Distribute content with Profile Manager
With Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, you can assign apps and books to devices, device groups, users, and user groups. When you assign to users or user groups, they have to be in an Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager organization in Profile Manager. Use these guidelines to help determine which method you should use to assign apps and books in your organization.
When distributing apps and books to users with Managed Apple IDs from Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, the role who purchases apps and books must use their own Managed Apple ID from the same Apple School Manager organization.
Type of app or book | Can be assigned to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices | Can be assigned to users |
|---|---|---|
Custom app | Yes | Yes |
Custom book Note: PDF books aren’t supported in Profile Manager. | Yes | No |
Free or paid apps purchased through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager | Yes (iOS 9 or later) (iPadOS 13.1 or later) (OS X 10.11 or later) | Yes (iOS 7 or later) (iPadOS 13.1 or later) (OS X 10.9 or later) |
Free or paid books purchased through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager | No | Yes |
Note: Books purchased through Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager, or volume purchasing can be distributed through managed book distribution, but they can’t be revoked and reassigned.
Assign apps to devices
To create a device group, see Manage device groups with Profile Manager.
Make sure the device is enrolled with Profile Manager.
Install the Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager token. For information, see View app and book purchases in the macOS Server User Guide.
Select Devices or Device Groups from the Profile Manager
sidebar, then select the specific device or device group.Select the Apps tab.
Click the Add button
to view the app list.Select the app or apps you want to assign to the device.
After you assign a purchased app to a device or device group, the number of apps available for assignment decreases accordingly. When you revoke an app, the number increases.
Choose automatic or manual in the Installation Mode pop-up menu.
If they are in-house custom apps, the installation mode is automatic.
Click OK, then click Save.
Assign in-house custom books to devices
Books from Apple Books can’t be assigned to Apple devices. Books you create (called custom) can be assigned to devices. PDFs can’t be assigned.
Make sure the device is enrolled with Profile Manager.
Select Devices or Device Groups from the Profile Manager
sidebar, then select the specific device or device group.Select the Books tab.
Click the Add button
to view the book list.Select the book or books, click OK, then click Save.
Assign apps and books to users and user groups
There are several ways to distribute apps and books to users. For apps purchased through Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, the user must accept an invitation and have an Apple ID or Managed Apple ID. Invitations can be done by user, by user group, or by devices already associated with users. For example, you can invite an entire group of users who have devices already assigned to them. The invitation can go to the device, not necessarily the user. Books purchased through Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager, or volume purchasing can be distributed through managed book distribution, but they can’t be revoked and reassigned. PDFs can’t be assigned.
Note: For user and user group assignment, you must have port 25 open on your firewall for Profile Manager to send the invitation to users or user-assigned devices. If you want to use your mail server as a relay, select “Relay outgoing mail through ISP” in the Mail service and enter your outgoing mail server name in the window.
Create users or bind to another supported directory service. For information, see Create a user account in the macOS Server User Guide.
Install the Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager token. For information, see View app and book purchases in the macOS Server User Guide.
Invite users or groups to enroll in Managed Distribution. For information, see Invite users to enroll in Managed Distribution with Profile Manager and Invite groups to enroll in Managed Distribution with Profile Manager.
Select Users or Groups from the Profile Manager
sidebar, then select the specific user or group.Select the Apps or Books tab.
Click the Add button
to select an app or book from the list.After you assign an app or book purchased using Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager to a user or group, the number of apps or books available for assignment decreases accordingly. When you revoke an app, the number increases. Books purchased through Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager, or volume purchasing can be distributed through managed book distribution, but they can’t be revoked and reassigned.
Select Apple ID in the Assignment Mode pop-up menu.
Select Manual or Automatic in the Installation Mode pop-up menu.
If you select Manual, when users sign in to the App Store on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac, the app appears as available for installation in the Purchases list. Assigned books appear in the Books app.
If you select automatic, the app is downloaded automatically.
Click OK, then click Save.
When users sign in to the App Store on their Apple device, the app appears as available for installation in the Purchases list. Assigned books appear in the Books app. If you want apps or books to be downloaded without user interaction, see Push purchased apps and books to users and user groups with Profile Manager.