Deployment Pattern Simulator
Click the options that match your current environment and use case. The best deployment pattern is displayed automatically.
Check your deployment pattern
Click each node to see the details of the condition. Click an end-point box to go to the procedure page for that pattern.
Check the deployment pattern for iOS/iPadOS devices
Before you start managing iOS and iPadOS devices, we recommend that you register with Apple Business and use both ADE and VPP.
Apple Business (formerly ABM) is an Apple online portal that lets companies efficiently deploy and manage iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices. With it, company administrators can centrally manage bulk device setup (ADE), app distribution (VPP), user account management (Managed Apple Accounts), and more. Linking it with BizMobile Go! (a device management tool) also makes remote device management easier. See What you can do with ADE and What you can do with VPP.
After you confirm whether you can use Apple Business, use the following chart to decide the deployment pattern, taking into account the state of the devices you manage.
There are six main patterns. Click each box to go to the deployment flow page for that pattern.
To enroll a device in ADE, ask the store where you purchased it, or configure it with Apple Configurator (for Mac or iPhone).
You must also erase the device to use it as an ADE device.
Multiple users can share one device while each keeps their own user environment with an Apple ID.
See the explanation of Shared iPad.
The automatic identifier generation feature is well suited to managing many devices. You do not need to prepare an identifier linked one-to-one to each managed device in advance, because device identifiers (normally 6-digit numbers) and users are generated and assigned automatically at enrollment. In addition, simply scanning a shared QR code automatically completes everything from Device Owner setup through enrollment, which greatly reduces the workload during deployment. Because devices are managed by identifier, the identifier cannot be changed once enrollment is complete and operation has started.
Enables strong device management.
To set a device to Supervised, you must erase the device.
See About Supervised Mode.
The available management features are limited compared with Supervised devices.
You cannot use the profile items that are noted as applying to Supervised devices only, the remote control items, or the automatic OS update feature.
You also cannot prevent users from leaving MDM by operating the device.