Self Service and Free Apps on iOS without an Apple ID

If you have an app that is in your JSS and it isn't recognizing the Device-based assignment in the VPP options of the app even through in VPP it shows as device assignable, you may need to force an app refresh

• Go to your JSS Settings> Global Settings > VPP Accounts and click your VPP account
• Select the Content Tab > Find the App > Click refresh next to the app

We had an issue where Self Service iOS in the JSS was not picked up the device-assignable option even through it is there through VPP and refreshing the app pulled in the option.

@rsaeks How has pushing Self Service without an Apple ID been working for you so far? Our tests had a mixed result. 100% of the time, it pushed fine. 100% of the time, it could not connect to the JSS for unknown reasons making the app completely useless.

@McAwesome - It has been OK. I think what it is going to make us to is change our Self Service option down the road so rather than require it on all devices, we will scope it on the device-level.

My System has been working quite flawless just need to make sure your smart groups do not have alot of criteria of 10 or more sometime at 5-6 it causes issues as well. So i changed it all over again and my criteria changed from 10 items down to 1 and it has worked great to enroll and deploy and remove and re-deploy so far no hiccups and I'm so glad in moving toward JSS it has helped greatly -

Thanks
Dr. Dan
D87
iOS 9.1 - 700+ JSS 9.81.1 Hosted
www.iOSGenius.com

This is frustrating beyond belief.

1) DEP --> VPP --> JSS is set up correctly with APNS cert, etc.
2) Apps, free and not-free, are "purchased" via the VPP portal at deploy.apple.com
3) PreStage enrollment is happening for OOB iPads. Names are being assigned properly. Supervision set. Configuration profile being applied successfully.
4) VPP user is set up in JSS without issue.
5) Apps, in JSS, are set to be installed automatically upon enrollment.
6) Some Apps do not support device-assgnement yet. For testing, I'm working only with Apps that I've verified to support this in iOS 9 and above.

Results:

1) Even Self Service Mobile App is asking for AppleID login and password on the enrolled device.
2) One prompt for every App that is asking to be installed.

The goal is to distribute iPads with DEP --> JSS --> VPP-purchased Apps but without an AppleID. This is supposed to be possible. Apple's documentation says it's possible. JAMF's documentation says it's possible. My reality is that it doesn't work.

If I put in any AppleID on the iPad, the apps then install, but that defeats what I'm trying to do. I don't want to distribute iPads with an institutional AppleID on them.

JSS is at 9.81

Do you see the apps listed under vpp accounts>content? Also, in the app configuration do you have the vpp information set?

Yes, I see the non-free apps in Global Management --> VPP Accounts --> Content. The free ones do not show up there.

On Free App Store apps, In Mobile Devices --> Apps --> Select the App --> VPP Tab, I see a "button" for "Device Assignments" but when I click on it, nothing happens. Yes, the Edit button is checked in bottom right.

On Purchased VPP App Store apps, I see the same "button" for "Device Assignments" and when I click on it, it gives me options for assigning to a mobile device. However, on the iOS side, it's still prompting for an Apple ID.

For the "google classroom" app which is free, I had to go into apple's vpp and basically purchase it again with the amount of licenses I wanted. The content it supposed to refresh in jamf, but doesn't always so I had to manually add it with update purchased content. It was very tedious to have go back and do this for all the free apps already setup in jamf.

The steps I did to ultimately get this to work were as follows:
1. Purchase an app through vpp, didn't matter if it was free or not.
2. Go into jamf>global management>vpp>ensure the app is listed in content. If it isn't then update purchased content.
3. Ipads have to be iOS 9
4. I have had better success if they are enrolled through DEP pre-stage enrollment
5. Assign the app as you have for "Coach's Eye" with the vpp account.

PS: I was able to have all my redeemable codes transfered to managed distribution licenses.

Ah ha! I think it's because I didn't actually "purchase" the free Apps in the VPP portal. Doh! That would explain why the one app shows up as device-assignable but the free ones don't. I'll test this and report back. Thanks for the walkthrough and steps.

@damienbarrett

I noticed in your screenshot for Coach's Eye that you also have VPP Codes available for that app. I ran into an issue when testing Device Assignments, if there were any VPP Codes assigned to the app I was attempting to deploy, then the device would prompt for Apple ID credentials. As soon as I deleted the VPP codes from the app, then the Device Assignment worked correctly. So keep an eye out for that too!

This is a long shot but it has worked for me ....
In Section Global Management / VPP Accounts / Contents if the REPORTED amount of free apps ordered was in RED writing therefore not equal to TOTAL the pushed apps would ask to log into the iTunes store. I hit refresh couple of times and when both were equal and push the app all went through correctly ....

Now ALL my apps PAID and FREE are opening without asking a iTunes login

Daniel Potvin, CS des Navigateurs
CCT in April -- Toronto Canada

Well the issue has now returned .... we had a major JSS server crash .... we reinstalled all including new JAVA and now on deploying the apps ALL devices ask for an AppleID ... this is getting a little frustrating ... and why doesn't JAMF put a GLOBAL APPS sync refresh to VPP server ?? an alphabetical listing would also be logical !!! Seems JAMF aren't reading this forum anymore....

Daniel Potvin

So, what we figured out is this:

• if the app is assigned to users, and you assign it to devices, it will ask for Apple ID and password if the app tries to install on device directly over device-based assignment
• if the app is not assigned to any user, and you assign it to a device, it will not ask for Apple ID and password and will install automatically

So the solution is, to unassign the app from users and assign it ONLY to devices. Works like a charm for us. Good luck :)

-J

@St0rMl0rD That sounds like a bug to me, did you contact your TAM? I haven't tested that yet but will add it to my list.

They know about it.

I know this is an old Thread, but This seems to be happening again under 10.0.1? Does anybody else experience this with JSS 9.96 and a brand new shiny iOS 10.0.1?

We always had the (Free) Apps scoped to the devices and select users. It worked okay , until .... now (iOS X)

Thanks for any Info!

Marek

I saw this on an app or two yesterday. Set up a fresh 10.0.1 iPad and once through the setup screens it started downloading the scoped apps (around 40) and it kept popping up the Apple ID dialog box.

I unscoped the app that was sitting in the pending list on the ipad from that device and then rescoped and the diaglog box went away.