Create a Custom Profile for Apple devices
Custom Profiles For Apple Devices
This guide is intended to create custom profiles for iOS, iPadOS and macOS devices. Custom Profiles are very powerful in case some features are currently missing in Silverback or a special configuration is required for certain use cases, e.g. for the Cisco Security Connector Umbrella Setup. Basically, we will create and export with this guide a profile for an iPhone with a different tool, like the Apple Configurator 2 which will create the desired payload for Silverback. After creation and exporting, we will create a new Custom Profile in Silverback, import the custom profile and deploy the profile to managed devices.
Requirements
- A macOS device that is capable to install the Apple Configurator
- A supervised iOS device
In this guide, we will use a profile that is supported only on supervised iOS devices. In case you don't have a supervised device, try a different profile (e.g, Exchange ActiveSync or Wi-Fi).
Download and Install
- Open the App Store on your macOS device
- Search for Apple Configurator 2 and install the Application
You can also distribute the Apple Configurator 2 via the Volume Purchase Program.
Create a Profile
For this guide, we will create a new Lock Screen Message Profile for iOS devices.
- Launch the Apple Configurator 2
- Accept the License Agreement
- Click File
- Select New Profile
- Enter a Name for the Profile, e.g. Lock Screen Message
- Locate in the left pane all available profiles
- Navigate to Lock Screen Message
- Press Configure
- Enter in the available options a custom text.
- e.g. Managed by Imagoverum in the first option
- e.g. Device Owner: {firstname} {lastname} in the second option
Press alt/option + 8 or 9 to create curly brackets.
Save Profile
- Click File
- Press Save
- Select a folder and press save
- A new file with the filetype *.mobileconfig will be saved in the folder
Inspect the Profile
- Open Finder
- Navigate to your previously select folder
- A new file like Lock Screen Message.mobileconfig should be present
- Perform a double click
- Select Open with
- Select TextEdit
- Review the payload and keep the TextEdit open
Create a new Tag
- Open your Silverback Management Console
- Navigate to Tags
- Press New Tag
- Enter a name, e.g. Lock Screen Message
- Enter a description, e.g. Custom Payload created with Apple Configurator 2 (optional)
- Enable Profile at Enabled Features
- Enable iPhone as device type
- Press Save
Create a new Profile
- Navigate to Profile
- Select Custom Profiles
- Press New Custom Profile
- Enter a Name, e.g. Custom Lock Screen Message
- Enter a Description, e.g. Custom Payload created with Apple Configurator 2
- Now you have two options:
- Enable the Use XML button and copy and paste the payload content from TextEdit
- Upload the Mobileconfig File by select Choose File
- Press Save
- Confirm with OK
Assign Tag
- Navigate to Devices
- Locate one of your target devices
- Press the Assign Tag button
- Select the previously created Lock Screen Message Tag
- Press Save
Ensure the device is connected to the internet.
- Open the Device Overview
- Press Refresh and select Pending Commands
- Locate InstallProfile commands and ensure that there is no Error in the Status column
Review Profile Installation
- Head over to the iPhone
- Open Settings Application
- Navigate to General > VPN & Device Management
- Select Silverback MDM Profile
- Review the Contains section, as they should be a Shared Device Configuration item
- Select More Details
- Locate the Shared Device Configuration section
- Select the containing profile, e.g. named as Lock Screen Message
- Review the present configuration
When you lock now the device, you should see your configured and distributed Lock Screen Message.
Next Steps
- Upload the Profile additionally to iPads
- Try it again with a different profile for a different platform