Apple TV (Gen 4) and Assigning Apps

[lbilston]

Apologies if this has been asked before, I've searched but can't find a proper answer

I've got a couple of Apple TV's here all enrolled in DEP and on our JSS (JAMF Pro v10)

I'd like to start rolling these out to classrooms but coming up with an issue trying to install apps on the Devices. Ideally, I'd love to be able to do this via JAMF Mobile Device Apps and automatically install a pre-approved set of apps to these devices for each classroom

The other solution is to assign the user the app, however, this doesn't seem to work either (not really my ideal solution as I don't want to be creating, managing and logging into 65+ Apple TV's

Love to hear from other environments who are running Apple TV's across a large number of rooms

Thanks

[mueller_helpdes]

Same issue.
Is there a way we can push/assign Apple TV Apps to Apple TVs.

[raphaelhuber]

Same issue.

[damienbarrett]

Unfortunately, not yet. There is not yet VPP app distribution for AppleTVs. There are very strong rumors about it being available when iOS 11.3 (tvOS 11.3) drops, but one does not simply comment on pre-release Apple software in public and return from Mordor alive.

[damienbarrett]

Sadly, tvOS 11.3 was released not long after I posted the above, and it does not appear to have included VPP app installation as part of its code base. Regardless, Apple has said to several sources that it's coming in "Spring 2018" -- which technically ends in June -- so we're likely to see it then. Maybe in 11.4. In a few weeks when the first beta or two of 11.4 is released to the seed channel, we'll have a better idea. Sad Damien. Managing AppleTVs makes Damien mad. Damien smash. Rawr! (playing Incredible hulk walking away piano music).

[JHanley]

I was wondering since it's October and new OS updates abound, has this been resolved by Apple? Can we now scope apps to TVOS devices?

[damienbarrett]

Yes, with tvOS 12, we finally get to push Apps to our AppleTV 4s. They must be running tvOS 12 and be enrolled in your MDM (I suppose you could push with Configurator but I'm not going into that Stygian hellhole). If you've pushed Apps to iOS devices using JSS, it's a very similar process. I've been testing for about a week with my Dev JSS and it's working fine. Next is to upgrade all my ATV4s to tvOS 12 and start using this in Production.

[JHanley]

Awesome! Thanks for the update! Since you're testing a question, does Self Service advertise to TVOS or are you Installing Automatically to them? Thanks for sharing the knowledge
JRH

[damienbarrett]

I'm installing automatically as there isn't a Self Service framework for tvOS.

[PEGS_JAMF_Suppo]

Hey, sorry to reply to this thread.

We are having issues deploying the app to the ATV 4 running 12.1 TV OS.

It is saying "The MDM request is invalid." next to the app name under the management tab for the device.

What setting am I missing? We don't have any issues deploying VPP apps straight to devices. Do you need a App Store account signed in on the TV OS? If so, can you automate this for all our ATVs? We are about to push out another 40 and this would save a huge amount of time.

[damienbarrett]

Pushing an App to an ATV4 does not require that you sign into each AppleTV with an App Store account. I have over 100 ATV4s operating with no account signed into them. Each received the App(s) I pushed to them via my JSS -- just like I've been doing with iPads for some time now.

Are you having problems with one specific App or is the error you describe happen to every App you try to push?

[thanhhaipto]

sorry i need help
I having ATV 4 running 12.1 TV OS. When I Pushing an App to an ATV4,there was an error message "The MDM request is invalid.".
I need specific instructions on how to push the application onto the device

[thanhhaipto]

I cannot push the app to apple tv, it has the error message "The MDM request is invalid"

[barons]

Has anyone had any luck with this issue? I have the same error happening here for the app "CNN: Breaking US & World News 5.23"

[martin_sedna]

Is there any news on this one yet? This is very frustrating and sort of contra-indicates the entire thing. I cannot deploy (free) apps from the tvOS app store to a tvOS device?

[paulandrews]

I am having the exact same response as well. "the MDM request is invalid" for both Plex and NASA

[AGolphin]

No problem Pushing apps to TvOS here. Is anyone still having the issue?

[RC408]

I'm running into the same thing with no luck. AGolphin, do you mind explaining how you got it to work (i.e., settings, process, etc.)?

[jfboulard]

You need to add VPP licence (even if the apps are free) to assign them to Apple TV.

[AGolphin]

Sorry I'm late.
As a school I use ASM (Apple School Manager) to "buy" 100 licenses.
This will show up automatically in Jamf Pro as long as you added your vpp token in jamf already.
If not just buy the app in vpp portal like normal then go into jamf and set up the application. Click save like normal then go back into it to edit. At the vpp tab select "Assign VPP Content" and choose your vpp instance. Works every time.