Supervised Apple Devices

Are you looking to exert more control over your corporate supplied Apple devices? If you are using Apple devices in an environment that needs strict controls and customization, such as the healthcare sector, then you might want to consider using “Supervised” mode.

What is Supervised mode?

This is a special mode that allows the XenMobile Device Management solution to control additional functions of an iOS device. This mainly revolves around restrictions and certain customizations. For example, you can prevent a user from erasing and resetting a device, disable AirDrop or prevent users from installing applications. Here’s a full list of the restrictions — only available in Supervised mode — that can be toggled ON/OFF:

Erase all content and settings Wallpaper modification Modifying app cellular data settings
Configuring restrictions Automatically downloading apps Modifying Find My Friends settings
Podcasts AirDrop Pairing with non-Configurator hosts
Installing configuration profiles Siri user-generated content Predictive keyboards
Fingerprint modification iBooks Keyboard auto-correction
Installing apps from device Removing Apps Keyboard spell-check
Keyboard shortcuts Game Center Definition lookup
Paired Apple watch Add friends News
Passcode modification Multiplayer gaming Apple Music service
Device name modification Modifying account settings iTunes Radio
Notifications modification Diagnostic submission modification Bluetooth modification
Allow Dictation Force WiFi white listing

Another key function is the ability to lock the device to a single application (Single App bundle ID) or use a whitelist/blacklist (Restricted App usage) to define the apps that are allowed or not allowed on the device. Each application has its own unique bundle ID, so, for example, Apple TV is com.apple.tv and Secure Mail is com.citrix.mail.ios. Using these unique identifiers, XenMobile admins can control what is displayed on the screen of the device.

In addition to the above, using the Home Screen Layout policy, XenMobile admin can define which apps appear on which page of the device, group those apps into folders if desired and also define which apps should be displayed in the Dock. Going one step further, using the Wallpaper policy, you can define a corporate wallpaper for the lock screen and home screen or have separate images for each.

Below, you’ll see a screen shot from an iPad. Here, we have forced the common Citrix apps onto the dock and then grouped other apps into folder on the primary screen. All other native apps (except Settings, which we placed on page 2) are hidden. We then applied a Citrix-branded wallpaper to complete the corporate look.

How do I Supervise a device?

There are two ways of Supervising a device:

  • You can supervise an existing iOS device using the Apple Configurator — you will need an Apple computer running OS X 10.7.2 or later. For more details, click here.
  • Enroll your corporation in the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP) where you purchase devices which are already Supervised directly from Apple.

There are a few other policies within XenMobile that require a device to be supervised. Look at the description for each policy to see if a supervised device is required.

More Information

If you would like to learn more about the topics above and other features of XenMobile, consider attending one of our instructor lead Education courses. Citrix Education offers two courses focusing on XenMobile:

CXM-202: Managing and Supporting a Mobility Solution with Citrix XenMobile

This course provides the skills necessary to manage, support, and troubleshoot a Citrix XenMobile 10 Enterprise environment. Students with limited or no XenMobile experience will gain an understanding of what is required to maintain the components of a XenMobile Enterprise solution. Students will have access to hands-on exercises within a virtual lab environment to configure and test policies, manage device and application usage, perform troubleshooting, reporting, and more.

CMX-303: Deploying Enterprise Mobility Solutions with Citrix XenMobile

Designed for students with little previous XenMobile experience, this course is best suited for individuals who will be deploying XenMobile environments. Learn the skills required to implement XenMobile components including XenMobile Server, NetScaler Gateway, ShareFile, StorageZones, XenApp and XenDesktop, and XenMobile Secure Apps. At the end of the course students will be able to configure their XenMobile environments to address Enterprise Mobility Management requirements including Mobile Device Management, Mobile App Management and Mobile Content Management.

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