Apple making device migration to Microsoft Intune easy with upcoming OS 26 release
By: Iris Yuning Ye – Product Manager | Microsoft Intune Apple recently announced a major update at their Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 that solves one of the biggest headaches for admins: migrating macOS and iOS/iPadOS devices from one mobile device management (MDM) solution to another without factory resets, manual re-enrollment, or missing configurations. With the new MDM Migration capability in macOS 26 and iOS/iPadOS 26, built directly into Apple Business Manager, IT admins are able to transition devices from third-party MDMs to Microsoft Intune seamlessly, and without user disruption. Migrating devices to Intune helps IT admins consolidate device management across platforms, enforce consistent security policies, and reduce operational complexity. In this blog, learn how to start using Apple’s MDM migration feature to easily move your macOS and iOS/iPadOS fleet to Intune. Prerequisite: macOS/iOS/iPadOS 26 and enrollment into a device management service is required to use the Apple MDM migration feature. 1. Pre-migration – preparation and set up Before starting the migration process, there are five major steps to follow for preparation. 1.1 Keep a record of your devices Start by creating a detailed inventory of all devices in your organization. This should include each device model, the version of OS it’s running, and whether it’s corporate-owned or user-owned. This step is critical because Apple’s new migration feature has specific OS version requirements. Knowing which devices are eligible helps you scope the migration accurately and avoid surprises later. 1.2 Document configurations in current MDM Before making any changes, document all existing configurations in your current MDM platform. This includes: Configuration profiles: Capture all profiles related to Wi-Fi, VPN, email, and certificates. These are essential for maintaining connectivity and access post-migration. Compliance policies: Note any rules that enforce password complexity, encryption, or device health checks. Security baselines: Record settings such as FileVault encryption, Gatekeeper, and the macOS firewall to ensure security standards are preserved. Custom scripts: List any scripts used for automation, monitoring, or maintenance tasks. Deployed applications: Document all apps currently deployed, including how they’re delivered (Volume Purchase Program, App Store, or custom packages). This documentation will serve as your blueprint for rebuilding these configurations in Intune. 1.3 Configure the Apple MDM push certificate Navigate to the Intune admin center, create and upload an Apple MDM push certificate. This certificate allows Intune to securely communicate with Apple devices. Without it, device management and policy enforcement can’t function. 1.4 Add Microsoft Intune to Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager (ASM) Next, integrate Microsoft Intune with ABM or ASM, by following these steps: Download the public key from Intune. Upload that key to ABM or ASM when creating a new MDM server. Then, download the server token from ABM or ASM and upload it back into Intune. This allows ABM to recognize Intune as a valid MDM server and enables device assignment. 1.5 Set up MDM Configurations in Intune Using the configurations documented in step 1.2, begin replicating existing configurations in Intune. This includes but is not limited to: Rebuilding configuration profiles for network access and security. Reapplying compliance and security policies. Re-deploying applications. Rewriting or importing scripts as needed. Identify the other controls to implement that improves Zero Trust. Call to action: Please make sure testing the MDM configurations on a test device before assigning them to the devices you plan on migrating. And before initiating any migration, communicate with your endpoint users first, keeping them informed to avoid any confusion. 2. Migration – Admin step-by-step flow The admin experience starts from ABM or ASM. After logging into ABM or ASM, navigate to the Devices section. Select the device or group of devices targeted for migration to Intune. Selecting the ellipsis on the top right of device overview interface unveils the “Assign Device Management” button. Select the server you want to migrate the device to. In our case, it’s Intune. Confirm device assignment. iew page – Assign Device Management pop-up window – confirm device management service change. 3. Migration – Endpoint step-by-step flow After completing the device management assignment, the device user receives a notification informing them that a management change is required. macOS iOS/iPadOS When the user selects the notification, they are guided through a simple approval process. If the user doesn’t initiate enrollment before the admin set enrollment deadline, an enforced migration occurs, which results in a non-dismissible and full-screen prompt that must be completed by the user before using the device. Regular migration Enforced migration (past deadline) Once the user approves the migration, the device communicates with Apple’s servers to get its new device management assignment. It then downloads and installs the new MDM profile. This migration process happens without rebooting the device. 4. Post-migration – Verification Lastly, verify the migration and enrollment successfully completed by navigating to the Intune admin center and confirming the new devices are listed. Please note, it's important to have test device verifying required configurations running smoothly before migrating large number of devices and test your devices after migration to ensure everything is working smoothly. If you run into any issues, further adjustments may be needed. Special thanks to our Intune MVP, Somesh Pathak, whose content we leveraged in this blog! For more details and a video demo, check out Somesh’s blog at: https://intuneirl.com/mac-admins-your-migration-glow-up-just-dropped Summary In short, Apple’s new MDM migration in macOS and iOS/iPadOS 26 makes moving Mac, iPhone or iPad devices to Intune now easier than ever. With careful planning and a few simple steps, you can make the switch smoothly to manage your Apple devices all in one place. For Mac devices that aren’t running OS 26, you can check out our Intune Github for migration scripts and review the blog Managing and migrating Macs with Microsoft Intune. Let us know how your Mac journey is going by leaving a comment below, reaching out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam, or join our Mac Admins Community on LinkedIn!Support tip: Troubleshoot device cap reached when enrolling devices into Microsoft Intune
By: Premkumar N – Security Customer Experience Engineer | Microsoft Intune When Microsoft Entra or Intune device limits are reached, users will encounter an error when enrolling their device into Intune. While it can be difficult to understand the reason for the failure from the error message, this blog will explain the differences between Microsoft Entra device registration limit and the Intune device enrollment limit, along with the steps to resolve these issues. For an overview of Microsoft Entra and Intune device limit scenarios refer to: Understand Intune and Microsoft Entra device limit restrictions. Let’s look at the experiences on different platforms, followed by the resolution steps. Android Intune device limit reached When the Intune device limit is reached, an Android device enrollment will fail with the following error: To diagnose the issue, review the Intune Company Portal logs for the affected device. Capturing Company Portal logs: Users can select "Email Support" from the error screen to send the logs via email or Send logs from Company Portal. If the Company Portal logs display the “Device Cap Reached” error as shown in the example logs below, this indicates that the Intune device limit has been reached. 2025-07-16T15:07:39.8410000 VERB o.zzafi 13923 6035 sending event: EnrollmentFailureEvent( networkState=CONNECTED, enrollmentFlowType=Enrollment, enrollmentType=AfwProfileOwner, failureName=DeviceEnrollmentFailure, errorException=com.microsoft.windowsintune.companyportal.exceptions.EnrollmentException: Server error = <s:Envelope xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope" xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/2005/08/addressing"> <s:Body> <s:Fault> <s:Code> <s:Value>s:Receiver</s:Value> <s:Subcode> <s:Value>s:Authorization</s:Value> </s:Subcode> </s:Code> <s:Reason> <s:Text xml:lang="en-US">Device Cap Reached</s:Text> </s:Reason> <s:Detail> <DeviceEnrollmentServiceError xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/pki/2009/01/enrollment"> <ErrorType>DeviceCapReached</ErrorType> <Message>Device Cap Reached</Message> <TraceId>xxx</TraceId> </DeviceEnrollmentServiceError> </s:Detail> </s:Fault> </s:Body> </s:Envelope>, errorMessage=, sessionGuid=xxx ) By default, Intune allows a maximum of 15 devices per user; exceeding this limit logs an error in the Company Portal. To address this issue, either remove inactive devices that have not checked in to Intune within a specified timeframe, or increase the device limit (up to 15) in the Intune settings. To remove stale devices: Navigate to the Microsoft Intune admin center > Devices > All Devices. Search using the affected user's UPN to view all enrolled devices. Remove any devices no longer in use. To increase the device limit: Navigate to the Microsoft Intune admin center > Devices > Enrollment > Device Limit Restrictions. Select the policy, go to Properties, then edit Device Limit, and adjust the limit (maximum 15). Note: If the Intune device limit is reached, errors are logged in the Microsoft Intune admin center under Devices > Monitor > Enrollment failures. Microsoft Entra device limit reached For Android, users will see the same error message when Microsoft Entra device limit has been reached. You can confirm the Microsoft Entra device limit has been reached by checking the Company Portal logs for the following error: com.microsoft.identity.broker4j.workplacejoin.exception.DrsErrorResponseException: { "code": "invalid_request", "subcode": "error_directory_quota_exceeded", "message": "User 'xxx' is not eligible to enroll a device of type 'Android'. Reason 'DeviceCapReached'.", "operation": "DeviceJoin", "requestid": "xxx", "time": "xxx" } Similar to the Intune device limit reached, to resolve this issue either increase the device limit in Microsoft Entra for Microsoft Entra registration or remove any stale devices associated with the user in the Microsoft Entra admin center. Stale devices are those that are no longer active and can be removed when they haven’t checked in for a specified period. One cause of stale devices is deleting or retiring an Intune device, which may leave behind a record in Microsoft Entra and contribute to reaching the Microsoft Entra device registration limit. To remove stale devices: Go to the Microsoft Entra admin center. Navigate to Microsoft Entra ID > Users. Search for the user using their UPN. Select Devices. This displays a list of registered devices for the user. Devices that are no longer in use can be removed. To increase the device limit for Microsoft Entra registration: Go to the Microsoft Entra admin center. Navigate to Microsoft Entra ID > Devices. Select Device Settings. Locate Maximum number of Devices Per User. Adjust the device limit as needed. iOS Intune device limit reached For iOS, device enrollment may fail with the following error if the device limit has been reached. To check the issue, select 'Report and Email logs' to collect Company Portal logs. If the logs show the below error, it confirms the Intune device limit has been reached. 2025-07-18 12:38:33.427 | utility | 31673 | AlertManager.swift:37 (push(alert:grouping:)) Pushing alert with: grouping = 0 title = Couldn't add your device. message = You have reached the limit of devices you can register. Please contact your company support to increase this number, or review and remove devices that are already registered with this account. into the AlertManager The resolution is the same as Android, refer to the earlier steps for Intune device limit reached on Android. Microsoft Entra device limit reached On iOS devices, Intune enrollment may successfully complete; however, device registration may still result in an error as shown below in the Company Portal app. To collect Intune Company Portal logs, select More > Send logs > Email Logs. When you see the following error message in the Company Portal logs: iOSunderlyingErrorMessage: { "ErrorType": "AuthorizationError", "Message": "User '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' is not eligible to enroll a device of type 'Ios'. Reason 'DeviceCapReached'.", "TraceId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Time": "2025-07-16 14:07:23Z" } To resolve, use the same steps as Android when Microsoft Entra device limit is reached. macOS Intune device limit reached For macOS, device enrollment will fail with the following error when the Intune device limit has been reached. To identify the issue, collect the Company Portal logs by selecting 'Report' and then email the logs. In the logs, when you see the following error, this confirms the Intune device limit has been reached. 2025-07-25 07:39:23.731 | utility | 14262 | AlertManager.swift:37 (push(alert:grouping:)) Pushing alert with: grouping = 0 title = Couldn't add your device. message = You have reached the limit of devices you can register. Please contact your company support to increase this number, or review and remove devices that are already registered with this account. into the AlertManager To resolve, use the same steps as Android when Intune device limit is reached. Microsoft Entra device limit reached For macOS when enrolling into Intune, if the Microsoft Entra device limit has been reached, you’ll notice the following error: In the Company Portal logs, when you see the following error, this confirms the Microsoft Entra device limit has been reached. Description: { "ErrorType": "AuthorizationError", "Message": "User '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' is not eligible to enroll a device of type 'Mac'. Reason 'DeviceCapReached'.", "TraceId": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "Time": "2025-05-27 05:24:52Z" } To resolve, use the same steps as Android when Microsoft Entra device limit is reached. Windows Intune device limit reached For Windows devices, enrollment will fail with the following error when Intune device limit has been reached: When you see this error, you can check the logs in the event viewer in this path: Source: Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider/Admin Event ID: 71 MDM Enroll: Failed to receive or parse certificate enroll response. Result: The account has too many devices enrolled to Mobile Device Management (MDM). Delete or unenroll old devices to fix this error. To resolve, use the same steps as Android when Intune device limit is reached. Microsoft Entra device limit reached For Windows, when the Microsoft Entra device limit has been reached, you’ll notice the following error during Intune enrollment: When you see this error, you can check the logs in the event viewer in this path: Windows Device Source: Microsoft-Windows-User Device Registration/Admin Event ID: 304 The get join response operation callback failed with: exit code: Unknown HResult Error code: 0x801c000e Activity Id: a0a15e15-631a-46ab-b0a4-2f540778df7d The server returned: HTTP status: 400 Server response: { "code": "invalid_request", "subcode": "error_directory_quota_exceeded", "message": "User '8b000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' is not eligible to enroll a device of type 'Windows'. Reason 'DeviceCapReached'.", "operation": "DeviceJoin", "requestid": "a0000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", "time": "2025-05-30 15:33:09Z" } This is the result of the Microsoft Entra device limit reached for the user for Windows platform. To resolve, use the same steps as Android when Microsoft Entra device limit is reached. Device limit reached – Windows Autopilot hybrid join scenario The Microsoft Entra device limit reached error will also occur when changing the primary user in Intune for Windows Autopilot Microsoft Entra hybrid joined devices). In the Autopilot hybrid join scenario there will be two device records in Azure. The Microsoft Entra hybrid join record, and the standard Microsoft Entra join record. Changing the primary user only updates the hybrid joined record in Microsoft Entra, leaving the original user as the owner of the Microsoft Entra join record. The owner entries on the Microsoft Entra join record will impact the device registration limit. Rather than removing the Microsoft Entra join device, which deletes its join state and is not a recommended approach, remove the registered owner on that record. Note: Deploying new devices as Microsoft Entra hybrid join devices isn’t recommended, for more details refer to Microsoft Entra joined vs. Microsoft Entra hybrid joined in cloud-native endpoints: Which option is right for your organization. The following image shows the device state after the Microsoft Entra hybrid joined deployment is completed. User1 enrolled a Microsoft Entra hybrid join device with Intune and Windows Autopilot and the registered user for both the records is ‘user1’. After changing the primary user in Intune to user2, only the Microsoft Entra hybrid joined record is updated for user2. The Microsoft Entra device registration usage for user1 remains unchanged for the Microsoft Entra joined record, both before and after modifying the primary user of the Intune device. This counts toward the Microsoft Entra registration limit for user1. Resolution Before proceeding with the resolution steps for this scenario, it’s important to note the difference between a registered owner and a registered user: Registered owner: A registered owner is the user that cloud joined the device or registered their personal device. The registered owner is set at the time of registration. Registered user: For cloud joined devices and registered personal devices, registered users are set to the same value as registered owners at the time of registration. Remove the registered owner This action can be done using PowerShell and Graph Explorer. Step 1. Check the user's device count in Microsoft Entra ID using Graph Explorer or PowerShell. PowerShell: This query lists the registered devices for the user. Install-Module Microsoft.graph Connect-MGgraph Get-MgUserRegisteredDevice -UserId <userID> Get-MgUserRegisteredOwner -UserId <userId> Sample from PowerShell: Graph Explorer queries: Owned devices for the user GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/{user-id}/OwnedDevices Registered device for the user GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/users/{user-id}/registeredDevices Sample Graph Explorer output: Only the "ID" in the output is needed to remove the device in next step. { "@odata.context": "******", "@microsoft.graph.tips": "******", "id": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-00000000", "deletedDateTime": null, "accountEnabled": true, "approximateLastSignInDateTime": "******", "complianceExpirationDateTime": null, "createdDateTime": "******", "deviceCategory": null, "deviceId": "******", "deviceMetadata": null, "deviceOwnership": "Company", "deviceVersion": 2, "displayName": "******", "domainName": null, "enrollmentProfileName": null, "enrollmentType": "AzureDomainJoined", "externalSourceName": null, "isCompliant": false, "isManaged": true, "isRooted": false, "managementType": "MDM", "manufacturer": "******", "mdmAppId": "******", "model": "******", "onPremisesLastSyncDateTime": null, "onPremisesSyncEnabled": null, "operatingSystem": "******", "operatingSystemVersion": "******", "physicalIds": [ "******", "******", "******", "******" ], "profileType": "RegisteredDevice" } Step 2. After confirming the user association for the device, remove both the registered owner and user for the Microsoft Entra joined device record to clear the user count toward the pre-defined limit. Graph API query: Replace the 'deviceid' in the following query with the 'id' from the Graph Explorer output from the previous step. Delete Registered Owner DELETE https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/devices/{deviceid}/registeredowners/{user-id}/$ref Delete Registered User DELETE https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/devices/{deviceid}/registeredusers/{user-id}/$ref This can also be done with PowerShell as below. PowerShell commands In the below commands DeviceID = Microsoft Entra Device ID/ObjectID. It’s important to remove both the registered owner and registered user for the device. Remove registered owner: Remove-mgdeviceregisteredownerDirectoryObjectByRef –DeviceId <DeviceID> -DirectoryObjectId <userID> Sample PowerShell output: Remove registered user: Remove-mgdeviceregistereduserDirectoryObjectByRef –DeviceId <DeviceID> -DirectoryObjectId <userID> Sample PowerShell output: PowerShell or Graph Explorer can also be used to delete the device in other scenarios such as Intune device deletion and Microsoft Entra device ID deletion. Summary Device enrollment can fail when either Intune or Microsoft Entra device limits are reached. These errors can be confusing, however, understanding the difference between Microsoft Entra device registration limits and Intune device enrollment limits makes it easier to sort out and resolve the issue. These issues commonly stem from stale device records, or changing the primary user of a Microsoft Entra hybrid joined device. Resolving them involves removing inactive devices or adjusting device limit policies in the appropriate service. As a best practice, avoid changing the primary user of the Microsoft Entra hybrid joined device and deploy the Windows Autopilot device to new users with a fresh start. Additional information on this topic can be found in the Microsoft Learn docs below: Device limit - Understand Intune and Microsoft Entra device limit restrictions List RegisteredDevices for user - List registeredDevices - Microsoft Graph v1.0 ListOwnedDevices for user - List ownedDevices - Microsoft Graph v1.0 Remove the registered owners for the device - Delete registeredOwners - Microsoft Graph v1.0 Remove the registered user for the device - List registeredUsers - Microsoft Graph v1.0 If you have any questions, leave a comment below or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam.Deploying macOS FileVault with Microsoft Intune
By: Marc Nahum – Senior Product Manager | Microsoft Intune FileVault is Apple's built-in disk encryption technology for macOS. To deploy FileVault securely and effectively in an enterprise setting, it requires a deeper understanding. Originally launched in 2005 with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, FileVault has evolved significantly. The release of FileVault 2 in 2011 with Mac OS X Lion marked a major upgrade. Since then, Apple has continued to improve its capabilities. For example, macOS Sequoia now supports unlocking FileVault using Microsoft Entra ID credentials through Platform SSO. In this blog, you'll learn how to: Enable FileVault for macOS using Microsoft Intune Use and manage recovery keys Manually import FileVault recovery keys into Intune Troubleshoot FileVault issues during device migration to Intune Although FileVault has been around for nearly 20 years, much of the guidance available online is outdated or based on older versions of macOS. This blog focuses on current best practices for enterprise deployment, specifically for: Devices running macOS Sonoma (version 14) or later Apple silicon hardware Microsoft Intune as the mobile device management (MDM) solution for policy enforcement and recovery key escrow Legacy methods, such as Institutional Recovery Keys, are now considered obsolete and won’t be covered. Instead, we focus on building a modern, secure, and maintainable FileVault deployment strategy. Are recent Mac devices encrypted by default? Yes. Apple silicon Macs,and Intel-based Macs with a T2 Security Chip, are encrypted by default at the hardware level. This encryption uses a unique identifier stored in the Secure Enclave. However, the encryption becomes user-aware and policy-enforceable only when FileVault is enabled. Once activated, FileVault enhances security by linking the encryption to the user’s login password in addition to the hardware-based key. This ensures that access to the data requires proper user authentication. Apple provides detailed information on this process in their Apple Platform Security Guide. Enabling FileVault with Intune FileVault is a key component of macOS security and should be considered a mandatory requirement for organizations except where local laws explicitly prevent it. Intune offers several ways to configure FileVault, but the settings catalog is the recommended approach. It helps avoid policy conflicts and ensures consistent, reliable behavior across devices. It’s also the most future-proof method, as it aligns with ongoing platform and Intune updates. 📋 Steps to configure FileVault via settings catalog Login tothe Microsoft Intune admin center Navigate to Devices > macOS Create a new configuration profile: Profile type: Settings Catalog Name the profile and provide a clear description In the Settings Picker, locate Full Disk Encryption and configure the following in the subsections FileVault Defer → Enabled Enable → On (default) Force Enable In Setup Assistant → True Recovery Key Rotation in Months → (e.g., 6 months) FileVault Options Prevent FileVault From Being Disabled → True FileVault Recovery Key Escrow Location → Your Enterprise Name Note: The Defer setting was mandatory in certain versions of macOS. While this might not be required in the latest releases, it’s still recommended to enable it for added security and a more predictable user experience. Proceed through Scope tags and Assignments. It’s recommended to assign the profile to All devices (interpreted here as “all Macs”), use filters if needed. The usage of static groups of devices is also an option but dynamic device groups are not compatible with the “Force Enable In Setup Assistant” option, which is needed for enforcing encryption during the setup assistant without user intervention. If you’re using Platform SSO with Password synchronization you can use the FileVault Policy setting to force the device, connected to the network, to check Microsoft Entra ID password when a device is turned back on (macOS 15 and later). This setting can be found in the setting catalog under Authentication / Extensible Single Sign On (SSO) / Platform SSO And must be set to: AttemptAuthentication Refer to this article to properly configure Platform SSO and select the method to use it: Configure Platform SSO for macOS devices in Microsoft Intune. Once the profile is deployed and the device receives the configuration, FileVault will be activated and the recovery key securely escrowed in Intune. The key is stored in the device properties, Recovery Keys section and is accessible only to admins with proper role-based access. All access is audited. If the device is set as “Personal” in Intune, the recovery key will not be visible in the admin center. Enrolled with Automated Device Enrollment with the device in Apple Business Manager Enrolled from Intune Company Portal as a bring-your-own device In cases where FileVault isn’t enabled during Setup Assistant, such as in bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scenarios using the Intune Company Portal, the same policy will trigger FileVault activation after the next reboot, prompting the user to take the necessary actions. Using the FileVault recovery key The FileVault recovery key serves as a secure fallback for users who forget their login password. When used properly, it allows access to the Mac without requiring a password reset or device re-enrollment. While Apple documents the recovery key process on their support site, one useful detail is often overlooked: If the ”?” icon doesn’t appear on the Mac login screen, users can select Shift + Option + Return to manually bring up the recovery key prompt. This can be particularly helpful during support scenarios where the user is locked out, but the device is still enrolled and reachable via Intune. At this stage, the Mac has completed booting and can still receive remote commands such as running scripts or executing device actions. Manually escrowing an existing recovery key If FileVault is already enabled on a Mac before it’s enrolled in Intune, users can manually escrow their personal recovery key using the Intune Company Portal. This is especially useful in bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scenarios or in loosely managed enrollment flows, where FileVault may have been activated outside of the IT admins control. Steps to import the recovery key: Verify FileVault status Launch Terminal and run: fdesetup status This confirms whether FileVault is currently enabled. Rotate and display the recovery key Run the following command to generate a new personal recovery key: sudo fdesetup changerecovery -personal The user must have administrator privileges to execute this command. Upload the recovery key to Intune using the Company Portal website. Open a browser and navigate to: https://portal.manage.microsoft.com Select the corresponding Mac device (if prompted) Choose “Store Recovery Key” and paste the new key from the Terminal output On the same page, users can also retrieve an existing recovery key if it has already been escrowed. This manual method ensures that devices encrypted outside the MDM provisioning flow can still benefit from secure recovery key escrow and retrieval through Intune. Migrating to Intune A common challenge when migrating to Intune from another MDM is that FileVault may already be enabled. Aside from the manual steps, organization’s might consider another approach which is to automate the escrow of existing recovery keys using tools like Escrow Buddy, an open-source tool developed by Netflix. For all considerations of migrating to Intune we wrote another blog on it: aka.ms/Intune/mac-migration. Reach out for help If you’re interested in learning more about FileVault and other Mac scenarios, there are a couple more things you can do. Join our Microsoft Mac Admins community on LinkedIn. Our product teams are there, plus thousands of others who’re using Intune to manage their Apple devices in a Microsoft Enterprise environment. If you have a question about Microsoft and Mac, someone in this community will likely have the answer. If you have 150 Microsoft 365 licenses or more, you can also Request FastTrack assistance. Our FastTrack team are experts at helping our customers make the most of their investment in Microsoft technologies. Lastly, if you’re looking for a deeper engagement, consider finding a Microsoft partner to support your migration needs. If you have any questions or want to share how you’re managing and migrating your Apple macOS devices in Intune, leave a comment below or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam or @MSIntune. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn: aka.ms/IntuneLinked.Support tip: Move to declarative device management for Apple software updates
By: Benjamin Flamm – Product Manager | Microsoft Intune Apple recently announced at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June 2025 that mobile device management (MDM) software updates are deprecated in the upcoming Apple OS 26 versions. Instead, software updates will need to use declarative device management (DDM). In this blog, we want to provide you with everything you need to know to navigate this transition and easily manage software updates in DDM. What is DDM? DDM is an enhancement to Apple’s device management protocol that makes devices more proactive and autonomous, and this is perfectly highlighted by the major improvements that DDM brings to managing software updates. Previously, Intune had to send update commands and repeatedly check for the update status. With DDM, Intune simply tells the device the required OS version and the installation deadline, while the device proactively updates Intune on its progress from download to installation. Move to DDM for software updates The MDM software update features in Intune will initially be marked as ‘deprecated’ in the Intune admin center and support will end shortly after Apple OS 26 releases. Devices will ignore MDM update settings when DDM update settings are being enforced, so the only steps you need to do are to create your DDM update policies using the settings catalog. The following table lists the MDM software update features that’ll be unsupported later this year, along with the matching DDM feature that is currently available or coming soon. Legacy MDM feature New DDM feature iOS/iPadOS update policies Software Update or Software Update Enforce Latest settings, located in the settings catalog under Declarative Device Management (DDM): macOS update policies iOS update installation failures report Apple software update failures (Devices > Monitor) which is expected to release with Intune’s August (2508) service release. macOS update installation failures report Software updates report (macOS per-device) macOS software updates (Devices > All devices, select a macOS device > macOS software updates) which is expected to release with Intune’s August (2508) service release. macOS Settings catalog > Software Update payload and settings Software Update Settings located in the settings catalog under Declarative Device Management (DDM): Settings in the iOS or macOS ‘Device restrictions’ template Settings catalog > Restrictions, software update delay settings How do I manage software updates using Intune? With Apple deprecating MDM software updates, DDM is the recommended method to manage software updates in your organization. For a thorough guide that highlights the differences between MDM and DDM, along with how to configure DDM software updates review: Managed software updates with the settings catalog. Useful resources Apple announcements: Announcement of DDM software updates at WWDC 2023 Introduction of Software Update Settings at WWDC 2024 Announcement of MDM update deprecation at WWDC 2025 Intune Apple settings catalog configuration list | Microsoft Learn Apple Platform Deployment guide for managing updates | Apple Support Stay tuned to this post for updates! If you have any questions, leave a comment below or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam or @MSIntune. Updates: 7/25/2025: Updated the expected release timeline of the new per-device software update report for macOS.Support tip: Troubleshooting Microsoft Intune management agent on macOS
By: Chris Kunze – Principal Product Manager | Microsoft Intune The Microsoft Intune management agent for macOS is a crucial part of deploying and managing applications and scripts through Intune. It manages running scripts and installing apps of types macOS app (DMG) and macOS app (PKG). The following questions will help you verify if your Intune management gent is installed, operational, and functioning properly. Is the agent installed? The Intune management agent, displayed as Microsoft Intune Agent on a device, is installed when scripts or apps requiring the agent are assigned. This is usually at device enrollment since the agent installs immediately after the device receives the Intune management profile. Once installed, you can find the agent at /Library/Intune/Microsoft Intune Agent.app. You can also check the version of the client installed by right clicking the file and selecting 'Get Info'. A screenshot of the Microsoft Intune agent information. Are the agent processes running? There are two processes that should run once the agent installs: IntuneMdmDaemon: Responsible for PKG, DMG, and running scripts as root. IntuneMdmAgent: Responsible for running scripts as user. You can use the following command in Terminal to determine if the processes are running: pgrep -il "^IntuneMdm" If it’s determined that the processes aren’t running, they can be restarted by launching the Microsoft Intune Agent.app. Are logs being generated? The transaction logs for the Microsoft Intune Agent start with IntuneMDMDaemon and are found at /Library/Logs/Microsoft/Intune. If the transaction logs aren’t being generated, and the Microsoft Intune Agent is installed, ensure that scripts or PKG or DMG apps are assigned to the device. If the transaction logs aren’t being generated, and the Microsoft Intune Agent is installed, ensure that scripts or PKG or DMG apps are assigned to the device. What is shown in the logs? The IntuneMDMDaemon logs are broken up into 6 columns of data delimited by a pipe character (|). Each log line provides the following information: Date and time of the log Process (IntuneMDM-Daemon) Log level (Information, Warning, and Error) Process ID Task that wrote the log Task information Note: The logs in this blog were collected on different days and times and may not align perfectly between sections. A screenshot of the agents logs for the IntuneMDMDaemon process. Did the app install? If you're troubleshooting a specific app that isn't installing correctly, start by searching or filtering the log using the app ID or app name. The app ID is typically the most reliable identifier, as it consistently marks log entries related to that app. You can discover an app’s ID in the logs or in the URL of the app in the Microsoft Intune admin center. For example, in the screenshot below, the highlighted section of the URL in the address bar represents the app ID of the sample app shown. A screenshot of the Microsoft Intune admin center, highlighting the app ID displayed in the URL. You can also retrieve the app ID (displayed as the PolicyID) from the logs themselves by searching for the app name as in the following example log line: 2025-06-13 10:04:02:924 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppDetector | Detecting app with specific bundle ID. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppType: PKG, IgnoreVersion: true The Microsoft Intune Agent detects if an app is installed on the device two ways: Is the bundle ID returned from a Spotlight Search? Is there a package receipt? To manually check for bundle ID and package receipt, use the following Terminal commands. Spotlight Search test Note: This command is case sensitive so pay special attention to the case of the bundle ID. mdfind "kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier == '{bundleid}'" A screenshot of the output of the mdfind command run in Terminal. Package receipt test Use pkgutil in Terminal to check if the package is installed. pkgutil --pkg-info {bundleid} A screenshot of the output of the pkgutil command run in Terminal. If your app or script isn't in the logs, check its assignment in the Intune admin center. Log entries will show reasons for any installation failures. When did the agent start? Each time the agent starts, a full sync will be kicked off and you’ll see the following line in the logs: 2025-06-13 10:03:59:892 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10426 | SidecarDaemonLifecycleManager | Initializing service. This line is added to the current log whenever the agent starts or restarts—whether due to a system reboot, the agent process being terminated, or an update being applied. Missing device ID and tenant ID? After enrollment, the first time the Microsoft Intune Agent runs, the logs will return these two lines: 2025-06-13 10:03:59:893 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | W | 10432 | TreatmentProvider | Missing device ID 2025-06-13 10:03:59:893 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | W | 10432 | TreatmentProvider | Missing tenant ID This occurs because the agent doesn’t have the device or tenant ID yet, so it requests these details from the gateway. After the information has been collected, your logs will have something similar to these lines: 2025-06-13 10:04:01:415 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10434 | VerifyEnrollmentStatus | Successfully verified MDM server info. URL: https://i.manage.microsoft.com/DeviceGatewayProxy/ioshandler.ashx?Platform=MacMDM 2025-06-13 10:04:01:415 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10434 | VerifyEnrollmentStatus | Successfully verified device status. DeviceId: 04674b8c-69b5-4450-b4dc-82a8c0025d18, OSVersionActual: 15.5.0, Version: 2506.002, VersionInstalled: 2506.002 2025-06-13 10:04:01:415 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10434 | VerifyEnrollmentStatus | Successfully verified enrollment status. Environment: PROD, Region: NA, ASU: AMSUA0602, MSU: MSUA06, AccountID: 691617c5-0000-0000-0000-000000000000, AADTenantID: c53fda5f-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 What is the HealthCheckWorkflow? The Microsoft Intune agent has a heartbeat that runs about every minute to verify the status of the agent and connection to Intune. If the agent is running properly, the following two log lines will represent this heartbeat: 2025-06-13 10:03:59:893 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10432 | HealthCheckWorkflow | Starting health check Domain: pulse 2025-06-13 10:03:59:901 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10426 | HealthCheckWorkflow | Completed health check Domain: pulse What policies are installed? You can see what policies are installed by the Microsoft Intune Agent in the logs. A line similar to the one below lists the policy IDs for the policies: 2025-06-13 10:04:02:923 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10435 | SyncActivityTracer | Validating data Context: apply mac app policies, Count: 4, PolicyID: ["14f79200-7c53-48ed-8d8e-287ae52a9c82", "c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888", "cc2af15f-9ed6-4c65-89bd-bc203031803f", "f6b5b5bd-9e87-42fc-94f8-31a2bc4bc255"] This list includes all Microsoft Intune Agent policies, including PKGs, DMGs, and shell scripts. If the policy ID isn’t listed for the app you want installed or script you want to run, it’s likely that itisn’t assigned properly. What will I see when a required app installs? When a device is notified of an app to install, the logs show the following. Determine intent for Required app: 2025-06-13 10:04:02:924 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppPolicyHandler | Handling app policy. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, Primary BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, IgnoreVersion: true, Count: 1, AppType: PKG, App Policy Intent: RequiredInstall Detecting app: 2025-06-13 10:04:02:924 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppDetector | Detecting app with specific bundle ID. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppType: PKG, IgnoreVersion: true Detecting app by path: 2025-06-13 10:04:02:978 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | W | 10431 | AppDetector | Error detecting install path for app. Error: BundleInfoProviderError.bundleNotFound, PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, IgnoreVersion: true App not found by path: 2025-06-13 10:04:02:978 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10431 | AppDetector | App not found on disk, trying to detect app receipt PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppType: PKG, IgnoreVersion: true Detecting app by receipt (bundle ID): 2025-06-13 10:04:02:978 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10431 | AppDetector | App not found on disk, trying to detect app receipt PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppType: PKG, IgnoreVersion: true App receipt not found: 2025-06-13 10:04:03:064 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppDetector | Receipt not detected in receipt library, install app PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppType: PKG, IgnoreVersion: true 2025-06-13 10:04:03:064 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppDetector | App with specific bundle ID is NOT installed on the device. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppType: PKG, IgnoreVersion: true Need to install app: 2025-06-13 10:04:03:064 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppInstallManager | App policy execution plan: Install PKG app [CK] Add Scripts PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts Starting app install: 2025-06-13 10:04:03:064 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppInstallManager | Starting app installation for mac app policy. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts Download app: 2025-06-13 10:04:03:064 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | AppBinaryDownloader | Start app content info metadata download PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts 2025-06-13 10:04:03:064 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10429 | SidecarService | Getting mac app content info from GW PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts 2025-06-13 10:04:03:788 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10432 | AppBinaryDownloader | Starting app binary download for mac app policy. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, Size: 2948.0 2025-06-13 10:04:03:812 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10432 | AppBinaryDownloader | Attempt 1 of 3 to download app binary. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts 2025-06-13 10:04:03:817 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | *10417 | HttpClientLogger | Network request succeeded. Method: PUT, StatusCode: 200, Description: ok, URL: https://agents.amsua0602.manage.microsoft.com/TrafficGateway/TrafficRoutingService/SideCar/StatelessSideCarGatewayService/SideCarGatewaySessions('7EFAA5B2-ADA9-4422-A55C-A2A08FBB6655')?api-version=1.1, ClientRequestId: 7665A5F1-3E11-406E-910B-715EE3231BD1 2025-06-13 10:04:03:943 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10427 | AppBinaryDownloader | Successfully downloaded app binary content. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts Decrypt content: 2025-06-13 10:04:03:943 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10427 | AppInstallManager | Starting app binary decryption for mac app policy. PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts Install Required app: 2025-06-13 10:04:03:945 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10427 | AppInstallManager | Install required for app PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts 2025-06-13 10:04:03:945 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10427 | PkgInstaller | Starting PKG app installation PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts 2025-06-13 10:04:03:945 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10427 | ScriptOrchestrationLogger | Running system script. Domain: apps, User: root, PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888 Successful app install: 2025-06-13 10:04:05:362 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10551 | PkgInstaller | Successful PKG installation - installer completed with success status PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts 2025-06-13 10:04:05:363 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10551 | AppInstallManager | Successfully installed all apps PolicyID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, AppName: [CK] Add Scripts, ComplianceState: Installed, EnforcementState: Success, Product Version (BundleID of primary app): 1.0, Primary BundleID: com.intune.AddScripts 2025-06-13 10:04:05:363 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 10551 | ExecutionClock | Policy measurement. ID: c76df059-7bc6-468c-956d-56cf63a59888, Context: macAppInstall, Duration: 2.4395320415496826, Status: success If your logs diverge from the above, be sure that the app is assigned properly and all the correct endpoints are reachable by the client system. What do I see when an available app installs? Available app installs are very similar to required app installs. The main difference is that no detection is run prior to installing the app. In addition, the log lines that show the determined intent and installation are slightly different. Determine intent for Available app: 2025-06-18 12:52:38:693 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 27013 | AppPolicyHandler | Handling app policy. PolicyID: 69045d7b-4e79-464b-bff6-3d4908f303f3, Primary BundleID: com.intune.TestScript, IgnoreVersion: true, Count: 1, AppType: PKG, App Policy Intent: Available Install Available app: 2025-06-18 12:52:38:693 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 27013 | AppInstallManager | Available app install, skipping detection PolicyID: 69045d7b-4e79-464b-bff6-3d4908f303f3, AppName: [CK] Test Script, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.TestScript 2025-06-18 12:52:38:693 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 27013 | AppInstallManager | Install required for app PolicyID: 69045d7b-4e79-464b-bff6-3d4908f303f3, AppName: [CK] Test Script, AppType: PKG, BundleID: com.intune.TestScript What do I see when a script runs? Scripts and their execution are also captured in the logs. Since you can only assign scripts as required, no intent is determined. Unless you schedule a script to run on a recurring basis, scripts will only run once on a Mac. Script to run 2025-06-18 13:12:38:188 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 8303 | ScriptPolicyRunner | Running ad-hoc script policy PolicyID: b9b4b299-9a36-40bf-b43a-db295ee49dd6, ExecutionContext: root, ExecutionFrequency: 0, RetryCount: 3, BlockExecutionNotifications: true Starting script 2025-06-18 13:12:38:235 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 5355 | ScriptOrchestrationLogger | Running management script. Domain: policy, User: root, PolicyID: b9b4b299-9a36-40bf-b43a-db295ee49dd6 Completing script 2025-06-18 13:12:43:949 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 5355 | ScriptOrchestrationLogger | Finished management script. Domain: policy, User: root, PolicyID: b9b4b299-9a36-40bf-b43a-db295ee49dd6 Script run status 2025-06-18 13:12:43:950 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 5355 | ScriptPolicyRunner | Ad-hoc script policy ran PolicyID: b9b4b299-9a36-40bf-b43a-db295ee49dd6, TotalRetries: 0, Status: Success, ExitCode: 0 How long did it take to run? 2025-06-18 13:12:43:950 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 5355 | ExecutionClock | Policy measurement. ID: b9b4b299-9a36-40bf-b43a-db295ee49dd6, Context: shellScript, Duration: 5.769531011581421, Status: success Already run script 2025-06-18 13:13:28:232 | IntuneMDM-Daemon | I | 11413 | AdHocScriptProcessor | Not running script policy because this policy has already been run. PolicyID: b9b4b299-9a36-40bf-b43a-db295ee49dd6 When you assign a script to a device, the install configuration is also sent to the device. The configuration for this is also listed in the log and an example is included above in the “Script to run” bullet. The following table shows the mapping of settings from the Intune admin center for a script to the values shown in the log for this type of log line. Value in Intune Representation in logs Run script as signed-in user ExecutionContext Hide script notifications on devices ExecutionFrequency Script frequency RetryCount Max number of times to retry if script fails BlockExecutionNotifications Conclusion The Microsoft Intune Agent for macOS is a critical part of Mac management in Intune as it’s responsible for running shell scripts and installing both PKG and DMG types of macOS apps. This blog discussed how to access the logs for the macOS Microsoft Intune management agent, what is collected, how to read, and understand the logs to determine what apps were installed and what scripts were ran. Resources Here are some additional resources to help with your macOS management journey with Intune. Understanding Microsoft Intune management agent for macOS Add an unmanaged macOS PKG app to Microsoft Intune Add a macOS DMG app to Microsoft Intune Use shell scripts on macOS devices in Microsoft Intune Network endpoints for Microsoft Intune If you have any questions or want to share how you’re managing your macOS devices with Intune, leave a comment below or reach out to us on X @IntuneSuppTeam or @MSIntune. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn.Blocking and removing apps on Intune managed devices (Windows, iOS/iPadOS, Android and macOS)
By: Michael Dineen - Sr. Product Manager | Microsoft Intune This blog was written to provide guidance to Microsoft Intune admins that need to block or remove apps on their managed endpoints. This includes blocking the DeepSeek – AI Assistant app in accordance with government and company guidelines across the world (e.g. the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs Protective Policy Framework (PSPF) Direction 001-2025, Italy, South Korea). Guidance provided in this blog uses the DeepSeek – AI Assistant and associated website as an example, but you can use the provided guidance for other apps and websites as well. The information provided in this guidance is supplemental to previously provided guidance which is more exhaustive in the steps administrators need to take to identify, report on, and block prohibited apps across their managed and unmanaged mobile devices: Support tip: Removing and preventing the use of applications on iOS/iPadOS and Android devices. iOS/iPadOS devices For ease of reference, the below information is required to block the DeepSeek – AI Assistant app: App name: DeepSeek – AI Assistant Bundle ID: com.deepseek.chat Link to Apple app store page: DeepSeek – AI Assistant Publisher: 杭州深度求索人工智能基础技术研究有限公司 Corporate devices (Supervised) Hide and prevent the launch of the DeepSeek – AI Assistant app The most effective way to block an app on supervised iOS/iPadOS devices is to block the app from being shown or being launchable. Create a new device configuration profile and select Settings Catalog for the profile type. (Devices > iOS/iPadOS > Configuration profiles). On the Configuration settings tab, select Add settings and search for Blocked App Bundle IDs. Select the Restrictionscategory and then select the checkbox next to the Blocked App Bundle IDs setting. > Devices > Configuration profile settings picker = 'Blocked App Bundle IDs' Enter the Bundle ID: com.deepseek.chat Assign the policy to either a device or user group. Note: The ability to hide and prevent the launch of specific apps is only available on supervised iOS/iPadOS devices. Unsupervised devices, including personal devices, can’t use this option. Uninstall the DeepSeek – AI Assistant app If a user has already installed the app via the Apple App Store, even though they will be unable to launch it when the previously described policy is configured, it’ll persist on the device. Use the steps below to automatically uninstall the app on devices that have it installed. This policy will also uninstall the app if it somehow gets installed at any point in the future, while the policy remains assigned. Navigate to Apps > iOS/iPadOS apps. Select + Add and choose iOS store app from the list. Search for DeepSeek – AI Assistant and Select. > Apps > iOS/iPadOS > Add App searching for 'DeepSeek - AI Assistant' app Accept the default settings, then Next. Modify the Scope tags as required. On the Assignments tab, under the Uninstall section, select + Add group or select + Add all users or + Add all devices, depending on your organization’s needs. Click the Create button on the Review + create tab to complete the setup. Monitor the status of the uninstall by navigating to Apps > iOS/iPadOS, selecting the app, and then selecting Device install status or User install status. The status will change to Not installed. Personal Devices – Bring your own device (BYOD) Admins have fewer options to manage settings and apps on personal devices. Apple provides no facility on unsupervised (including personal) iOS/iPadOS devices to hide or block access to specified apps. Instead, admins have the following options: Use an Intune compliance policy to prevent access to corporate data via Microsoft Entra Conditional Access (simplest and quickest to implement). Use a report to identify personal devices with specific apps installed. Takeover the app with the user’s consent. Uninstall the app. This guide will focus on option 1. For further guidance on the other options refer to: Support tip: Removing and preventing the use of applications on iOS/iPadOS and Android devices. Identify personal devices that have DeepSeek – AI Assistant installed and prevent access to corporate resources You can use compliance policies in Intune to mark a device as either “compliant” or “not compliant” based on several properties, such as whether a specific app is installed. Combined with Conditional Access, you can now prevent the user from accessing protected company resources when using a non-compliant device. Create an iOS/iPadOS compliance policy, by navigating to Devices > iOS/iPadOS > Compliance policies > Create policy. On the Compliance settings tab, under System Security > Restricted apps, enter the name and app Bundle ID and select Next. Name: DeepSeek – AI Assistant Bundle ID: com.deepseek.chat Under Actions for noncompliance, leave the default action Mark device noncompliant configured to Immediately and then select Next. Assign any Scope tags as required and select Next. Assign the policy to a user or device group and select Next. Review the policy and select Create. Devices that have the DeepSeek – AI Assistant app installed are shown in the Monitor section of the compliance policy. Navigate to the compliance policy and select Device status, under Monitor > View report. Devices that have the restricted app installed are shown in the report and marked as “Not compliant”. When combined with the Require device to be marked as compliant grant control, Conditional Access blocks access to protected corporate resources on devices that have the specified app installed. Android devices Android Enterprise corporate owned, fully managed devices Admins can optionally choose to allow only designated apps to be installed on corporate owned fully managed devices by configuring Allow access to all apps in Google Play store in a device restrictions policy. If this setting has been configured as Block or Not configured (the default), no additional configuration is required as users are only able to install apps allowed by the administrator. Uninstall DeepSeek To uninstall the app, and prevent it from being installed via the Google Play Store perform the following steps: Add a Managed Google Play app in the Microsoft Intune admin center by navigating to Apps > Android > Add, then select Managed Google Play app from the drop-down menu. r DeepSeek – AI Assistant in the Search bar, select the app in the results and click Select and then Sync. Navigate to Apps > Android and select DeepSeek – AI Assistant > Properties > Edit next to Assignments. Under the Uninstall section, add a user or device group and select Review + save and then Save. After the next sync, Google Play will uninstall the app, and the user will receive a notification on their managed device that the app was “deleted by your admin”: The Google Play Store will no longer display the app. If the user attempts to install or access the app directly via a link, the example error below is displayed on the user’s managed device: Android Enterprise personally owned devices with work profile For Android Enterprise personally owned devices with a work profile, use the same settings as described in the Android Enterprise corporate owned, fully managed devices section to uninstall and prevent the installation of restricted apps in the work profile. Note: Apps installed outside of the work profile can’t be managed by design. Windows devices You can block users from accessing the DeepSeek website on Windows devices that are enrolled into Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Blocking users’ access to the website will also prevent them from adding DeepSeek as a progressive web app (PWA). This guidance assumes that devices are already enrolled into Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to block access to websites in Microsoft Edge First, Custom Network Indicators needs to be enabled. Note: After configuring this setting, it may take up to 48 hours after a policy is created for a URL or IP Address to be blocked on a device. Access the Microsoft Defender admin center and navigate to Settings > Endpoints > Advanced features and enable Custom Network Indicators by selecting the corresponding radio button. Select Save preferences. Next, create a Custom Network Indicator. Navigate to Settings > Endpoints > Indicators and select URLs/Domains and click Add Item. Enter the following, and then click Next: URL/Domain: https://deepseek.com Title: DeepSeek Description: Block network access to DeepSeek Expires on (UTC): Never You can optionally generate an alert when a website is blocked by network protection by configuring the following and click Next: Generate alert: Ticked Severity: Informational Category: Unwanted software Note: Change the above settings according to your organization’s requirements. Select Block execution as the Action and click Next, review the Organizational scope and click Next. Review the summary and click Submit. Note: After configuring the Custom Network Indicator, it can take up to 48 hours for the URL to be blocked on a device. Once the Custom Network Indicator becomes active, the user will experience the following when attempting to access the DeepSeek website via Microsoft Edge: Using Defender for Endpoint to block websites in other browsers After configuring the above steps to block access to DeepSeek in Microsoft Edge, admins can leverage Network Protection to block access to DeepSeek in other browsers. Create a new Settings Catalog policy by navigating to Devices > Windows > Configuration > + Create > New Policy and selecting the following then click Create: Platform: Windows 10 and later Profile type: Settings Catalog Enter a name and description and click Next. Click + Add settings and in the search field, type Network Protection and click Search. Select the Defender category and select the checkbox next to Enable Network Protection. Close the settings picker and change the drop-down selection to Enabled (block mode) and click Next. Assign Scope Tags as required and click Next. Assign the policy to a user or device group and click Next. Review the policy and click Create. When users attempt to access the website in other browsers, they will experience an error that the content is blocked by their admin. macOS macOS devices that are onboarded to Defender for Endpoint and have Network Protection enabled are also unable to access the DeepSeek website in any browser as the same Custom Network Indicator works across both Windows and macOS. Ensure that you have configured the Custom Network Indicator as described earlier in the guidance. Enable Network Protection Enable Network Protection on macOS devices by performing the following in the Microsoft Intune admin center: Create a new configuration profile by navigating to Devices > macOS > Configuration > + Create > New Policy > Settings Catalog and select Create. Enter an appropriate name and description and select Next. Click + Add settings and in the search bar, enter Network Protection and select Search. Select the Microsoft Defender Network protection category and select the checkbox next to Enforcement Level and close the Settings Picker window. In the dropdown menu next to Enforcement Level, select Block and select Next. Add Scope Tags as required and select Next. Assign the policy to a user or devices group and select Next. Review the policy and select Create. The user when attempting to access the website will experience the following: http://www.deepseek.com showing error: This site can't be reached Conclusion This blog serves as a quick guide for admins needing to block and remove specific applications on their Intune managed endpoints in regulated organizations. Additional guidance for other mobile device enrollment methods can be found here: Support tip: Removing and preventing the use of applications on iOS/iPadOS and Android devices. Additional resources For further control and management of user access to unapproved DeepSeek services, consider utilizing the following resources. This article provides insights into monitoring and gaining visibility into DeepSeek usage within your organization using Microsoft Defender XDR. Additionally, our Microsoft Purview guide offers valuable information on managing AI services and ensuring compliance with organizational policies. These resources can help enhance your security posture and ensure that only approved applications are accessible to users. Let us know if you have any questions by leaving a comment on this post or reaching out on X @IntuneSuppTeam.Exploring the use cases of payloadless packages in Microsoft Intune for macOS
By: Iris Yuning Ye | Product Manager - Microsoft Intune Payloadless PKGs are a powerful tool that extends macOS app management functionality. A payloadless PKG is a type of package file used primarily in macOS environments that doesn’t contain or deliver any actual application or data files. Using Intune, you can deploy payloadless PKGs to managed macOS endpoints using built-in macOS PKG management capabilities. The best use case of payloadless PKGs is for running scripts on-demand. Additionally, since payloadless packages are PKG files installed via macOS agent channel, pre-install and post-install scripts are also available. Important: From a support perspective, Microsoft fully supports Intune and its ability to deploy scripts. However, Microsoft does not support the scripts themselves, even if they’re on our GitHub repository. They’re provided for example only. You’re responsible for anything that they may do within your environment. Always test! The example below is a script that modifies the desktop dock. You can deploy this to managed macOS endpoints using a payloadless PKG. This is a partial code snippet only to present the key dock configuration. To fully modify the endpoint’s desktop dock, you need to update the script further including specifying local app paths and adding logic to conditionally configure the dock that applies to your environment. For the complete script, refer to: Microsoft Shell Intune Samples - Dock. (Omitted the preparation code lines) # Check if apps are installed if [[ "$waitForApps" == true ]]; then echo "$(date) | Waiting for apps to be installed..." wait_for_apps_installation 900 # Wait 900 seconds for apps to be installed fi #if useDockUtil is true, use dockutil to configure the dock if [[ "$useDockUtil" == true ]]; then echo "$(date) | Configuring dock with dockutil" install_dockutil_if_missing configure_dock_with_dockutil else echo "$(date) | Configuring dock with plist" configure_dock_via_plist fi By deploying this via a payloadless app, you can make it available in the Intune Company Portal. To do this you’ll need to use a payloadless package (Intune Unmanaged PKG) and a post-install script (Intune PKG Post Install Script). Upload dock.pkg to Intune: This is a totally empty PKG that creates a receipt name of com.intune.dock. For guided steps on how to upload the PKG refer to: Add an unmanaged macOS PKG app to Microsoft Intune. When you assign the package, ensure that you do it as available. Paste dock5.sh contents as Post Install Script: For this flow, ensure that waitForApps is set to false. For details of pre-install and post-install scripts, refer to the blog: Understand pre-install and post-install scripts in macOS Intune. Here is a demo of what it looks like when you deploy this payloadless package to modify endpoint desktop dock: There are multiple app types available for deployment from Microsoft Intune to managed endpoints including macOS PKGs which you also use for payloadless PKGs. Learn more about the different app types in the blog: Understanding application types in Microsoft Intune for macOS. > macOS > Add App > macOS app (PKG)). In conclusion, payloadless PKGs are a versatile tool that enhances macOS app management. With the ability to add and configure macOS apps in Intune, you can maintain a high level of control and flexibility over your macOS app deployments. For more information on adding and deploying a macOS PKG in Intune, refer to: Add an unmanaged macOS PKG app to Microsoft Intune. If you missed it, check out Understanding application types in Microsoft Intune for macOS, and Understand pre-install and post-install scripts for macOS in Microsoft Intune, and let us know if you have any questions, by leaving a comment or reach out to X @IntuneSuppTeam.
