iOS device supervision is, without fail, an extremely important piece while managing Apple. Therefore, it becomes quite imperative that we understand its importance, its limitations, and how to get started with it from the get-go. iOS Device Supervision actually helps organizations gain control over the various Apple devices that they manage/own. If you have iOS device supervision, you will be able to restrict certain features, like the Apple AirDrop, or you could also try disabling the App Store. But there are certainly some limitations to the entire process. You can only work on a device that is entirely new. In the event that you want to supervise any existing devices, you need to wipe it out.
What Are The Different Forms of iOS Device Supervision?
If untouched, any iPad or iPhone that exists is usually not supervised. You can only switch on the Supervision if you have a new device ready for some adjustment tweaks. In case you want to install iOS device supervision on your iPhone or iPad, and then subsequently use it- you need to first completely format your phone- or your administrator needs to. To be frank, most companies don’t take that step. They can usually supervise the company devices through the system of mobile device management- which is further supplemented by the device enrollment program. And all this can be found under the Apple School Manager or the Apple Business Manager. Of course, there will be a few organizations that might have a limited list of devices. They can simply use iMazing or Apple Configurator which will allow them to supervise their devices locally. Since macOS only supports Apple Configurator, Windows users might have to use iMazing Configurator.
Why is iOS Device Supervision Necessary?
If truth be told, it is quite necessary to supervise every device that falls under the jurisdiction of an organization. There could be an exception wherein the organization has an in-house supervision system instituted- like a secure Wi-Fi network, or corporate applications that are strictly in-house. Remember, if you see yourself being under the surveillance of the master device, and that a notification has been sent to you that it is monitoring your location- the device can only monitor your location if your phone is in lost mode.
The only reason why a company should enforce iOS device supervision is so that they can utilize the additional controls that come into play. In the event that a device is kept under supervision, one can simply restrict certain features- like disallowing USB connections, disabling AirDrop, forcing Wi-Fi on, and etc. The best feature of the iOS device supervision would be its ability to prevent a cell phone from doing a complete factory reset without implementing the DFU mode. And in the event that the device did put itself in a DFU mode, it has to again enroll at the Apple School Manager, in order to start functioning again. If you observe carefully, this deters thefts from taking place.
If the company’s policies don’t infringe upon the privacy rights of the individual, this would be a good form of supervision.
