Enrolment methods for Apple devices
There are three main methods of device enrolment into mobile device management (MDM) solutions. One of those methods — Device Enrolment — has two different ways for a user to enrol: account-driven; profile-based. When you enrol Apple devices into an MDM solution, depending on the enrolment method, those devices can be supervised. Supervision generally denotes that the device is owned by the organisation, which provides additional control over its configuration and restrictions. The table below summarises the enrolment methods and whether they result in the device being supervised. For more information on supervision, see About Apple device supervision.
Enrolment method | Minimum supported operating system versions | Supervised upon MDM enrolment? |
|---|---|---|
iOS 15 iPadOS 15 macOS 14 visionOS 1.1 | No | |
iOS 17 iPadOS 17 macOS 14 visionOS 1.1 | No (iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro) Yes (Mac) | |
iOS 4 iPadOS 13.1 OS X 10.7 tvOS 9 visionOS 1.1 | No (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro) Yes (Mac) | |
iOS 13 iPadOS 13.1 macOS 10.14.4 tvOS 13 watchOS 10 visionOS 1.1 | Yes |
Note: Not all enrolment options are available in all MDM solutions. To learn which MDM enrolment options are available for your devices, consult your MDM vendor’s documentation.
How enrolment methods help to protect the user’s privacy
The table below shows what information and capabilities are available to an MDM solution depending on the enrolment method. For more information on additional data separation capabilities supported by account-driven enrolment methods, see Account-driven enrolment methods.
Depending on the method used to enrol the device into an MDM solution, information about the user, their data and the device vary. Account-driven User Enrolment and account-driven Device Enrolment provide the user with the most privacy and data separation. Profile-based Device Enrolment and Automated Device Enrolment provide IT administrators the most control over the device.
Note: The table below illustrates key differences of enrolment methods but isn’t a fully comprehensive list.
MDM ability | Account-driven User Enrolment | Account-driven Device Enrolment | Profile-based Device Enrolment | Automated Device Enrolment |
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Enforceable restrictions | Unsupervised only | Unsupervised only | All | |
Require passcode |
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Remotely erase managed data |
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Configure per-app VPN |
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Install and configure Managed Apps |
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Query the operating system version number |
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Query unique device identifiers like serial number |
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Query the device’s time zone |
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Query the device phone number |
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Query the roaming status |
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Query list of all apps |
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Configure VPN |
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Remotely erase all content and settings |
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Require complex passcode or password |
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Enforce software updates |
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Enforce and manage FileVault |
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Set the device name in macOS |
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Manage Activation Lock in macOS |
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Take over management of a personal app |
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Manage Activation Lock in iOS, iPadOS and visionOS |
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Configure Always On VPN |
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Configure a global HTTP proxy |
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Set the device name in iOS, iPadOS and visionOS |
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Turn on Managed Lost Mode |
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Query the device location |
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Collect frequency of app usage |
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View personal calendars, contacts, mail, notes, reminders |
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View iMessage or SMS messages |
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View FaceTime or phone call logs |
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View Safari browser history |
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