New iPads with GarageBand and AppStore Prompts

[jsmillie]

We deployed about 600 iPads this year for a 1:1 and decided not to use AppleIDs for the students. With all apps (we thought) being deployed through Device assignment no one could find a good reason to add another login to the iPads. This was fine with all the stuff we added, but what about things that are already there? Being new iPads they automatically had Garageband there for student use. We wanted to use it so we didn't try to hide it.. but when students go to use it they are prompted for an AppleID. I though I could work around this by grabbing some free GB licenses through VPP and assigning them to these iPads, forcing out the app, and checking on "Make app managed if currently installed as unmanaged", but that didn't work. Students get prompted.

Anyone know of a way around this prompt which can be deployed or must students have AppleIDs?

[JoshRouthier]

I have found that the iWork and iLife apps that come preinstalled on new iOS devices always ask for an Apple ID when first launched. I believe before Apple made the apps free, that it was their way of tying those apps to the user. I ended up wiping the iPads which ends up wiping those versions of the app, and then the JSS pushes down the "normal" version of the app that doesn't require an Apple ID. I have also seen if you delete the app, and then have it pushed down from the JSS, that the version pushed down also doesn't require an Apple ID. Hope this helps!

[dcolvillesyd]

Hi - the solution I've found is to go through the "Make App Managed if Unmanaged" but also to push the "Force Update" button - it'll re-download the apps from the App Store, and apply the VPP license at that time.

I've done this for a fleet of around 300 devices and this process worked well (with a Caching Server handling the extra load of downloads of those apps!)

[jsmillie · Accepted solution]

So in our case we ended up telling the students to just delete GarageBand. Next time inventory runs it sees GB is missing, it reinstalls as its forced, and done deal.

Thanks for the ideas.

[RLR]

We've ran into this also. Very frustrating. We first tried making the app managed but didn't work. We then tried re-installing the app via self service but didn't work.

The only thing that worked was deleting the app and re-installing it.

[blackholemac]

Second the deleting solution...we have had to do that with iLife and iWork apps.

I wish Apple would simply offer an option to not preinstall those now. Don’t Get me wrong I like them free, but when I saw that issue, I found myself wishing they weren’t preinstalled.

[cdenesha]

I like the idea of making the app managed and forcing an update. However i wouldn't expect an update to be pushed unless there was a new version? Will have to try it.

In the past i made them Managed and then unscoped the app so they would uninstall. Tricky if you have some users ok, and too many steps.

[dmillertds]

This may a bit of a hijack, but I have more the less the opposite problem. I use strictly device-assigned VPP apps. I am trying to NOT have the iWork/iLife apps installed, unless a user installs it via Self Service. We are refreshing our entire 1-to-1 fleet with iPad 5th gen. I started by wiping the iPads (they need IOS update anyway), which does get rid of the pre-installed apps. However, even though I have the apps in our catalog as Self Service only, once the iPads are added to the scope for those apps, the apps get reinstalled. I have a suspicion this is because I have "Make App Managed" and "Automatically Update" checked - because I want them that way - but I do NOT use Force Update. So the question is, how can I NOT have iWork/iLife installed, but still leave it available for users to install via Self Service? Also why is it reinstalling automatically? JAMF tells me the only way is to hide the apps via config profile, but since I do want it available for users, that's not going to work. Any ideas?