Prevent users from removing wifi (SSID) on iPads

[merladmin]

Hi,

How do setup a configuration profile so that users can't remove a specific wifi connection? The option for "forget this network" is available, but I would like to be able to make sure users can't "forget" a specific SSID from their iPad or alternatively hide the "forget" option.

My current configuration profile is configured to disable the mac address randomization for a specific SSID. However, if a user clicks to "forget" the SSID, the permissions from the configuration profile won't apply anymore regardless if the iPad is restarted. Suggestions?

[sdecook]

Are you pushing out a WiFi profile to the iPads? Are the iPads enrolled in Apple School Manager or supervised?

Any WiFi profile I push out through Jamf does not have the "Forget this network" option.

[merladmin]

Hi sdecook,

Thank you for comment. The ipads are supervised and now deploying configuration profile for the SSID. Turns out after the deployment, some ipads that come with a prestage enrollment for apple business manager (ABM) can't remove or have the option to "forget" the SSID. Another test ipad, not purchased through Apple that didn't come with a prestage enrollment for ABM, still had the option to "forget" the SSID connection. Not sure why this makes a difference.

Fortunately, there's only one ipad that could not be restricted. Mine 🙂

[pbenware1]

I may be off here, but I'm under the impression that if the profile it applied at the device level, rather than the user level, then the user unable to remove that wifi config from the device.

[merladmin]

Hi pbenware,

Thank you for comment. I was under the same impression as well and was surprised by the discovery, but apparently (in my situation) the ipads that were purchased through Apple came with a prestage enrollment for apple business manager and these particular ipads did not have the "forget" option for the SSID after the configuration profile was applied.