Background task management declarative configuration for Apple devices
macOS includes support for background tasks that either start on behalf of the user or run as a standalone process to provide persistent services in the background.
In macOS 15 or later, executables, scripts and launchd configuration files can be installed using MDM and are stored in a secure and tamper-resistant location (similar to service configuration files introduced last year), providing an easy way for organisations to deploy and control managed services.
The background task management configuration supports the following:
Minimum supported operating system versions and channels: macOS 15 device.
Requires supervision: Yes.
Supported enrolment methods: Device Enrolment, Automated Device Enrolment.
Setting | Description | Required | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Task Type | The unique identifier of the set of background tasks managed with this configuration. This should be a reverse DNS style identifier. This is used solely by the management system to differentiate between tasks in different configurations. | Yes | |||||||||
Task Description | A description of the set of background tasks managed by this configuration. | No | |||||||||
Executable Asset Reference | Specifies the identifier of an asset declaration containing a reference to the files to be used for the background task configuration. The corresponding asset must be of type This file should contain background task executables, scripts and configuration files, but not the launchd configuration files. | No | |||||||||
Launchd Configurations | An array of launchd configuration files used to run the background tasks. | No | |||||||||
Note: Each MDM vendor implements these settings differently. To learn how various background task management settings are applied to your users, consult your MDM vendor’s documentation.