iOS17 Safari's profiles allow users to clear history

Masterboy303
New Contributor II

Hi !

With iOS 17 Apple introduce the profiles in Safari. When you create one, all the favorites web site, cookies and history are stored inside this profile. And when you delete this profile, all these things are deleted too. That's the new way our student's hide their history of navigation with Safari. I don't find any restrictions about that. Do you have a tip to disable / avoid / hide these profiles ?

Thanks.

2 REPLIES 2

JamesH78
New Contributor

One approach you might consider is using Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions like Jamf to enforce restrictions on Safari profiles. Within Jamf or similar MDM platforms, you can configure policies and restrictions to control various aspects of device usage, including Safari.

Here are some steps you could explore:

  1. Restrict Profile Installation: Configure your MDM solution to restrict the installation of profiles on iOS devices. By limiting who can install profiles, you can mitigate the risk of students creating and using profiles to hide their browsing history.

  2. Safari Restrictions: Utilize Safari restrictions available through MDM to control aspects of Safari's behavior. While specific options may vary depending on the MDM solution and iOS version, you might be able to disable features like profile management or clear history.

  3. Device Supervision: Consider supervising iOS devices using Apple Configurator or Apple School Manager. Supervision provides additional controls and restrictions that aren't available on unsupervised devices, giving you more granular control over Safari and other device features.

  4. Education and Policy: Educate students about the appropriate use of technology and the consequences of circumventing security measures. Establish clear policies regarding device usage and consequences for violating those policies.

  5. Regular Monitoring: Continuously monitor device activity using your MDM solution's reporting capabilities. This allows you to detect any unauthorized profile installations or suspicious activity promptly.

I hope it helps!!

 

James from Coolair

https://coolair247.co.uk/

Hi James.

Thanks for your answer. We already use Jamf, ASM, supervised devices and configurations profiles.

My question is only about this new feature in iOS / iPadOS 17 :

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/use-safari-profiles-iphd27a9ff22

Cheers