Feature Roundup: iOS and macOS – September 2024

With iOS and macOS devices commanding over 18% of the market share, they’ve become essential for today’s workplaces, offering superior usability and robust security. However, managing these devices can be challenging, especially given the dependency on Apple’s APIs. 

At 42Gears, we recognize the critical need for efficient and secure device management, and our product team is constantly working to equip IT administrators (like you!) with powerful tools necessary to manage your iOS and macOS fleets efficiently. 

We’re excited to share the latest features and enhancements we’ve rolled out for SureMDM over the past six months. In this comprehensive roundup, we'll explore updates—from new policies to improved user experience features—and show you how they can streamline your device management, bolster security, and elevate your overall user experience. Let’s dive in!

1. New Features

File Management

• File Transfer: SureMDM now lets you transfer files to macOS devices with ease, simplifying file sharing and management on user devices. Ensure seamless collaboration and quick access to important documents.

Device Security and Profile Management

• Lost Mode: IT admins can now leverage SureMDM to remotely lock iOS devices if they are lost or stolen to protect sensitive data, and prevent unauthorized device access.

• Remove Profile: Bulk remove profiles and custom payloads from iOS and macOS devices to wipe any existing configurations, restrictions, or data and ensure that the devices are configured according to the latest policies and settings.

Enrollment and Setup

• QR Code Enrollment for macOS: IT teams can now leverage QR code-based enrollment for macOS with a dedicated section in the SureMDM web console to make device onboarding easier and more streamlined.  Admins can quickly configure device names, set QR code expirations, and limit the number of devices enrolled per code as well. Additionally, for AccountID enrollments, users are also prompted to set the device name during the process, giving you more customization.

Printing and Contact Management

• AirPrint: SureMDM enables IT admins to remotely configure AirPrint settings for both iOS and macOS devices to ensure a consistent printing experience.

• Contacts: IT teams can configure account settings for your CardDAV-compliant contact server on iOS and macOS to enable centralized contact management.

Enhanced Branding, Notification Controls, and WebApps for macOS

• Branding (macOS): IT teams can now customize the Home Screen wallpaper, Lock Screen messages, and screensaver for macOS devices to strengthen brand identity, and ensure a consistent user experience.

• Notifications (macOS): SureMDM allows for the configuration and customization which apps can/cannot receive notifications, along with style options, to either force enable or disable notifications, enhancing user experience and reducing distractions.

• WebApps (macOS): IT admins can now deploy and configure web applications on macOS devices similar to iOS. This feature provides employees with easy access to essential web-based tools.

2. Feature Enhancements

Device Actions and Configuration

• Erase All Content and Settings: You can now factory reset macOS devices for repurposing without wiping the operating system, significantly reducing preparation time.

• Dynamic Device Actions: When selecting a device under Dynamic Actions, only the relevant actions are displayed, with non-applicable options grayed out for clarity and ease of use.

Device Management and Compliance

• SureMDM Agent Enhancements: The SureMDM agent now allows users to change the device name and also un-enroll the device directly, bypassing the need to navigate through device settings. The agent now displays both the Device Name and Group Name for better visibility.
• Compliance for macOS: We’ve introduced new compliance policies—device storage, encryption, uptime, firewall policies, and hardware changes ensuring your devices consistently meet security standards and safeguard sensitive data.

Analytics and Monitoring

• App Usage and Device Events Analytics: IT admins can now monitor app usage and track vital device events on macOS devices to gain valuable insights into application usage patterns. Audit key events such as reboots, logins, logouts, and other critical activities for comprehensive device visibility and security.

Security Enhancements

• Added Device Restrictions: We’ve introduced additional restrictions for iOS 16/17 devices, such as enforcing the preservation of eSIM on erase, managing eSIM settings, controlling iCloud Private Relay, etc. For macOS 14, we've added controls to prevent users from changing the device name, altering account settings, creating local user accounts, etc. These enhancements provide more granular control over device usage, ensuring compliance with company policies.
• macOS Password Settings: IT admins can now implement delays after failed login attempts, and enforce Touch ID timeouts to improve security and protect against unauthorized access.

Conclusion

Managing your iOS and macOS devices is now easier than ever with SureMDM. We've introduced powerful enhancements that give you more control and save you time, all designed with your needs in mind. And that’s not all —there’s even more on the way to make your experience as seamless and intuitive as possible.

Ready to elevate your iOS and macOS endpoint management? Explore these new features today!