Automated Device Enrollment

A streamlined enrollment process that automatically enrolls devices in MDM during initial setup without requiring manual configuration. Enables zero-touch deployment and mandatory supervision.

What to Know

Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) is the foundation of modern Apple device management, eliminating manual enrollment steps and ensuring devices are managed from the moment they’re powered on. ADE-enrolled devices automatically connect to your MDM server during Setup Assistant, cannot skip enrollment, and are placed under supervision—unlocking advanced management features unavailable to manually enrolled devices. This mandatory enrollment prevents users from bypassing management, critical for maintaining security and compliance in corporate environments.

For organizations managing dozens or thousands of devices, ADE dramatically reduces deployment time and IT overhead. Devices can be shipped directly to end users and automatically configure themselves without IT touching them. ADE also provides persistent enrollment: even if a device is erased or wiped, it will re-enroll automatically upon reactivation, ensuring devices never leave management.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Large corporations use ADE to deploy hundreds of devices to remote employees. Devices ship directly from Apple or resellers, arrive pre-configured with corporate settings, and users complete setup themselves. IT configures pre-stage enrollment profiles to skip Setup Assistant screens, pre-install apps, and enforce security policies before the user even sees the desktop.

MSP: Managed service providers leverage ADE to streamline client onboarding. When acquiring devices for a client, MSPs add serial numbers to Apple Business Manager under the client’s MDM instance, ensuring every device enrolls automatically. This eliminates the need for MSP technicians to manually touch devices before deployment, reducing labor costs and accelerating delivery timelines.

Education: Schools use ADE to prepare shared iPad carts and 1:1 student device programs. Devices purchased through Apple School Manager automatically enroll, allowing IT to configure device restrictions, install educational apps, and enable Shared iPad mode before students receive them. ADE ensures devices remain managed even if students attempt to erase them.

In Addigy

Addigy integrates with Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager to enable Automated Device Enrollment. After connecting your ABM/ASM account to Addigy, you configure pre-stage enrollment profiles that define which Setup Assistant screens to skip, whether to require authentication, and which policies to apply immediately. When a device with a serial number assigned to Addigy powers on, it automatically downloads its enrollment profile during Setup Assistant, enrolls into Addigy, and applies the assigned policies and apps without user intervention.

Addigy’s ADE workflow allows you to create multiple pre-stage profiles for different device types or departments, assign devices to specific policies during enrollment, and track enrollment status in real time. You can also configure account-driven enrollment to tie devices to specific users in your directory, ensuring personalized configurations deploy automatically based on user identity.