could anyone provide guidance on: Enrolling a personal or family-owned device into Apple Business Manager. Linking an MDM for configuring app restrictions and monitoring usage. Alternatively, if there are third-party parental control apps that work seamlessly with iOS to achieve these goals, I’d appreciate your recommendations! Thanks in advance for your insights!

Hi I have tried the code given on link https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appdistribution/fetching-and-displaying-managed-apps. This code is not compilable in Xcode 16.1. After some fixes i am able to run the code but i am getting Error registering for message: [App catalog changed]: An unspecified, unrecoverable error occurred. Kindly help me with this.

I would like to explore the option of restricting system prompts to share information with ChatGPT on my company's laptops. Is this possible, and if so, how can it be implemented? Should this be centralized, or should each user handle it individually?

On a supervised device running iOS 18 without any AirDrop restrictions applied, when a profile with allowListedAppBundleIDs restriction key is installed, the AirDrop sound plays. But still the accept prompt does not appear, making it impossible to accept files. The prompt works as expected on iOS 18 devices to which the allowListedAppBundleIDs restriction is not installed. This issue occurs only on supervised iOS 18 devices to which the allowListedAppBundleIDs restriction is being applied. Device must be in iOS 18 version > Install the (allowListedAppBundleIDs restriction) profile with the device > Try to AirDrop files to the managed device. The expected result is that the accept prompt must pop up but it does not appear. This issue is occurring irrespective of any Whitelisted bundle ID being added to the allowListedAppBundleIDs restriction profile. Have attached a few Whitelisted bundle ID here com.talentlms.talentlms.ios.beta, com.maxaccel.safetrack, com.manageengine.mdm.iosagent, com.apple.weather, com.apple.mobilenotes, gov.dot.phmsa.erg2, com.apple.calculator, com.manageengine.mdm.iosagent, com.apple.webapp, com.apple.CoreCDPUI.localSecretPrompt etc. Have raised a Feedback request (FB15709399) with sysdiagnose logs and a short video on the issue.

Sometime since July 2024 the list of devices in our Enterprise Account is showing the same device and UDID 6 times. Looking at the DATE REGISTERED field it is apparent that each instance of the device represents the 'old' device that should have been 'deleted' when the annual device reset was actioned. The date registered field shows dates with 2019, 2020, 2021, and so till 2024 (most recent). I have 'disabled' two of the entries to see what happens, and those instances were disabled as expected without impacting the other instances. However, when attempting a re-enable of them, an error throws saying that they cant be enabled because that UDID already exists - obviously the other instances. For now, I have left 4 active duplicates in place, and the 2 disabled ones as they are, and plan to deal with this again - if it re-occurs in 2025. It does not seem to have impacted provisioing profiles - so will leave well enough alone. I am sure if I disable all of them, I will not be able to re-enabled any of them. Is this a know issue? Is this the best strategy? - ie, wait till device reset next year and hope issue is resolved. This post had similar issue, in 2023, but no response Forum Post 733264

I'm developing an ACME server to issue identity certificates to macOS/iOS devices for MDM attestation, following RFC 8555. Per RFC, the client creates an order, performs authorization, verifies the challenge, and finalizes the order by submitting a CSR to the CA. In my setup, the CA sometimes takes longer to issue the certificate (around 50 seconds). According to RFC 8555, if certificate issuance isn’t complete after the /finalize call, the server should respond with an "order" object with a "processing" status. The client should then send a POST-as-GET request to the order resource (e.g., /order/<order_id>) to check the current state. If the CA still hasn’t issued the certificate, the server should return the order object with the same "processing" status and include a "Retry-After" header, indicating when the client should retry. The client is expected to poll the order resource at this specified interval with POST-as-GET requests. However, it seems the Apple ACME client ignores the "Retry-After" header and instead returns the error: "Profile failed - Order status is processing, not yet valid" immediately upon the first poll response with "processing." Apple ACME client deviating from the RFC documentation. Has anyone found a reliable solution to this issue? Or does Apple supports asynchronous order finalization? Ref -https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8555#:~:text=A%20request%20to%20finalize%20an%20order%20will%20result%20in%20error,to%20the%20%22certificate%22%20field%20of%20the%20order.%20%20Download%20the%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20certificate. To work around this, I’m holding the /finalize call until the CA issues the certificate. This works when issuance is quick (under 20 seconds), but if it takes more than that , the client times out. Interestingly, the Apple ACME client’s timeout appears shorter than the usual 60-second URLSession default.

I'm reaching out to discuss a significant issue related to how iOS handles app login sessions, particularly in the context of MDM (Mobile Device Management) and the Outlook app. In our organization, we use MDM to distribute applications, including Outlook, with certificate-based authentication for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) devices. This setup allows users to log in seamlessly to their accounts. However, we've encountered a concerning behavior: when a user unenrolls from MDM, which automatically removes the distributed apps and certificates, they can later reinstall the app from the App Store and find themselves automatically logged back into their previous accounts without any authentication prompts. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the situation: Initial Installation: Users enroll their devices in MDM, which installs the necessary apps and certificates on those devices. Session Storage: After the initial login, the app stores the session locally on the device. App Deletion: When users un enroll their devices from MDM, it automatically removes the distributed apps and certificates. Reinstallation: Days or weeks later, when they reinstall the Outlook app from the App Store, they find themselves automatically logged back into their accounts. This behavior raises important concerns: Lack of Authentication: The app retaining user sessions even after deletion allows users to access their accounts without re-authentication, which could lead to potential unauthorized access and undermines the effectiveness of certificate-based authentication and two-factor authentication (2FA). Note: This issue is not limited to Outlook; we've observed similar behavior with many other apps. Need for a Solution - Given the implications of this behavior, we are looking for effective solutions to prevent it. Specifically, we need options within the MDM framework to: Restrict Session Retention: Implement settings that ensure any app deleted via MDM will lose all stored sessions and require re-authentication upon reinstallation. Default Settings for MDM-Distributed Apps: Ideally, this would be a default feature for all apps distributed through MDM, ensuring that user sessions are not retained after app deletion. Has anyone else experienced this issue? Are there any existing settings or workarounds within MDM platforms to mitigate this problem? Your insights and experiences would be invaluable as we navigate this challenge. Thank you!

There could be a case where-in multiple transparent proxies might exist in the system (for ex., Cisco AnyConnect, GlobalProtect, etc). We want to know if there is a way to order transparent proxies so that the desired transparent proxy gets the request first. During our research, we found a resource which talks about ordering transparent proxies through MDM. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/devicemanagement/vpn/transparentproxy Using this reference, we tried to create a profile and push it through JAMF. Below is the profile that we created and pushed with JAMF. Property List - &lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?&gt; &lt;!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"&gt; &lt;plist version="1.0"&gt; &lt;dict&gt; &lt;key&gt;TransparentProxy&lt;/key&gt; &lt;array&gt; &lt;dict&gt; &lt;key&gt;ProviderBundleIdentifier&lt;/key&gt; &lt;string&gt;com.paloaltonetworks.GlobalProtect.client.extension&lt;/string&gt; &lt;key&gt;Order&lt;/key&gt; &lt;string&gt;1&lt;/string&gt; &lt;/dict&gt; &lt;dict&gt; &lt;key&gt;ProviderBundleIdentifier&lt;/key&gt; &lt;string&gt;com.cisco.anyconnect.macos.acsockext&lt;/string&gt; &lt;key&gt;Order&lt;/key&gt; &lt;string&gt;2&lt;/string&gt; &lt;/dict&gt; &lt;dict&gt; &lt;key&gt;ProviderBundleIdentifier&lt;/key&gt; &lt;string&gt;com.mydomain.transparentproxy&lt;/string&gt; &lt;key&gt;Order&lt;/key&gt; &lt;string&gt;3&lt;/string&gt; &lt;/dict&gt; &lt;/array&gt; We are not sure if this is the right way to create the profile, though JAMF is not throwing any error while pushing this profile. We see this profile on the local machine as "/Library/Managed Preferences/com.apple.networking.vpn-transparent-list.plist". Is there a way to know if the profile took effect and the order of transparent proxies has changed. Thanks in advance.

I was able to setup a release test for an iOS app for distribution using a web server. It works perfectly fine for all the devices I registered for the deployment profile. However every time I try to distribute a Unity based Vision Pro application using the same process for building the package and set up for distribution it does not work. Safari only shows a message telling me: "Cannot connect to ." When trying to install the iOS app from the same server it shows the message "Do you want to install ?" and installation completes correctly. My iOS is a simple hello world app generated by Xcode. My Unity app is an AR app targeting com.apple.platform.xros. According to documentation there should not be any difference in deployment profiles/signing for iOS apps vs. visionOS apps. What am I doing wrong? Any hint is appreciated how to continue.

Since this file is protected by SIP, it can't just be changed by an installer/app without prompting the user. If the user chooses to deny the request, the sudo file won't be updated with a security critical pam module. I need to insert our custom pam module into /etc/pam.d/sudo without the user being able to deny the operation.

When the user pushed the lock device action on a macOS 14, it returned an acknowledgement but the device wasn't locked. Which resulted in loss of data on the device.

I'm developing an ACME server to issue identity certificates to macOS/iOS devices for MDM attestation, following RFC 8555. Per RFC, the client creates an order, performs authorization, verifies the challenge, and finalizes the order by submitting a CSR to the CA. In my setup, the CA sometimes takes longer to issue the certificate (around 50 seconds). According to RFC 8555, if certificate issuance isn’t complete after the /finalize call, the server should respond with an "order" object with a "processing" status. The client should then send a POST-as-GET request to the order resource (e.g., /order/<order_id>) to check the current state. If the CA still hasn’t issued the certificate, the server should return the order object with the same "processing" status and include a "Retry-After" header, indicating when the client should retry. The client is expected to poll the order resource at this specified interval with POST-as-GET requests. However, it seems the Apple ACME client ignores the "Retry-After" header and instead returns the error: "Profile failed - Order status is processing, not yet valid" immediately upon the first poll response with "processing." Apple ACME client deviating from the RFC documentation. Has anyone found a reliable solution to this issue? Ref -https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8555#:~:text=A%20request%20to%20finalize%20an%20order%20will%20result%20in%20error,to%20the%20%22certificate%22%20field%20of%20the%20order.%20%20Download%20the%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20certificate. To work around this, I’m holding the /finalize call until the CA issues the certificate. This works when issuance is quick (under 20 seconds), but if it takes more than that , the client times out. Interestingly, the Apple ACME client’s timeout appears shorter than the usual 60-second URLSession default.

We have network system extension which is fundamental part of our application and needs to be installed before the application can run. In many cases we need the installation to be automated, i.e. without logged-in user (with the help of MDM solution like JAMF). Is there a way to activate the extension fully automated without logged-in users? I tried to call 'open -W -a /Application/' from the package's post install script. But seems launch fails if no user is logged in.

Hello, I am writing a NetworkExtension VPN using custom protocol and our client would like to able to use 5G network slice on the VPN, is this possible at all? From Apple's documentation, I found the following statement: If both network slicing and VPN are configured for an app or device, the VPN connection takes precedence over the network slice, rendering the network slice unused. Is it possible to assign a network slice on a NetworkExtension-based VPN and let the VPN traffic uses the assign network slice? Many thanks

Hi, I have a question regarding reading the configuration of a managed app deployed via an MDM system. The application has an Action Extension and can receive shared files via this extension. The problem I am facing is that I can read the managed configuration in the host app by accessing the UserDefaults.standard.object(forKey: "com.apple.configuration.managed") dictionary. With this, I can configure the host app. However, I am unable to read this configuration key in the Action Extension part of the application. My question is whether there is any possibility to read the managed configuration even in the extension. So far, I have been unable to figure out how to read it. I found the sample code, but it was not very helpful since it is very basic and does not deal with extensions at all. Any hints are appreciated.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/deployment/dep6fa9dd532/web dangles a carrot about being able to facilitate "A list of domains that the Shared iPad sign-in screen displays. The user can pick a domain from the list to complete their Managed Apple ID." - this sounds ideal! In the absence of this seemingly being supported by Apple Configurator or iMazing Profile Editor at the time of writing, I have tried to create my own but I fall foul of knowing what PayloadIdentifier or PayloadType to use? This is the draft/work in progress/doomed to failure config so far (which doesn't - as expected - work): <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd"> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>HasRemovalPasscode</key> <false/> <key>PayloadContent</key> <array> <dict> <key>PayloadDescription</key> <string>Configures Managed Domains</string> <key>PayloadDisplayName</key> <string>Domains</string> <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> <string>com.apple.domains.DE12211A-CFDD-4F8C-8D7B-72E569CE3B6C</string> <key>PayloadType</key> <string>com.apple.domains</string> <key>PayloadUUID</key> <string>DE12211A-CFDD-4F8C-8D7B-72E569CE3B6C</string> <key>PayloadVersion</key> <integer>1</integer> <key>WebDomains</key> <array> <string>domain.com</string> </array> </dict> </array> <key>PayloadDescription</key> <string>For Shared iPad login convenience</string> <key>PayloadDisplayName</key> <string>DefaultDomain</string> <key>PayloadIdentifier</key> <string>Tom.77CF3CA5-4A48-41DD-9179-EF6F4C5E786E</string> <key>PayloadRemovalDisallowed</key> <true/> <key>PayloadType</key> <string>Configuration</string> <key>PayloadUUID</key> <string>A5594F17-155B-4A1C-8696-3F502D118C37</string> <key>PayloadVersion</key> <integer>1</integer> </dict> </plist> The support article is probably ~2-year old information so I'd have thought that by now that this would be documented somewhere - am I just not looking hard enough?