APNs (Apple Push Notification service)

APNs is Apple’s cloud-based service that enables third-party applications and MDM solutions to send push notifications to managed Apple devices.

What to Know

APNs is the foundational communication layer for all Apple MDM and DDM operations. Without functioning APNs connectivity, MDM servers cannot trigger devices to check in, making real-time management impossible. Commands would be delayed until devices check in on their own schedule, which could be hours or days. APNs reliability directly affects IT’s ability to respond to security incidents, deploy urgent updates, or troubleshoot user issues. An expired APNs certificate – also known as a Push Certificate — renders the entire MDM infrastructure non-functional until renewed.

Organizations must ensure continuous APNs connectivity by maintaining a valid Push Certificates, allowing Apple’s APNs gateway addresses in firewalls, and monitoring certificate expiration dates. Certificate renewal must occur before expiration, as there is no grace period. Loss of APNs connectivity during a security incident could prevent IT from remotely locking or wiping compromised devices.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: IT teams must track APNs certificate expiration dates and renew certificates annually before they expire. Push notification failures often indicate firewall issues blocking ports 443 or 2197, or corporate proxies interfering with persistent TLS connections. During security incidents, APNs enables immediate remote lock or wipe commands.

MSP: MSPs managing multiple client MDM instances must track certificate expiration across all clients and establish renewal workflows 30-60 days before expiration. Importantly, Push Certificates should be created by the MSPs client using an Apple ID they manage.

Client network changes (new firewalls, proxy servers) can silently break APNs connectivity, causing delayed command delivery. MSPs should monitor APNs health proactively to catch issues before clients report problems.

Education: School districts rely on APNs for daily device management operations during the school year. Summer breaks provide natural windows for certificate renewal and APNs infrastructure maintenance. Education networks with strict content filtering must ensure APNs gateways remain accessible even when other Apple services are restricted.

In Addigy

Addigy provides Push Certificate management, including in-app alerts for upcoming certificate expiration and step-by-step renewal guidance. Apple sends email notifications about expiring certificates directly to the Apple ID associated with the certificate. Addigy displays APNs connectivity status for enrolled devices and shows in-app alerts when devices fail to respond to push notifications. Certificate renewal is a straightforward process accessed through the Addigy admin portal, with detailed documentation available in the support center.

When troubleshooting device check-in issues, Addigy’s live device info and monitoring shows APNs activity and can help identify patterns indicating network-level APNs blocking. Addigy also provides diagnostic tools to verify APNs connectivity from the Addigy infrastructure to Apple’s servers and from client networks to Addigy and Apple endpoints.