iPad customization setup using Jamf Pro

This is probably not what you are looking for, but we used to do a background image that they could not remove unless they made it into a certain smart group looking for one of the “last steps” that we gave them (downloading the PowerSchool app to check their grades). The image gave instructions to follow and let them know the image would be replaceable after 24 hrs after completion. It wasn’t “pretty,” and we did have some stubborn kids not comply until we manually locked them down, but it was only maybe 3-4, and easy enough for us to manage. 

Hi cc_rider,

You've hit on one of the key differences between macOS and iPadOS device management — the onboarding tooling ecosystem for iPad is much more limited compared to Mac.

The core challenge:

On macOS, we have tools like DEPNotify, swiftDialog, Setup Your Mac, and Jamf Setup Manager that can run custom apps or scripts during/after enrollment to guide users through setup steps. These tools work because macOS allows:

• Custom LaunchAgents/LaunchDaemons
• Background script execution
• Apps that can overlay the desktop and block user interaction

On iPadOS, none of this is possible. iOS/iPadOS is fundamentally more locked down — you can't run arbitrary scripts, deploy custom background processes, or create apps that take over the screen (outside of Single App Mode managed by MDM).

What you CAN do with Jamf Pro for iPad:

1. Enrollment Customization panes — You're already using this. You can create branded text panes with Markdown, SSO authentication panes, and LDAP authentication panes. These appear during Setup Assistant before the user reaches the home screen. However, as you noted, these are informational only — they don't "enforce" that the user completes subsequent steps.
2. Temporary Single App Mode with a custom web app — This is probably the closest to what you're describing. The workflow would be:
   • Create a simple web app (or use a kiosk app like Kiosk Pro) that displays your onboarding instructions
   • Deploy it via VPP and lock the device to it using Single App Mode immediately after enrollment
   • The web app guides users through: "Open Company Portal and sign in" → "Open Zscaler and authenticate" → etc.
   • Once the user confirms completion (or you verify via compliance check), remove Single App Mode via Jamf Pro
   The challenge here is the "handoff" — the user needs to exit Single App Mode to actually complete those steps in other apps, then return. This requires either manual IT intervention or a more sophisticated approach.
3. Compliance-based restrictions — Instead of a guided wizard, you can use Jamf Pro's compliance features to restrict access until requirements are met. For example:
   • Block App Store access until Microsoft Intune compliance is achieved
   • Display a persistent notification via Restrictions until Zscaler is configured
   • Use Smart Groups to track which devices haven't completed setup
4. Managed App Configuration with Company Portal — If you're using Microsoft Intune alongside Jamf Pro, the Company Portal app can enforce device registration as a condition for accessing corporate resources.

The honest answer:

There isn't an iPad equivalent to DEPNotify or Jamf Setup Manager. The "wow factor" onboarding experience you're envisioning — where the user is held in a guided flow until all compliance requirements are met — isn't natively achievable on iPadOS without significant compromises.

Most organizations solve this with either thorough documentation sent before device handout, or by having IT complete the initial compliance steps before giving the iPad to the user.

If anyone in the community has found a creative solution, I'd love to hear it as well!