Managed Content in Jamf Pro

Managing content using Jamf Pro allows you to have more control over the distribution and removal of apps and books, as well as the backup of data and options for updating the content.

Managed Apps

The following two factors determine whether an app can be managed by Jamf Pro:

  • The app must be free or purchased in volume. For more information about volume purchasing, see the following Apple documentation:

  • Mobile devices that have an MDM profile that supports managed apps.

    Devices enrolled with Jamf Pro automatically obtain an MDM profile that supports managed apps. For instructions on distributing an updated MDM profile that supports managed apps, see Self Service Web Clip.

The following table compares distribution settings for unmanaged versus managed apps:

 

Unmanaged apps

Managed apps

Distribution Methods

 

 

Make available in Jamf Self Service

✔

✔

Prompt users to install

 

✔

Removal Options

 

 

Remove from Jamf Self Service

✔

✔

Remove from mobile devices

 

✔

Remove when MDM profile is removed

 

✔

Backup of App Data

 

 

Prevent backup of app data

 

✔

App Update Options

 

 

Schedule automatic app updates

✔

✔

Force an app update

 

✔

App Validation Options (in-house apps only)

 

 

Schedule automatic app validation

 

✔

Force app validation

 

✔

Managed App Configuration

Managed app configuration is a set of key-value pairs used to configure iOS applications. You can use managed app configuration to configure and customize Jamf-managed apps for your organization.

You can use Jamf Pro to configure a managed app before distributing it to mobile devices.

For more information or to generate a managed app configuration, see the AppConfig Generator utiltiy from Jamf.

Managed App Configuration Variables

You can use $VARIABLES to populate settings in a managed app with attribute values stored in Jamf Pro. This allows you to customize managed app settings on a per user or mobile device basis.

When the app is installed on a mobile device, the $VARIABLE is replaced with the value of the corresponding attribute in Jamf Pro.

Note:

An $EXTENSIONATTRIBUTE_<#> variable is generated each time you create a mobile device extension attribute. For more information, see Mobile Device Extension Attributes.

Variable

Mobile Device Information

$DEVICENAME

Mobile Device Name

$SERIALNUMBER

Serial Number

$UDID

UDID

$USERNAME

Username

$FULLNAME or $REALNAME

Full Name

$EMAIL

Email Address

$PHONE

Phone Number

$ROOM

Room

$POSITION

Position

$MACADDRESS

MAC Address

$JSSID

Jamf Pro ID

$APPJSSID

Jamf Pro ID of the App

$SITEID

Site ID

$SITENAME

Site Name

$BUILDINGNAME

Building Name

$BUILDINGID

Building ID

$DEPARTMENTID

Department ID

$DEPARTMENTNAME

Department Name

$JPS_URL

Jamf Pro URL

Converting an Unmanaged App to Managed

You can convert an app from an unmanaged state to a managed state after the app has been installed on a mobile device. Management occurs silently on supervised devices.

If the device is unsupervised, users are prompted to allow management. If the user declines to manage the app on their device, they are prompted to manage the app each time the device checks in with Jamf Pro until management is accepted.

  1. In Jamf Pro, click Devices at the top of the sidebar.
  2. Click Mobile Device Apps in the sidebar.
  3. Click the app you want to convert from unmanaged to managed.
  4. Click Edit .
  5. On the General pane, select Make App Managed when possible.
  6. Select Make app managed if currently installed as unmanaged.
  7. Click Save .

The app immediately is managed on supervised devices and becomes managed on unsupervised devices when the user accepts the management prompt.

Managed Books

The following books can be managed:

  • In-house books

  • Books available in the Book Store that are free or purchased in volume and assigned to the user via managed distribution

    For more information, see User-Assigned Managed Distribution.

When managed book requirements are met, the book is installed on iOS devices and users can view it with Apple Books. If you try to make an app managed but these requirements are not met, the app behaves as unmanaged.

The following table provides more detail about managed books:

 

Unmanaged Books (iOS and macOS)

Managed Books (iOS only)

Distribution Methods

Make available in Jamf Self Service

✔

✔

Install automatically/prompt users to install

 

✔

Removal Options

Remove from Jamf Self Service

✔

✔

Remove in-house books from mobile devices

 

✔

Remove from computers

 

 

Remove in-house books when MDM profile is removed

 

✔