WWDC26 Apple services updates
Note: The features discussed on this page are pre-release versions and may be incomplete, changed or removed before final release.
Apple Business
Apple Business is a unified platform that empowers organisations with built-in device management, dedicated support, secure cloud storage and powerful tools to strengthen customer engagement and brand presence across Apple’s ecosystem.
It brings together Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Connect into one comprehensive solution — addressing both internal operations and external customer-facing strategies.
Apple Business is now available in over 200 countries and regions, and allows organisations to enrol devices without manual intervention by their IT teams using Automated Device Enrolment. It also enables the use of Managed Apple Accounts to increase user productivity.
Apple Business includes the following features:
Managed Apple Accounts: Organisation-managed identities that help keep work data secure.
Device management: Built-in device management service that works alongside any third-party device management service the organisation chooses.
Volume licensing: Get apps in volume and assign them to devices or users.
Admin APIs: Automate device management tasks — for example, list device management services, devices and inventory, and manage assignment to device management services.
Locations on Apple Maps: Help customers discover businesses.
Tap to Pay on iPhone: Set up to accept payments on an organisation’s iPhone devices. (US only)
Branded Mail: Email from an organisation appears with the organisation’s logo. (US only)
Subscriptions: Ability to purchase the following multi-seat subscriptions (US only):
iCloud storage: 2GB, 200GB or 2TB.
AppleCare+ for Business: Service and support coverage.
Volume purchase app subscriptions
Later this year, a new volume licensing mechanism will be available for subscriptions in App Store apps. This allows IT teams to purchase and manage app subscriptions in Apple School Manager and Apple Business. IT teams can assign app subscriptions to users (not devices) using device management. Developers can manage availability of subscriptions available to organisations in Apple School Manager and Apple Business.
Important: This feature is for app subscriptions that auto-renew only, not one-off in-app purchases.
For more information, see the WWDC26 session Offer subscriptions to groups and organizations.
Volume purchase free apps
Later this year, managing free apps using volume purchasing won’t require acquiring and managing licences in Apple School Manager and Apple Business. This simplifies the use of free apps for organisations and saves time for IT teams. When you add a free app to your organisation, it becomes available for assignment to your users and devices with your device management service without requiring a quantity of licences. If you already have licences for an existing free app, you retain use of them in case the app later requires payment. All free apps you add after this change use the new behaviour.
Additional device details available for device management services
With X-Server-Protocol-Version version 10, a device management service can retrieve the following additional details about devices registered in Apple School Manager or Apple Business using the GetDeviceDetails endpoint to provide further insights into the fleet:
Wi-Fi MAC address
Bluetooth MAC address
EID, IMEI and MEID for devices with a mobile data connection
Whether the device is a replacement device
For a replacement device, further details can be retrieved using a new
GetReplacementDetailsendpoint. The response provides information, such as:Serial number of the original device
Serial number of the replacement device
Timestamp when the replacement occurred