iPad Capabilities With MDM
An iPad set up through Apple Business and an MDM is supervised: the MDM can control the device itself, not just the apps on it. To set one up, see Apple iPad Provisioning with MDM.
What signageOS gains
| Capability | How |
|---|---|
| Silent installation and updates of the app, without an Apple Account | Apps and Books device licences |
| Zero-touch verification into your Organization | organizationUid in the managed app configuration |
| Device name in Box on verification | deviceName in the managed app configuration |
| Serial number in Box | serialNumber in the managed app configuration |
| Same device in Box after the iPad is erased | deviceUid in the managed app configuration |
| signageOS stays on the screen and opens again after a restart, a power loss or a crash | Single App Mode (App Lock) profile |
| The app locks the iPad by itself when it starts | Autonomous Single App Mode allowed in a restrictions profile |
| Matching MDM records with Box devices | The app reports its deviceUid and version as managed app feedback |
What your MDM can do on the iPads
You run these actions from your MDM, not from Box. Supervised iPads accept all of them. The last column shows which ones also work on an iPad that is enrolled but not supervised.
| Capability | MDM feature | Without supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Install, update and remove apps | Managed apps with Apps and Books licences | yes, after someone accepts a prompt on the iPad |
| Configure the signageOS app | Managed app configuration | yes |
| Lock the iPad to signageOS | Single App Mode (App Lock profile) | no |
| Restart or shut down the iPad | Restart and Shut Down commands | no |
| Set the time zone | Settings command | no |
| Rename the iPad | Settings command | no |
| Update iPadOS to a version you choose, by a deadline | Software update enforcement (declarative device management) | no |
| Defer iPadOS updates | Software update settings | no |
| Join Wi-Fi without a tap on site | Wi-Fi profile | yes |
| Install certificates and VPN configurations | Configuration profiles | yes |
| Set a proxy for the whole iPad | Global HTTP proxy profile | no |
| Block features such as AirDrop, Control Center, notifications or the App Store | Restrictions and Notifications profiles | mostly no |
| Set the wallpaper and the Home Screen layout | Settings command and Home Screen Layout profile | no |
| Read the inventory: serial number, model, iPadOS version, storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth MAC addresses | Device information queries | yes |
| Lock, erase or locate a lost iPad | Lock, Erase and Lost Mode commands | lock and erase only |
The details depend on your MDM and the iPadOS version. Apple lists every payload and command in the Apple Platform Deployment guide.
What an MDM can't do
- Grant the location or camera permission in advance: someone taps Allow on the iPad once
- Capture video in screenshots
- Give apps the iPad's MAC address or serial number directly; signageOS gets the serial number only from the managed app configuration
- Let the app leave Single App Mode by itself: to get back to the Home Screen, remove the profile in your MDM
The limits that apply to every iPad, with or without an MDM, are listed in iPad Limitations Without MDM.