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iWork problem on new iPads deployed with Configurator, VPP & DEP

  • August 16, 2016
  • 6 replies
  • 52 views
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Hopefully an easy question, but I'm a bit stumped...

We just finished setting up 1200 new iPad Air 2's using Configurator 2, DEP & VPP - our testing this spring with older iPad 2s worked perfectly, but we've run into a small problem with the new iPads.

Basically the problem is with the three iWorks apps: Pages, Keynote & Numbers. These apps come with the iPads, but want to be authorized to an AppleID for use. No problem we think, the Configurator iOS update and supervision will wipe them and install our VPP versions...

Unfortunately, after going through the Configurator / DEP / VPP process and waiting for all the VPP Apps to install, the iWork apps still want an AppleID before they can be used.

When I look at one of these iPads in the JSS, those 3 apps are flagged as "Unmanaged" (even though I have the option checked to convert unmanaged apps to managed), and the Management history shows app installs still pending. If I force an Inventory refresh an AppleID login dialog pops up on the iPad.

Unfortunately, because the app isn't managed, I don't seem to be able to auto-delete it, even if I remove the department from the scope of the problem apps. The only way I can think to fix this is to physically touch each of 1200 iPads and remove the app then reinstall via VPP...

I'm hoping there's a better way.

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

6 replies

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  • psliequ
  • Contributor
  • August 16, 2016

Just to make sure, you bought managed vpp licenses of each of the three, all three show in your JSS catalog, and for each app you have vpp device assignments turned on?

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  • hsekiv
  • Contributor
  • August 17, 2016

The iWork apps come with the iPads based on the Apple ID. For education, I've had to request managed distribution licenses via the form on this site.

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT202953

Once you get the managed licenses, they should be able to be used without the Apple IDs.

Edit, fixing url

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  • RLR
  • Honored Contributor
  • August 17, 2016

What @Wheelspinning said is correct. You can request Managed licenses for iWork apps by contacting apple. The link above is broken for me but here is the US version: Link

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  • CSHGreenwich
  • Contributor
  • August 17, 2016

Just checked with JAMF support . yesterday Apple was having VPP issues. On my last few IPADS, it requested me to login with an apple ID when device to device had already been working wellpreviously or it did not install the apps.

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  • fsjjeff
  • Author
  • Valued Contributor
  • August 17, 2016

We haven't requested the VPP codes from Apple yet, but we had a previous batch of iPad 2s that we're replacing and we had enough VPP codes from that deployment. I have verified that we definitely have enough VPP licenses for the apps, that they're in the App catalog, and flagged as Device based. So I don't think that's the problem...

Actually, for the sake of accuracy, we hadn't deployed Numbers before so we don't have licenses for that, but to be honest it's not actually in our app catalog either so it's coming from the iPads. To be honest, this kind of surprises me, as I thought the process of updating iOS and then supervising the iPads through Configurator would wipe the iPads.

I'm very curious about CSJGreenwich's comment about VPP issues - I'll do some more testing today and see if maybe it was just a temporary glitch.

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  • CasperSally
  • Honored Contributor
  • August 17, 2016

We had weird VPP issues Monday and Tuesday. In our server log, there were communication errors with apple up until yesterday around 12:35pm, but none of those errors after that. JAMF tried some things late yesterday, but one of our VPP accounts wasn't syncing properly, nor did it sync overnight last night.,

What got things operational for us was on the problematic VPP account was this morning I bought bought 1 copy of a free app on that account.

Everything started syncing up after that.

Just throwing it out there in case it helps anyone else.

My fear is Apple is going to go through some growing pains with VPP over the next few weeks as schools get back into session.

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