New Self Service for iOS Coming Soon!

[nick_thompson]

Hey Jamf Nation!

We are getting close to delivering Jamf Pro 10.5, which will enhance both Bluetooth management and TV Remote app management, and significantly advance how end users interact with IT on their mobile devices through our fully redesigned Self Service app for iOS. Here are some important highlights of the new Self Service that are coming your way soon.

New Look and Feel
The new Self Service introduces a fresh design, creating a consistent experience with Self Service for macOS. Its modern design ensures it looks great on all devices from iPhone X to iPad Pro. The Home tab shows all of the the IT-approved assets in one location. Users can browse and install apps, books, and configuration profiles with a single tap or can dive into the details of that item to learn more. Users can also swipe from the left side to bring up categories, making it easier for them to find what they are looking for.

Notifications
The Notifications tab will show any push notifications sent to Self Service by IT. Use this section to communicate to your users and highlight any new resources that you have added. Multiple notifications can be shown, and can be removed by end users if needed.

Search
Search is its own tab now, making it easy for users to find the things they are looking for. Dynamic search results make finding the correct app simple and fast.

Additional Features
The new Self Service allows users to take advantage of iPad multitasking capabilities. They can use Slide Over to bring in Self Service and Split View to run it side-by-side with other apps.

Finally, we are building in accessibility support with the new Self Service. We are initially adding VoiceOver support, and will be adding additional accessibility features in the future.

Availability The new Self Service will be available on all devices running iOS 10 and higher. The new app will be submitted to the App Store for approval and will ship shortly after the Jamf Pro 10.5 release. Please join the beta discussions to learn more about Jamf Pro 10.5.

[Dylan_YYC]

Im looking forward to this! Will the new custom branding features for macOS also transfer into this new app for iOS?

[dogden]

Thats looking good! I sure hope the Updates tab is still included. I always thought it was odd the Web Clip version of Self Service had that option, but the Self Service app did not.

BTW, Since the beta for 10.5 is nearing closure, the invitation to join beta discussions is not working.

[jmariani]

Any ideas on when Jamf Pro 10.5 will drop?

[nick_thompson]

Thanks for the feedback and questions! We are excited to bring this new app to everyone soon.

@Dylan_YYC - Custom branding won't be in this release of iOS Self Service, but we are exploring solutions to provide a similar experience to macOS branding in a future release.

@dogden - The updates tab never made the transition to the original app, but we are exploring solutions for the future. Additionally, you can use the the App Store App Update Settings in Jamf Pro. Thank you for your interest in the 10.5 beta. This beta has closed already, but keep an eye open for the next beta program. However, If you'd like to be involved in our Test Flight instance of the new Self Service please email me directly at nick.thompson@jamf.com. Thanks!

[dogden]

@nick.thompson Aw, thats too bad about the update tab not being included again. Self Service app is great and I like the new look, but it doesn't allow branding and updates, whereas the web clip does. On the other hand, the web clip version of Self Service allows branding and updates, but no push notifications (since its not really an app). Is there any reason that Jamf has not combined the features of both into one app?

We already schedule updates automatically, but students do not always plug in their iPads at night like we ask, and wonder why the app update did not install before class the next day. The updates tab is useful to tell them they missed an update.

[martin]

Finally!!!

[hollandmechanic]

Can't wait!

[nick_thompson]

Hey Everyone - Jamf Pro 10.5 is now available today! The new Self Service has been submitted to the App Store and should likely be available globally sometime next week. Please note - you don't actually need to upgrade to Jamf Pro 10.5 in order to get the new Self Service. This new version will simply replace the existing version in the App Store.

[rickey939]

Any updates on the Apple approval for the new Self Service app?

[nick_thompson]

Hey @rickey939 and All - We are expecting to get approval shortly and should be releasing the app early next week. I will post here once it's live. Stay tuned!

[nick_thompson]

Update for everyone - We have been approved and the new Self Service is now live in the App Store. Download or update now!

[martin]

Hi @nick.thompson! Thanks for letting us know.

I just installed the new Self Service app via Jamf Pro (force update VPP account) and received the update on my iPhone. After opening the new app I get "Welcome to Jamf Self Service".

We've seen this behaviour before and reported this at Jamf Support. This issue is still there and we have had customers which needed to reinstall Self Service at large scale (random devices). According to Jamf Support the problem is that the Managed App Configuration isn't sent during an update of the app and therefor you need to reinstall it.

Would be nice if you would have fixed this issue before releasing a new version.

[rickey939]

@martin - ugh, I will wait it out until we get confirmation from JAMF that this is something they can address.

[rickey939]

@nick.thompson - what is the “Home” button supposed to do? It doesn’t appear to take me back to “All” apps like I would think, or scroll you back up to the top. I also don’t understand why the categories aren’t embedded into the “All” view like they were before. Now hidden behind the dots or swiping it over. We categorize all of our apps to make things easier to locate, I feel items will have to be searched for now more often to find them.

[michael_devins]

@martin The issue you are seeing is in fact a symptom of the app being launched prior to the AppConfig being installed. The behavior is not new with Self Service or even unique to this app but rather a function of the delivery of AppConfig from Jamf Pro.

I would strongly encourage anyone interested in seeing an improved behavior for AppConfig to check out Jamf Pro 10.6 beta, now available on Jamf Nation. I’m happy to join anyone with questions on the beta forums to discuss this specifically.

[thetfordb]

Since the minimum requirement was raised to iOS 10, some of our iPads that are currently being migrated from our old MDM to JAMF are now unable to get the self service. Is this intended? Is there a way to send the old version to those devices unable to get to iOS 10?

[michael_devins]

@thetfordb For a variety of reasons, the new version of Self Service Mobile does require iOS 10 or later. That said, you should still be able to use Self Service on previous iOS versions.

For devices that do not meet this minimum iOS version, the previous compatible version of Self Service Mobile will be installed from the App Store. For instance, I scoped Self Service Mobile to an iOS 9.1 device and Self Service Mobile version 10.4 was installed. If you encounter issues with installing Self Service Mobile, including on previous iOS versions, I would recommend you reach out to Jamf Support for assistance.

[rickey939]

@michael.devins @nick.thompson - any updates on my inquiries above?

[DrewManor]

@rickey939 The Home button is to provide the end user a place where they can find content in Self Service and narrow the content based on categories. This behavior is similar to how the macOS Self Service is working today and providing a similar experience between both apps. If a user decides to go to another tab from the Home button, Notifications or Search, they can easily go back to where they left off by going to the Home button. Current behavior is the user will be taken right back to previous spot.

With the new look, all items available in the app will be displayed under the "All" category but we do not break these items up into specific categories under the "All" Category. This also is similar to how the macOS Self Service is designed too.

I would suggest putting in a feature request if you would like changes to the new Self Service. Thank you for the early feedback on the new iOS Self Service, we will continue to make improvements for the end user!