Excluding iPads

[dsitter]

Is there a way to take an iPad which has already been placed in a Config profile and exclude it without having to apply to all the iPads when I put it in the excluded category?

We have a couple hundred iPads in a Config profile that does not allow the app store. Because of older settings, many of our students have paid apps attached to appleID's which they can't get access to because they don't have the app store. SO, I exclude that device so that we can download the apps that were attached to codes rather than managed, and then add them back to the config profile. However, when I go to exclude just that iPad, I have to send that "new" profile to all the devices. Is there a way to just deal with that one iPad and not have to send the command to all of the iPads?

Thanks

[CasperSally]

@dsitter we do this via a static group in the exclusion. then add/remove devices to the static group as needed.

[danny33c]

Can you switch the assignments from VPP to "Mobile Device Apps"? They will then get the app directly or through Self-Service. We have moved most of our assignments to Mobile Device Apps. So much easier than dealing with forgotten Apple ID passwords, AppStore, etc.

[dsitter]

@CasperSally Thanks. I just created a static group and excluded that one. Then moving forward when I need to do this operation all I have to do is scope that device to static, get what I need, then remove it from static correct?

@danny33c Yeah, we're cycling out all the apple ID's so it will just be a little while until we don't have to deal with them. However, curious if you have set up through apple the District controlled Apple ID's at all?

[CasperSally]

@dsitter yup. works well for us.

[danny33c]

We have, but for the 3rd grade only. It was a pain in the butt, but we have kind of a weird setup where we don't actually own our iPads, so we have to use the verification code. We have realized that the only use for a Managed Apple ID is for the students to backup their iPads to iCloud. It is very restrictive and disables the AppStore and Find My iPad. If they want other apps we suggest the parent create a family sharing Apple ID and include the student.

[cdenesha]

Another way to do this if you want to restrict front line techs from modifying Groups is to create a Mobile Device Extension Attribute, perhaps called Temporarily put back App Store, or Temporarily Override App Store Restriction. Have it be a popup with a Yes/True option. Have a Smart Group populate when you set the EA, and this SG is the Exclusion for the profile.

It works well, but I suspect it adds more calculation to the JSS to see if each iPad needs to be in the Smart Group. I think it is easier then editing a Static Group..