WWDC 2025 for Apple IT: What MDM Admins Need to Know

By Addigy on June 10, 2025

At yesterday’s WWDC keynote (June 9, 2025), Apple unveiled major updates across all platforms – iOS, macOS, iPadOs, visionOS, and more – centered on a bold step toward consistency and capability across devices. Perhaps the most symbolic update of this: all operating systems are moving to version 26, a long awaited simplification for IT professionals who manage Apple devices.

For Apple MDM Administrators, this year’s announcements bring more than just polish – they introduce shifts that will impact device enrollment, policy enforcement, and end-user experiences. Here’s what Apple MDM Administrators need to know and why these changes matter.

“Liquid Glass” UI across the Ecosystem

Apple’s new unified design system, known as “Liquid Glass”, introduces translucent, adaptive UI elements across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. It’s a context-aware interface that subtly responds to user interactions and system activities, creating a more immersive experience for device end users.

Implications for MDM Admins:

  • UI-based training, documentation, or onboarding flows may need to be re-evaluated, as visual cues may change.
  • Some apps or configurations that depend on visual cues may require updates.
  • Expect an increase in support tickets from users adjusting to the new experience.

Enterprise Enrollment comes to Vision Pro

Another win for enterprise: visionOS 26 now supports Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) through Apple Business Manager. This extends zero-touch provisioning to Apple Vision Pro devices, making them first-class citizens in the Apple enterprise ecosystem.

Implications for MDM Admins:

  • Vision Pro can now be enrolled, supervised, and configured just like iPhones, Macs, and iPads.
  • Great news for early adopters looking to deploy Vision Pro at scale.

Apple Intelligence: AI on Devices

Apple expanded its on-device AI capabilities under the Apple Intelligence banner. Highlights include:

  • Real-time translation for messages and FaceTime
  • Visual search and content summarization
  • Gemoji (custom generative emojis)
  • A new Workout Buddy for Apple Watch

These tools are reportedly privacy-preserving by design, leveraging on-device computing with Private Cloud Compute as a backup.

Implications for MDM Admins:

  • Review data flow policies between managed apps and Apple Intelligence services.
  • Decide whether to restrict or allow AI features like Genmoji or translation tools on managed devices.
  • Prepare to update your Acceptable Use Policies and AI training as these features may blur the lines between personal and work experiences on devices.

iPadOS 26 Gets Desktop-Class Windowing Features

Apple is finally bringing us a more robust windowing system for iPadOS. Users will be able to use improved multitasking capabilities, including resizable windows, and a smoother app-switching experience – further bridging the gap between Macs and iPads.

Implications for MDM Admins:

  • Review app compatibility and usability in multi-window workflows.
  • Requests for iPads may increase from end users with this change.
  • Consider updates to documentation and trainings that assume single-window usage on iPads.

What You Should Do Next

  • Test Beta OS Releases: Begin evaluating OS 26 versions in your test environments. Pay close attention to enrollment, policy behavior, and UI changes.
  • Update Documentation and User Trainings: Start reviewing internal support docs and training that reference OS visuals or workflows. 
  • Review AI & Privacy Settings: Determine (or review) your stance on Apple Intelligence in a managed context, be prepared to update MDM/DDM restrictions and communicate accordingly.
  • Evaluate Vision Pro Use Cases: If your organization has a use case for spatial computing, now is a great time to build a rollout strategy and validate Vision Pro readiness.

The Apple ecosystem is becoming more unified, and more powerful! With version 26, MDM admins will get a more consistent foundation, but also a new set of responsibilities. Stay ahead by preparing your fleet, your policies, and your users.

Want to hear more?


Our Product Manager, Selina Ali, was recently featured on the Mac Admins Podcast – Flashcast #15, where she shares expert insights on the top WWDC 2025 updates and what they mean for Mac Admins. It’s a great listen to complement this deep dive!

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