How to enable teachers to download their own apps from the app store?

[bhagal92]

The previous jamf guy disabled this feature, but now our CTO wants that feature enabled. Teachers and staff members would use their already existing district username and password as their apple id.

Would this be a new config profile that would have to be created? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Tribruin]

Why not use Self Service and VPP instead? There are a lot concerns with letting users download Apps directly from the App Store. 

The first question is, are your teachers using Managed AppleIDs? Assuming you are using Apple School Manager, then are you importing users from your SIS to create AppleIDs. (This is likely.) If the AppleIDs are MAIDs, then they will not be able to purchase applications from the App Store. That feature is disabled for MAIDs (About Managed Apple IDs for education - Apple SupportAbout Managed Apple IDs for education - Apple Support)

If you are NOT using MAIDs and just having your teachers create AppleIDs, using their school email, then the School has no management of those AppleIDs and any applications purchaed by the teacher would be theirs and not the schools. Plus, some applications have different licensing requirements for VPP than personal purchase. You can't just give one app to another user. 

There are several videos on the Training catalog that explain the VPP process and Self Service. Take a look at:

Volume Purchasing (jamf.com)

Jamf Self Service for iOS

Apple Services (jamf.com)

Also review the Jamf Documentation, specifically around Apps and Books (formally Volume Purchasing Program or VPP) and Self Service. 

[bcrockett]

This is the way. 

[sdagley]

@bhagal92 There isn't a way to set an Apple ID via configuration profile. And you really do _not_ want to have every device signed in to the same Apple ID. You might find it easier to create a process to request no cost apps be enabled for installation via Self Service which triggers someone on your staff to add them to ASM and Jamf Pro.

[jcarr]

This video series from Apple does a nice job explaining the entire deployment process.  These sections will be of particular interest:

Planning Your Content Needs (12min)

Funding Content Purchases (9min)

Purchasing Content (12min)

Assigning Content to Devices (10min)

Since teachers are (presumably) all adults, they could sign into the App Store using their personal Apple ID for discovery purposes.  If they find an app they like, they would need to make the request of IT to procure licenses and distribute the app to their student's devices however.