iPad seems stuck after configuring with Apple configurator

[TheGirlInIT]

Hi Guys and Gals,

 

Im in charge of around 150 iPads at a very large cluster of Academies. Today i was asked to configure 5 more iPad minis to add to our collection.

The way i configure the iPads are as followed:

1. install the same profile created on my mac using apple configurator

2. install the Meraki Cisco profile I use for MDM, that again, is used with all of our current iPads.

3. configure the account settings to match the apple ID used with Meraki and deploy apps.

 

This afternoon i have been faced with a new option (I have never seen this before so new to me!) I'm not sure if its part of the iOS update, Apple Configurator update or OS update.

So part of the profile that i put on the iPads bypasses a lot of the standard OOBE and just asks for language and location. Wi-Fi is automatically set so after passing that the iPad usually goes straight into the OS and displays the standard apps. HOWEVER this afternoon (now) after passing on the wifi i was given the option to allow the profile that i just installed to configure the settings on the iPads so i can control them over the air. I selected apply configuration and 'next' and now they have all been stuck on the 'Installing configuration from *****' screen for nearly half an hour. As a test i did choose 'don't configure' on one of them and as you can guess, none of the profile options (such as do not allow app store, etc) were applied. I then unsupervised the iPad and supervised it again, choosing 'apply' and it is now stuck like the others.

 

I don't want to restart the iPads as i don't want to get them stuck or have to restore them.

 

Note: These are brand new, never been configured iPads.

 

Any help or advise is extremely grateful!

 

Stacey

[Brimstone]

Questions..

 

Is the wifi profile in Apple configurator or Meraki?

 

I presume you are using a unique Apple ID per iPad?

[TheGirlInIT]

Wi-Fi profile is set in profile from Apple Configurator.

Using the same Apple ID for every iPad.

[TheGirlInIT]

they have all been stuck on the 'Installing configuration from *****' screen for nearly half an hour.

 

I left them over night and they're all still on the same screen.

[TheGirlInIT]

Okay, so after sitting down and thinking about everything i done yesterday that might have changed the way the iPads were configured, i remembered i added the MDM URL to the supervise settings. I have since removed that (As i was applying the profile in the 'profiles' section on the supervised tab), and now they seem to be working?

 

Anyway, sorry for the ramble and unnecessary post. All is working here now. I'll be back if i have any more problems!

 

Thanks

[Brimstone]

Using the same Apple ID on every iPad will give huge numbers of problems, these include...

 

Whilst you may be buying apps in volume via VPP and using managed distribution, the developer is not being paid by Apple as the same single copy of the app is being downloaded on every iPad. If you are not using Managed Distribution then one Apple iD owns every copy of the app, if this Apple ID get blocked by Apple (this can happen due to unusual activity) then you now have buy all the apps again.

 

The apps are all unmanaged, as apart from one iPad the apps are not being "pushed" by the MDM, they are coming direct from the app store, either by the iPad having "auto download" turned on or by a user signing in to the app store and downloading.

 

Apple are likely to close these loopholes in future updates so I would strongly recommend either;

 

Asking your reseller to request from Apple to whitelist you so you can get all the Apple ID's created, or

 

Switch to device assigned apps (required iOS9 and an MDM that can support device assignment)

 

I've help support at least 15 schools who went down the single Apple ID route and got into major problems down the line.