Home Screen Layout for iOS and iPadOS

About

Tailoring the end user device experience can be critical to great user experience, it can also be key a use case of a iOS/iPadOS device in a single workflow. Allowing the end user to pick up a device and just run with it for the task at hand with all the applications on device in the same constant location on screen for maximum efficiency. Home Screen Layout allows for just that, and is controlled by an MDM configuration deployed from a device's MDM policy.

Requirements

• Devices
  • iOS 14.0+
    • Device under Supervision
  • iPadOS 14.0+
    • Device under Supervision
      • Except for Shared iPads
• App Store Apps
  • Requires VPP token with apps in policy
• Web Clips
  • Requires existing profile for Web Clip assigned to policy
    

Device Layout icon grid dimensions

• • iOS and iPad maximum amount of pages allowed
    • 10 pages
  • iPhone:
    • At most 4 icons and or folders in the Dock
    • Allowed Apps per folder: 3 x 3 grid with a 15 page maximum
  • iPad:
    • At most 10 icons and or folders in the Dock
    • Allowed Apps per folder: 4 x 4 grid with a 15 page maximum

Considerations

• • 1 Home Screen Layout per device
    • iOS and iPadOS can only accept 1 Home Screen Layout at any given time
    • Addigy will deploy the Home Screen Layout that exists closest to the device. If there is a parent policy with a Home Screen Layout and the child lacks a Home Screen Layout then the parent layout will be deployed, but if the child policy has a Home Screen Layout that would be deployed vs. the parent policy.
  • If an application listed in a Home Screen Layout is NOT deployed to the target device that icon will be skipped in the Home Screen Layout and iOS and iPadOS may backfill that with the next application in line.
  • Default OS applications will still show on the home screen.
    • Note: If you want to fully hide an App icon, that can be done with a Restrictions MDM Profile. Using Restrictions > Apps (tab) > iOS and tvOS (section) > Block Listed Apps (key) an app or apps can be set to NOT show on screen. For more on this in the Restrictions payload Apple docs (search "blockedAppBundleIDs" to see the key value itself and description).
      • At this time there is no other hide management for iOS and iPadOS or as part of the Home Screen Payload itself.
    • Widgets are not manageable or configurable from Home Screen Layout
      • This is a limitation of iOS and iPadOS at this time

Building and deploying configuration

1. Navigate to your policy that contains the devices that are going to have the Home Screen Layout deployed to.
2. Select Assets > Home Screen Layout
3. On the Home Screen Layout page a representation of the iOS or iPadOS device will be shown on the left hand side of the window, and the App and Web Clip gallery will be on the right and side.
   
   
4. At the top of the window you will see the filters applied as well as the filter tool where you can add or remove more filters. These filters will allow for you to pair down the gallery to find what you are looking for. There is also a search bar to look for a specific app or Web Clip if needed.
   
   
5. On the left of the Home Screen Layout window you will see a toggle to change from an iPhone or iPad layout that will be applied to the policy. There is also a function to create a folder as part of your Home Screen Layout.
   
   
6. When the New Folder is made on the layout it will show as a blank folder with a name prompt. You can then edit that name and fill it with any app or Web Clip needed. When complete simply click the X in the upper right to close the new folder changes out.
   
7. If you need additional pages in your folder use the lower left and right arrow (left to add more) to navigate pages in the folder.
   
8. In the same line of thought if you need a lot of full pages of apps they can be added and removed with the bottom # based buttons under the device representation window.
   
9. When done with building your layout click Save and Deploy