Since their introduction in 2016, Apple has continuously enhanced Managed Apple IDs, giving them greater functionality each year. As of 2024, the adoption of Managed Apple Accounts has seen significant growth in corporate environments. It’s no surprise — businesses are realizing how much smoother and safer things run with centralized control, especially as Apple devices become a larger part of business operations.
Read this article to learn everything you need to know about Managed Apple IDs. That includes setting them up and even if they’re right for your company to use.
What is a Managed Apple ID?
Managed Apple IDs were designed so that IT admins could create and manage accounts for the employees at their organization. These accounts give IT teams the possibility to set password policies, configure permissions, assign roles and privileges, distribute apps, books, and other content, and even more. They’re a great middle ground, unlocking helpful and productive tools for your team and making sure you can administer them to meet your digital security standards.
Thankfully, Apple has made this a very easy process, and there are no additional apps needed. Accounts are managed through the online portal — Apple Business Manager. Meaning you can view every account in your organization, manage them, or create new ones directly within your browser.
Today, many industries successfully integrate Managed Apple IDs to ensure security, efficiency, and centralized control. In education, they help schools and universities to manage devices, distribute learning materials, and track student progress. In healthcare, Managed Apple IDs enable secure access to patient data and telemedicine apps while ensuring HIPAA compliance. Retailers optimize operations with pre-configured iPads for POS systems and training, while logistics companies use them for secure communication, compliance, and fleet management.
How to create a Managed Apple ID for business?
There are actually two methods to create an Apple ID for business. The first method is directly in Apple Business Manager, and the second is letting your company’s Azure Active Directory access Apple Business Manager. There are pros and cons to both methods, so you’ll want to check them both out and see which one works best for you.
1. Creating in Apple Business Manager (ABM)
When setting up Managed Apple IDs in Apple Business Manager, it's advisable to use a consistent domain structure, such as [email protected]., to distinguish managed accounts from personal ones.
Apple has a very helpful support article for creating managed IDs that covers some of the finer details of this process. But before going in this direction, you should keep in mind that you can only use a domain you’ve already registered and verified in Apple Business Manager.
Note: ABM will make you assign a role to each ID. But the choices are fairly broad, so you can always change them later if you need to.
2. Connecting with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD)
The most significant benefit of this method is that whenever you create a new user in Azure AD, their Managed Apple ID is automatically created. This, in turn, means your users only have one set of credentials rather than potentially having two. I should note that Apple Business Manager lets you set a password policy. So, in theory, it could mirror the policy you have set up in Azure AD, but there’s nothing stopping your users from setting those to two totally different passwords.
Anyone who’s worked with Active Directory or tried to connect it to an external platform knows this can be a very involved process. And with your entire company’s digital credentials at stake, you don’t want to mess that up. There is a great article explaining how all of that works called “Federated Authentication in Apple Business Manager with Azure AD.”
If you created the accounts in Azure AD, you still have to register and verify your domain(s) in Apple Business Manager. But now, each User’s Principal Name has to match their email address, and you must be running minimum macOS 10.13.4, iOS 11.3, and iPadOS 13.1 or later on all devices.
Managed Apple IDs are an easy way to manage your organization’s Macs, but it is not the only one. CleanMyMac Business is another way to centralize IT administration and maintenance. It is a B2B solution designed to monitor, optimize, and protect your company’s Mac fleet with minimum manual intervention.
Pros of using a Managed Apple ID
Aside from having one more thing to manage, there are a lot of great reasons IT teams should consider using Managed Apple IDs.
- Enhanced security
When you and your team are managing Apple IDs, you can have more control over the apps and content that are being put on your organization’s devices. As I mentioned earlier, you can set the password policy, so you get to determine the requirements and frequency they have to be changed.
Additionally, Apple has been incorporating modern security policies for Managed Apple IDs, such as Zero Trust architecture and conditional access, to improve protection against evolving threats. These advanced security measures help avoid data breaches and unauthorized access, providing organizations with a robust framework for managing Apple IDs and maintaining a secure digital environment.
- Simplified onboarding
Managed Apple IDs simplify onboarding for new employees and contractors in remote or hybrid settings by automating account creation, preconfiguring devices, and ensuring secure access to organizational resources. Through tools like ABM and Azure AD, Managed Apple IDs can be automatically generated and linked to organizational systems, enabling newcomers to access apps, files, and shared content instantly.
- Easier to troubleshoot
With a Managed Apple ID, you’ll always have access to the user’s account, making it easier for you to get on a device and troubleshoot an issue without needing the user to be right there with you logging in each time. It also makes turnover more efficient because you’ll be able to log into the device and reset it for the next user.
- Takes all responsibility off the user
Managed Apple IDs take all of the onus off of the users. Using a personal account means they’re responsible for setting it up, remembering the credentials, and paying for their own apps. Having an account that’s managed by IT gives you complete control to support the accounts and provide your users with a more seamless experience.
Downsides of Managed Apple IDs
Before you jump in, there are some limitations to Managed Apple IDs that you need to know about. Apple states its primary concern with these accounts is to protect your business, and to do so, there are some features that are disabled on managed accounts:
- Purchasing on the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBookStore
- HomeKit connected devices
- Apple Pay
- Find My (iPhone, Mac, and Friends)
- iCloud Mail, Keychain, and Family Sharing
- FaceTime
- iMessage
The last two services — FaceTime and iMessage — are turned off by default, but as an administrator for your organization, you’ll be able to turn them back on if necessary.
A couple of other sticking points for teams are the Find My features and purchasing abilities. Some admins might see these restrictions and immediately think it’s a dealbreaker, but there are some additional solutions and workarounds to address these gaps.
For instance, Mobile Device Management (MDM) platforms like Jamf, Kandji, or Mosyle can offer alternatives for features like device tracking. These MDMs allow administrators to track device location using Location Services, bypassing the need for Find My and still achieving similar functionality for device management.
MDMs also provide the ability to install approved apps from a centralized store, ensuring that the organization maintains control over app usage without requiring personal Apple IDs. Some MDMs can restrict access to certain stores or apps, reducing the need for purchases.
While these alternatives help address some limitations, enabling personal Apple IDs would re-enable features like the App Store and FaceTime, but at the cost of losing central control and security. A mix of managed and personal Apple IDs with robust MDM tools may provide a balanced solution.
Using Managed Apple ID on a shared iPad
Another massive benefit of using Managed Apple IDs is that they enable your company to efficiently use shared iPads across various industries, enhancing device utilization and streamlining workflows. Typically, iPads are designed for a single-user experience, where one Apple ID is linked to the device, and apps and data belong to that individual. However, Managed Apple IDs allow companies to create a multi-user experience on iPads, much like the shared profiles found on Macs. This is especially useful in healthcare and education, where shared iPads can be used by multiple staff members or students, allowing them to access relevant apps, patient records, or learning materials without compromising privacy or security.
Here’s how it works: a user’s data is stored in the cloud until they log in on a shared iPad. Once logged in, their information is downloaded and cached on the device until they log out. After logging out, the data is inaccessible to anyone else until that user signs in again. This allows for the efficient use of devices in resource-constrained environments, where organizations need to maximize the usage of available technology. However, administrators will need to manage storage allocation carefully, deciding how much space to assign each user or limiting the number of users per device.
In corporate hybrid work environments, Managed Apple IDs allow for seamless device sharing and secure access to corporate resources, even when employees work remotely. This enhances device utilization, ensuring that devices are used efficiently across teams. For the feature to work effectively, certain requirements must be met, such as having devices with at least 32 GB of storage, running iPadOS 13.4 or later, and using compatible models like the iPad mini 4th gen or newer, iPad Air 2 or newer, and iPad Pro models.
There are a lot of great reasons to start using Managed Apple IDs for your corporate environment. You should carefully evaluate the existing IT infrastructure and consider adopting Managed Apple IDs to optimize device and user management, ensuring both security and productivity. Hopefully, this article was able to help you answer some of the important questions and get you going in the right direction.
