Supervision gives your organization more control over iPhones, iPads, and AppleTVs, allowing restrictions such as disabling AirDrop or Screentime or placing the device in Single App Mode, which is great for making Video Conferencing Kiosks. It also provides additional device configurations and features that increase your organization's security posture, like enforcing web proxy configurations or blocking unenrollment from MDM.
Using Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager, you can wirelessly enable supervision on a device as part of the setup process when purchased by Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller using Automated Device Enrollment.
However, if you have a device not in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager, you can also manually enable supervision using and Apple Configurator 2 using the instructions below. For an overview of all supported Apple Configurator workflows, please view the following: Overview: Apple Configurator 2
Note: the last step of the instructions below will require the iPhone or iPad to be erased.
Note: this article only involves enrolling devices into Supervision Manually. The device will not be added to Apple Business Manager and will not be enrolled via Automated Device Enrollment. Adding a device to Apple Business/School Manager is not a necessity, but if you would like to add a device to your Apple Business/School Manager account, please use the following guide:
Add devices from Apple Configurator to Apple Business Manager (via Apple)
- Download Apple Configurator
- Configure a WiFi Profile:
- Open Apple Configurator and click File > New Profile
- Select "WiFi" from the list on the left-hand side
- Configure the settings of the relevant WiFi Network
- Name your WiFi profile and save it
- Connect your iPhone or iPad device to your Mac
- Select the device in Apple Configurator and click Prepare.
- Select Manual Configuration. Since the device is only being placed into Supervised Mode, it does not need to be added to Apple Business/School Manager.
- Choose an MDM server to manage the devices remotely over the air, if desired. Steps to create an MDM Server for your Addigy environment: Create a Server for Apple Configurator 2
- Choose the organization which will be used to supervise the devices. Settings >> General >> About will display the organization's contact information, which cannot be changed without erasing the devices.
- Sign in to Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager
- Create an organization with contact information
- Generate or choose a supervision identity.
- Configure iOs Setup Assistant by choosing which steps will be presented to the user in the Setup Assistant.
- You will be asked to wipe the device