Setup Assistant

The series of configuration screens presented when a device is first powered on or after being erased. ADE allows MDM to customize these screens.

What to Know

Setup Assistant is the user’s first experience with a new or freshly erased Apple device, guiding them through essential configuration like language, Wi-Fi, Apple ID, and privacy settings. For organizations deploying devices, Setup Assistant presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Without control over Setup Assistant, users must manually navigate numerous screens, many irrelevant to corporate deployments, wasting time and potentially making configuration mistakes. With Automated Device Enrollment, organizations can customize Setup Assistant to skip unnecessary screens, enforce specific configurations, and streamline the initial setup experience.

The Setup Assistant customization capabilities available through ADE are fundamental to zero-touch deployment. By pre-configuring which screens users see, organizations reduce setup time from 30+ minutes to under 5 minutes. Skipping screens like Apple Pay, Siri, and Screen Time setup eliminates user confusion and ensures consistent device configurations across the fleet. Setup Assistant customization also enables mandatory MDM enrollment—ADE can prevent users from completing setup without enrolling, ensuring no device enters production unmanaged.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Corporate MacBooks are pre-configured to skip Setup Assistant screens for Apple ID, Siri, Touch ID, and iCloud. Users only see language, keyboard, and local account creation screens, reducing setup time and preventing accidental personal Apple ID association. The simplified Setup Assistant enables remote employees to unbox and configure devices without IT assistance, while mandatory MDM enrollment ensures devices don’t proceed to desktop without proper management.

MSP: MSPs configure client-specific Setup Assistant customizations in pre-stage profiles. For executive deployments, Setup Assistant skips most screens and pre-fills organization information. For general staff, Setup Assistant allows some personalization while skipping complex privacy and service enrollment screens. The MSP tests Setup Assistant flows before mass deployments to ensure user experience matches client expectations and deployment timelines.

Education: School iPads have Setup Assistant configured to skip all non-essential screens for student deployments. Apple ID creation is skipped for shared devices, while 1:1 student devices prompt for Managed Apple ID authentication. Diagnostic data sharing screens are pre-configured per school policy. The streamlined Setup Assistant allows students to begin using devices immediately after powering on, without teacher intervention or IT support.

In Addigy

Addigy’s Automated Device Enrollment configuration includes Setup Assistant customization options available through pre-stage profiles. You specify which Setup Assistant screens to display or skip, including language, Apple ID, biometrics, diagnostics, and more. Addigy’s pre-stage editor provides a clear interface for enabling or disabling each Setup Assistant pane, with descriptions of what each screen does and recommendations for corporate deployments.

When devices enrolled through Addigy’s ADE integration power on, they automatically apply your configured Setup Assistant customizations before presenting any screens to users. Addigy also supports await configuration, which displays a configuration progress screen during Setup Assistant while policies and apps install, ensuring devices are fully provisioned before users reach the desktop. You can create multiple pre-stage profiles with different Setup Assistant customizations for different device types or organizational units.