Automated Device Enrollment

Apple's Automated Device Enrollment, also known as zero-touch enrollment, lets you automate and simplify the initial device setup process by enrolling and configuring a device when the user turns it on. Automated enrollment is possible if your customer has an Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager account, and the devices are new purchases or if they are existing devices that have been wiped.

To set up Automated Device Enrollment for a customer:

  1. Add an ABM server token
  2. Assign devices to your DMA MDM Server

Apple School Manager functions the same as Apple Business Manager when interacting with Device Management for Apple. You can use the tasks in this section for Apple School Manager.

You cannot move devices between Sites if an Apple Business Manager account is present.

Benefits of using Automated Device Enrollment

If your customer has an Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager account, the following benefits are possible when you help them configure their ABM account to use Device Management for Apple as their MDM server:

  • New device purchases made by the customer are assigned to the customer's ABM account (existing devices can be wiped and also assigned to the ABM account).
  • When new devices power on and activate with Apple, the devices automatically enroll in Device Management for Apple and display in N-central. For an example, see Example: Automatic device enrollment using ABM.
  • If the new device is a macOS device, the latest Mac Agent installs on it and the device registers with N-central.

    In some instances, the Mac Agent install can take up to 20 minutes to install on the device.

  • All the configuration profiles, which enable Device Management for Apple to work without prompting the end user for permission, install on the device.
  • End users cannot remove the MDM profile to unenroll the device.

When to use automatic enrollment?

You determine for each customer whether to enroll their macOS and iOS devices manually or automatically in Device Management for Apple. We recommend automatic enrollment in the following situations:

  • The customer already has an Apple Business Manager account.
  • Most, or all, of the customer Apple devices are new.
  • When a device is company owned and you must prevent the end user from unenrolling it from management.

Next Steps

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Updated: Sep 10, 2024