Is iBeacon still a thing?

[user-GXbejVQBqR]

Hi,

I'm wondering if iBeacons are still a thing as they don't appear to have any effect on devices, no matter what policy is set.

Documentation refers to Location Services and the Self Service app but the Jamf Self Service app doesn't appear to have any hooks in to Location Services and permissions can't be set for it.

Were iBeacons something that Apple created but are now deprecated? Is anyone actually using them in 2024? If so, how did you manage that?!

[red_beard]

I believe they are still a thing based on my current experience. I don't utilize them across our fleet but I do have them on testing devices in consideration of whether to more widely implement them.

An example I have mine doing is that when an iPad comes in proximity to it, it will get a configuration that has a webclip that then appears on the iPad's homescreen.

Location Services for the Self Service app must be allowed on the iPad. The bummer is there is no way to automate that part. When a user opens Self Service they are prompted for location permissions. If they refuse then the iBeacon won't have any effect.

[user-GXbejVQBqR]

Only iPads? There's no location services prompt when the iPhone app is installed...

[rzoppi]

yes but does an inventory update have to occur for the webclip to appear or disappear? I want to use this function to apply and remove a CFG profile for printers but have never had success with this 

[red_beard]

Mine works on an iPhone as well. You can check the Settings app on the iPhone, then scroll down to Self Service to check on Location settings for the app.

 Two things to look for are that an iPhone or iPad have their Locations Services for Self Service set to "Always". If you're turning Location Services on for the first time, I would then quit Self Service and reopen the app so Jamf sends the list of iBeacon regions to the device. I also did an inventory update in Jamf because I'm not sure when it decides to send that iBeacon region file.

[user-GXbejVQBqR]

So there are no Location Services available on this version...

Re-downloaded from the App Store today too.

[red_beard]

My hunch is you have Locations Services turned off under the Privacy & Security in the Settings app. If that's off then it won't appear under Self Service or other apps.

[user-GXbejVQBqR]

Nope...

[red_beard]

When you tap on the Location Services in the menu you shared, does it show you a list of apps and their location settings like this?

[user-GXbejVQBqR]

Yep, Self Service isn't there.

[red_beard]

Two ideas.

This is a personal device so it's not possible to use iBeacon regions.
Maybe check in your Jamf Pro setup that inventory monitoring is set to look for iBeacon regions. 

[user-GXbejVQBqR]

Yep, monitoring is all set up but it is a user enroll rather than ABM deploy. Kinda sucks, really.

[red_beard]

Seems like it would need to instead be enrolled through Apple Configurator to get it to work, so eventually it would join your fleet in ABM and become Supervised after 30 days or whatever the provisional amount of time is these days. Bummer it wasn't something more simple.