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Supervised iPads, app data and iCloud backups

  • October 10, 2013
  • 10 replies
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What are the steps to restore an iCloud backup to a Supervised iPad, retaining the app data for an app that is associated with Apple Configurator?

I have a supervised iPad that has a personal Apple ID, we've created an iCloud backup, on that iPad is Pages, which was installed by Apple Configurator and contains the end users content. Let's say that iPad was lost, here is what I tried to restore the data:

I got another iPad and Prepared it in Apple Configurator, choosing to install Pages at that time. The newly supervised iPad is given to the end user to run through the setup wizard where they select to restore their iCloud backup. The restore completes and we are taken to the home screen, but then the Pages app icon is greyed out and has the word 'Waiting...' written beneath it. Pages never installs. I tried plugging the iPad back into Configurator and Refreshing but it didnt change anything. If I use Configurator to remove Pages and re-add it, the personal app data is lost.

This is iOS 7 and Apple Configurator 1.4. Am I missing something here?

    10 replies

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    • cdenesha
    • Honored Contributor
    • October 10, 2013

    I don't think you are missing something, I think it may be an iOS 7 bug or Configurator 1.4 bug.

    Was the iPad already at iOS 7 when the backup was taken? I'm having trouble restoring an iTunes or iCloud backup to a Supervised iOS 7 if it was already at 7.

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    • AndyBeaver
    • Contributor
    • October 10, 2013

    I believe Pages is needing the institutional Apple ID to re-auth ( or the Apple ID that installed it). Damn key bags.

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    • plawrence
    • Author
    • Contributor
    • October 11, 2013

    Yes, the iPad was already running iOS 7 when the iCloud backup was created. When restoring an iCloud backup, the setup wizard prompts for the password for the institutional Apple ID, but even if I enter that the apps are not usable.

    I called AppleCare support managed to speak to someone in the enterprise team familiar with Apple Configurator, after we tried a few different ways of restoring the backup, he spoke to his team members and concluded that not being able to restore from an iCloud account to a supervised device is a known issue that they are looking to address.

    It appears the only solution for the moment is to backup/restore using Configurator, but sadly that doesn't help is lost or too damaged to plug into Configurator.

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    • cdenesha
    • Honored Contributor
    • October 11, 2013

    When we were testing this past Monday, we tried both an iCloud restore and an iTunes restore - neither worked the iPad was not supervised afterwards.

    We did not try a Configurator backup.

    We also did not think to check and see if iTunes was taking an encrypted backup. I don't think it would have mattered though.

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    • St0rMl0rD
    • Valued Contributor
    • October 14, 2013

    Try this, it worked for me:

    Erase All Content and Settings or Remote Erase the device
    Prepare the device in Apple Configurator
    Restore from iCloud with personal Apple ID in Setup Assistant
    Enter the institutional Apple ID manually on the iPad when requested Wait for all the apps to install
    Check app data
    Supervise in Apple Configurator and install enrolment profile
    Check enrolment status, profiles and restrictions

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    • cdenesha
    • Honored Contributor
    • October 14, 2013

    @St0rMl0rD was it at iOS 6 or 7 before the Erase? That has been the difference on whether it worked for us.

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    • St0rMl0rD
    • Valued Contributor
    • October 14, 2013

    iOS 7

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    • prabe
    • New Contributor
    • October 14, 2013

    Apple is aware of this issue. Any type of restore will break supervision as well as any OTA updates from iOS 6 to iOS 7. Still waiting on Apple's fix.

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    • plawrence
    • Author
    • Contributor
    • October 15, 2013

    @St0rMl0rD

    Erase All Content and Settings or Remote Erase the device Prepare the device in Apple Configurator Restore from iCloud with personal Apple ID in Setup Assistant Enter the institutional Apple ID manually on the iPad when requested Wait for all the apps to install Check app data Supervise in Apple Configurator and install enrolment profile Check enrolment status, profiles and restrictions

    Thanks for that list, I have a few questions though. After entering the institutional Apple ID and password, the apps begin to download, but the issue here is paid apps, because they are installing straight from the App Store the iPad doesn't use one of the VPP codes in Configurator. This becomes an issue when you Refresh the device later on, as Configurator doesn't know that the paid app has been installed.

    In your instructions you are Supervising the device after restoring the app data from iCloud. Doesn't Supervising it at this stage just wipe the device again, therefore losing all the data you just restored?

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    • St0rMl0rD
    • Valued Contributor
    • October 15, 2013

    Hm, you're right. The problem is at the Supervision step. Apple Configurator returns the error that it cannot verify the supervision state. I'll ask my contact at Apple EDU tech team about this and will get back to you ASAP.

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