Get apps and books in Apple School Manager
You can get free apps and licenses for paid apps and books through Apps and Books in Apple School Manager. You can also get licenses for Custom Apps and Unlisted apps, which are tailored to your organization’s specific needs from developers you work with directly.
Note: If you need to get more than 100,000 licenses of a paid app, contact Apple Support. See Get Support for Apple School Manager.
Note: You need to set up your payment method before you can obtain app licenses, even if they’re free.
Get free apps and books
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books
in the sidebar, then select one of the following:App Store
Books
Custom Apps
Search for an app or book in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app or book in the search results list that you want to get.
Select Add, then select the locations for the licenses’ initial assignment.
You can reassign apps to other locations at any time.
Select Add.
Get licenses for paid apps and books
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select one of the following:
App Store
Books
Custom Apps
Search for an app or book in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app or book in the search results list that you want to get.
Note: Apple Books bought through Apple School Manager can be distributed only to users, not devices. They can’t be revoked and reassigned. When books are assigned to users, those books follow the same country and region download restrictions as apps.
Select Add, then select the locations for the licenses’ initial assignment.
You can reassign apps to other locations at any time.
Enter the number of licenses, and if necessary, change the payment method, then select Buy.
Availability of app licenses depends on the amount you get. If you get:
5000 licenses or fewer, they process immediately
5001 to 19,999 licenses, they process daily after 1:00 p.m., Pacific time
20,000 licenses or more, they process daily after 4:00 p.m., Pacific time
Get licenses for Custom Apps
To get Custom Apps, they need to be assigned to your organization. See What are Custom Apps.
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Custom Apps.
Select the Custom App that you want to get.
Select Add, then select the locations for the licenses’ initial assignment.
You can reassign apps to other locations at any time.
View all current app and book license information
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
Do one of the following:
Select Apps or Books to view only those items.
View the app or book in the App Store or Books Store.
View by device, category, or location.
If necessary, search for an app or book in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app or book, then view the following information:
Feature
Manage from library
Add licenses
If the app is a paid app, the number of used and unused licenses
The device management service the apps are assigned to
In-app purchase information
Detailed information about the app or book
Remove the app or book from the library
Get additional licenses for paid apps
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
If necessary, search for an app in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app, select View Details, then select Manage.
Select Add Licenses.
Select the location, select the additional number of licenses you would like to get, then select Review.
Carefully review the information, then select Add.
Transfer unassigned paid app licenses to another location
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
If necessary, search for an app in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app, then select Transfer next to a location where the app is currently assigned.
Select another location and the number of licenses you want to transfer, then select Transfer.
Transfer unassigned subscription licenses to other locations
If you have more than one location, you can transfer unassigned licenses to any other location. If you have only one location, the transfer process is unavailable.
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
If necessary, search for an app in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app, select View Details, then select Manage.
Review the number of available licenses, then select Transfer.
Do one of the following:
Select Location, then search for or select a location where you want to transfer at least one license.
Select Add Location, add a new location, then select OK.
Select the number of licenses you want to transfer, then select Transfer.
View the pending transfer in the Details section and in the Licenses section.
Reduce unassigned paid or subscription app licenses for a location
You can reduce the number of unassigned paid or subscription app licenses for a location. There is no need to reduce the number of free apps licenses, because they are downloaded as necessary.
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
If necessary, search for an app in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app, then select Reduce next to a location where the app is currently assigned.
Select the number of licenses you want to remove from this location, then select Remove.
Cancel auto-renewal for an app subscription
You can cancel an app subscription. When you do, the app won’t launch on a user’s device after the subscription period expires.
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
If necessary, search for an app in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app, then select Cancel Subscription.
Carefully review the information and the date the app subscription will be canceled, then select Cancel Subscription.
Remove an app from your library
When you no longer need an app, you can remove it from any location. You can remove an app when it:
Isn’t a paid app
Isn’t assigned to a device or a user
Has no active subscription
Is a free app obtained after October 22, 2026
In Apple School Manager
, sign in with a user who has privileges to get licenses for apps and books.To view and edit who can get licenses for apps and books, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books in the sidebar, then select Library.
If necessary, search for an app in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app, select View Details.
If necessary, select Edit, then search for or select the locations where you want to remove the app from.
Select Remove from Library, then select Remove.
Note: If you removed a free app from a location that you got licenses for before October 22, 2026, the license count is fixed to the amount previously owned instead of unlimited.