Supervised mode for iOS devices

This article explains what iOS Supervised mode is, how the supervised mode differs from unsupervised, why to supervise your devices, and how to do it. Supervision is a special mode that helps schools and businesses to better manage their iOS devices giving administrators more control over the device's configuration and restrictions. By default, iOS devices aren't supervised.

Unsupervised vs. supervised - why supervise your devices?

Supervised mode enables the extra features for devices owned by the organization or institution. Without supervision, an administrator has limited management of company-owned devices. It is not possible, for example, to install apps silently, and some important settings like Bluetooth and GPS can be overwritten on a device by the user.

The supervision, instead, enables administrators to deny and bypass the Activation Lock, set the device into Kiosk mode, and turn on the Lost mode, among other configurations and restrictions.

The next table lists some important features that only the supervised mode enables.

When you create a new configuration profile, Miradore clearly shows the features requiring supervision.

Find out more from our Knowledge Base:

• Have more control over application management, such as silent app installation and approval
• Lock the device into a single application - Kiosk mode
• Prevent a user from resetting the device into factory defaults and other additional restrictions
• Set wallpapers for iOS devices

How to set the iOS device into Supervised mode

The device isn't Supervised by default, so the mode must be defined when setting up a new or factory reset device. When using Apple Business/School Manager (ABM/ASM) and automated device enrollment (ADE), you can set the Supervised mode for the device while enrolling them in Miradore.

• Read how to enroll your ABM/ASM devices in Miradore and supervise them.
• If the device is not in ADE, but you wish to use it, read how to add the device to ABM/ASM manually for enrollment.

If you are not using Apple Business/School Manager, you may supervise your devices:

• Preparing the device to Supervised mode and enrolling the device via Apple Configurator
• Preparing only Supervised mode via Apple Configurator

Important information

In Miradore, you may see which devices are in Supervised mode from the Management > Devices page.

You can find out what configurations require supervision from the Management > Configuration profile and also when you add a new configuration with the wizard.

If you need to remove the Supervised mode from the device, please see the instructions from our Knowledge Base article.