iOS FAQs

This article explores various FAQs for iOS device management.

In this article: 

• General 
• Provisioning 
• Android and iOS Differences
• Apps
• Kiosk Mode and iOS Devices
• Other iOS Device Feature Availability 
• DEP Sync

General

Which iOS devices does Esper support? 

Esper supports iOS devices (iPhones® and iPads®). We support a minimum iOS version of 11, but some features may require later versions. 
Esper does not support MacOS, watchOS, tvOS, or visionOS.

Will iOS be available for the Templates experience? 

iOS will only be available for the Blueprints experience, specifically Blueprints 2.0. 

Can iOS devices and Android devices be in the same blueprint? What about groups?

Android and iOS devices can coexist in the same blueprint and be present in the same groups. Some settings and actions will be exclusive to Android or iOS devices.

Can I add a passcode to my devices? 
Passcodes interfere with our device management, so we recommend not adding a passcode. You can clear the passcode from the console if one was applied accidentally. Go to Devices & Groups, click on the device, go to its Settings, and select Clear Passcode.
Certain passcode configurations can also reset devices or erase device data which may lead to unexpected behavior. 

I can't see the Devices & Groups alias names column anymore. 

We've updated this section, so you shouldn't run into this issue any longer. 

You can also enable alias names (and other columns) in Devices & Groups > Views > Customize List view. You may need to press Default to refresh the list. 

Provisioning

Does my iOS device require a factory reset before it can be added to Esper?

Yes, a device needs a factory reset. In some iOS settings, this is called "erase all content and settings". 

How do I provision an iOS device? 

You can provision an iOS device using either of these methods: 

• Apple Business Manager 
• Direct Profile via Apple Configurator 
• Apple Business Manager via Apple Configurator

If someone incorrectly chooses “unsupervised” within their Apple configurator, how does one change that setting back to “supervised”?
You’ll need to supervise a device with Apple Configurator. After factory resetting the device and connecting it to your computer, open the Apple Configurator app and go through the steps in Prepare Device. Then select Supervise Device. 

See Provisioning with Direct Profile for more information. 

Android and iOS Differences

What are the differences between Android and iOS? How might an Android feature work differently from an iOS feature? 

In this table, we show the difference in behavior between Android and iOS for blueprint settings. To see a full list of Android blueprint settings, see Creating a Blueprint. 

This table shows the differences and similarities between iOS and Android Quick Actions.

This table shows other feature-by-feature comparisons. 

Are there any special behaviors that affect Android devices differently than iOS devices? 

A few behaviors are specific to iOS devices: 

• Clear Passcode 

A device cannot be provisioned, or receive a converge command if it has a passcode. To remove a passcode, turn off the passcode in the device by going to Settings > Face ID (or Touch ID) & Passcode > Turn Passcode Off or click on Clear Passcode in Quick Actions.

• Install App

There is option to pause the download on a VPP app installation manually on the device. We recommend not pausing the download.

• Missing unlock_token field error

If you see this error in your device's event feed, it means it had errors during the supervise process. Try supervising the device again. See iOS Onboarding with Direct Profile (QR Code) for more information. 

• Duplicate SSIDs or Wi-Fi names

If you have iOS devices with two Wi-Fi access points that have identical names but different passwords, the device will try to connect to the former Wi-Fi access point. This happens if you try to update the Wi-Fi configuration in a blueprint. This may cause connection issues or failures, so we suggest using unique names for your Wi-Fi access points.

Are there any plans to make more features available for iOS devices? 

Yes. Follow our release notes for the latest developments or submit a feature request.

Apps

Can I remove pre-installed applications from iOS devices?

Preinstalled apps cannot be removed from iOS devices. However, we do change the app's state to hidden so that they do not appear on the device.

I want to use in-house applications. Which app deployment method should I choose?

If your organization uses in-house apps, these apps will need to be signed.  Keep in mind that Esper does not handle IPA file signing. 

Developers can maintain signing using the following methods: 

• Use ABM Custom App Deployment via Apple’s Volume Purchasing Program (VPP)
• Use Apple Developer Enterprise Program (ADEP)
  • Deploy in-house apps hosted by Esper. Developers will need to apply and adhere to Apple’s eligibility requirements. Review Apple’s documentation, specifically the “Use MDM to distribute the app” section, for the latest requirements for deploying in-house apps. 

Ensure your organization is regularly updating and signing these types of applications. If an application suddenly stops working, one reason could be its certificates are expired or invalid.

Kiosk Mode and iOS Devices

Kiosk Mode for iOS devices differs from Android devices. Here's a breakdown of those differences: 

1. Apps need to be closed manually after switching out of Kiosk Mode

In a blueprint, if you change the Device Mode setting from Kiosk to Multi-App, and then converge the device to the new blueprint settings, someone will have to close out of the former kiosk app.

2. Kiosk Mode devices cannot be shut down manually

If users press and hold the power button while a device is in Kiosk Mode, they won't get an option to shut down the device. However, admins can use the Esper console to send a Shutdown command to the device.

3. Change to Multi-App mode before updating apps 
For the most consistent results, devices should be changed to Multi-app mode during app updates. Apply Multi-App mode through a blueprint, and then push the app update through a second blueprint update.

Other iOS Device Feature Availability 

Does Esper support Shared iPad Mode? 

Not currently. 

Can I select setup options for an iPad or iPhone? 
You can select the setup options while provisioning via a QR-code or Manual ABM Provisioning with Apple Configurator. If provisioning through Automatic ABM, all setup steps are skipped.
We recommend skipping the passcode option as this will interfere with provisioning and blueprint converge actions.

DEP Sync 

The DEP Sync keeps failing. 

If you've tried a DEP sync a few times and it keeps failing, your MDM server may have been deleted from ABM. There may be a delay between when it was deleted and when you synced that showed success initially, but will eventually fail. 

To resolve, download and re-upload the new token from ABM and upload it to your tenant by going to Apple ABM Management and clicking Renew Token.