Shared iPad

Allows multiple users to sign in to a single iPad with Managed Apple IDs, maintaining individual data and settings. Primarily for education and business shift environments.

What to Know

Shared iPad solves the multi-user access challenge for organizations that need multiple users to share a single device while maintaining personalized experiences and data separation. In education, Shared iPad allows schools to deploy one iPad per three students rather than one-to-one, significantly reducing hardware costs while still providing students with personalized apps, files, and settings. In business environments, Shared iPad enables shift workers in retail, healthcare, or hospitality to share devices without commingling personal data or requiring complex manual account switching.

Shared iPad requires Managed Apple IDs (created through ABM/ASM), supervised devices, and 32GB+ storage. It leverages iCloud to sync user data across sessions, so students or employees can log in to any Shared iPad and access their personalized environment. This approach combines the cost efficiency of shared devices with the personalization benefits of one-to-one deployments.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Corporate IT deploys Shared iPad for shift workers in retail stores, hospital nursing stations, or warehouse environments where employees need access to corporate apps and data but don’t require dedicated devices. Each employee logs in with their Managed Apple ID, accesses their personalized workspace, and logs out at shift end. Shared iPad reduces hardware costs while maintaining data separation and audit trails for user activity.

MSP: MSPs configure Shared iPad for clients with shift-based workforces or shared device deployments. Setup requires creating Managed Apple IDs for each user, configuring MDM settings for Shared iPad mode, and ensuring adequate iCloud storage for user data syncing. MSPs should educate clients about the 32GB minimum storage requirement and the need for reliable WiFi for user session syncing.

Education: Schools deploy Shared iPad to maximize iPad investments, allowing multiple students to share a single device while maintaining individual learning profiles, app data, and files. Students sign in with school-issued Managed Apple IDs, access their personalized environment, complete assignments, and log out. Shared iPad integrates with Apple School Manager for automated roster syncing and supports Classroom app for teacher-led instruction across shared devices.

In Addigy

Addigy supports Shared iPad configuration through dedicated payloads that define user session settings, storage quotas, maximum users per device, and temporary session options. Admins configure Shared iPad during device enrollment through ADE, specifying whether to enable temporary sessions for guest users and how much on-device storage to allocate per user. Addigy’s interface displays which devices are configured as Shared iPads and provides reporting on user session activity and storage consumption.