One of the primary use cases for Apple Configurator 1 and Apple Configurator 2 is to get apps on devices. Even with MDM, you can use Apple Configurator 2 for app deployment. The value here might be that you end up transferring 10 gigs of apps over a USB cable, rather than over the air in larger deployments. Here, we’ll look at a basic app deployment using Apple Configurator 2. To get started, first download the app and get it in iTunes. This can be accomplished by copying the .ipa file for an app onto a device, or syncing an iOS device with iTunes that has the app installed. Take care that…
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Disable iOS Initial Device Activation Options Using Apple Configurator 2
One of the things that Apple Configurator 2, or an MDM solution, can do to make large-scale iOS deployments easier is to disable some of the screens displayed to users during the initial setup of an iOS device. This is critical when trying to get to a zero-touch deployment. On a DEP-based device, most of these steps would be disabled by your MDM solution. However, on a non-DEP-based device, these options would be disabled on the iOS device directly. To disable the initial configuration screens during activation on an iPhone or iPad and therefore require less steps during the setup of devices, first plug a device into Apple Configurator. Then, right-click…
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Rename An iOS Device Using Apple Configurator
Apple Configurator 2 can rename iOS devices. To use Apple Configurator to rename a device, first plug it into a Mac running Apple Configurator 2. From Apple Configurator, right-click on the device and choose Device Name… from the Modify menu. At the “Rename device” screen, enter a new name for the device and click on Rename. Alternatively, you can use the (+) menu to choose variables to use during the renaming process. Here, you can choose to base a name on a Serial number, the Number, the device Type, or the Capacity of the device. Once you enter new information, click the Rename button to change the name of the device.
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Copy Big Update Files Between Apple Configurator 2 Machines
One of the things that is awesome and sometimes frustrating about Apple Configurator is that when you do certain tasks, you end up updating the OS on devices. The reason this is awesome is that it allows you to centralize operations. The reason this can be frustrating is that if you’re on a limited bandwidth connection, you may find that you can’t do very basic tasks before downloading a large OS update. And if you’ve got a bunch of Apple Configurator workstations, and you are running a training session, this can get infinitely more annoying. In these types of lab environments, you’re in luck. If you have an ipsw (the iOS…
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Set Device Wallpaper Using Apple Configurator 2 On Supervised Devices
You can set a wallpaper on both the home screen and lock screen of a supervised iOS device. As mentioned, the device will need to be supervised. Supervision can be implemented via Apple’s Device Enrollment Program (DEP for short), but DEP will require MDM to implement supervision, and with a device enrolled and supervised via MDM, you’ll need to use the MDM to set the wallpaper. You can also use Apple Configurator 2. To use Apple Configurator 2 to set a wallpaper on a supervised iPhone or iPad, first save the image or images lo call on an iOS device. Once saved to the Apple Configurator machine, open Apple Configurator 2…
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Enable Device Supervision On iOS Devices Using Apple Configurator 2
When a DEP device is setup, the device is supervised. By supervising a device, in Apple wisdom, ownership by the organization is proven and so additional options for limiting what a device can do. For example, supervised iOS devices that are enrolled in an MDM solution by a DEP portal cannot then be unenrolled. Supervision also allows an MDM to escrow a key that can be used to unlock a device locked by Activation Lock. And there are plenty of restrictions and other management options that Apple makes available on a device owned by an organization rather than an individual. It’s understandable given the massive consumer market served and the desire to preserve…
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Automate MDM Enrollment Using Apple Configurator 2
I’ve written a number of articles on automating MDM enrollments using Apple Configurator in the past. In Apple Configurator 2, there are some new options that make the process much easier than it’s ever been in the past. To get started, let’s open Apple Configurator 2 and click on a Blueprint we’d like to apply to devices being prepared during a mass iPad or iPhone enrollment through Apple Configurator. Control-click on the Blueprint to set up for automated enrollment and click on the Prepare button. At the Organization screen, select the organization you’d like to enroll your device in and click on the Next button. At the Server screen, select…
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Install Apple Configurator 2
Apple Configurator 2 is a great tool to manage iOS devices. It’s also a pretty decent tool when you need to create profiles for use on Macs. Apple Configurator is easily installed using the Mac App Store. This involves a number of tasks: Restore: Restore an operating system to an iOS device Duplicate: Similar to imaging (but not), restore various options on a device so it is similar to a previous device. There are limitations to this feature as any data stored in the secure enclave will not be duplicated Application Assignment: Install apps on devices with or without an MDM solution to manage the devices Supervise: Enable supervised mode on…
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Restrict Access To Sites On iOS Devices Using Apple Configurator 2
One of the more common requests we get for iOS devices is to restrict what sites on the web that a device can access. This can be done in a number of ways. One is using the content filter option in Apple Configurator 2. The second is using a Global HTTP Proxy. We’ll cover both here, using custom profiles. Both require the device be Supervised. Use the Content Filter To enable the Content Filter, open Apple Configurator and click on the New menu. From there, click on Content Filter in the sidebar. You have three ways you can use the Content Filter. These include: Built-in: Limit Adult Content: A basic profile that…
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Migrate Settings From Apple Configurator 1 to Apple Configurator 2
The first time you open Apple Configurator 2, if you’ve been using Apple Configurator 1, your settings will be upgraded from the old sqlite3 database in Apple Configurator 1 into the Apple Configurator 2 decentralized file structure. To get started, first backup your computer. I’d recommend a clone as with certs and profiles and databases and all that fun stuff. Once you have a solid backup, open the new Apple Configurator 2 app and then click on the Next button at the Introduction screen. At the Library Migration screen, select each of the types of data that you’d like to migrate and click on the Next button. At the Device Backups screen, you will…