App Purchase

[rjf99]

As mentioned in another thread, I have inherited a small deployment of iPads. I have been doing some housekeeping, with updating APNS certificates and bringing the Apple apps such as iMovie under the MDM management.

 

I have run into a problem with an iPad that I have updated to iOS 15.3.1. I first checked that all of the existing apps were listed under the MDM as being supported by the latest iOS, which they were.

 

I have one app though which is now refusing to open, as the app version is too old. My first thought was to go into the MDM and force it to update. This is where I noticed something strange in that it has been deployed under 'app store' rather than apps and books. (See screenshot.) After a bit of digging I am unable to find a receipt for it under the email account in use in ASM, and the app is not listed under Apps and Books in ASM.

 

I am at a loss as to how it was first deployed to the device. If it was cheaper, I'd be looking at just repurchasing, but it is £200 and currently deployed to two devices.

 

My wonderings are these:

 

1) Was it purchased by an old / legacy VPP account, which hasn't been brought into ASM? I am going to call Apple support and see if they can shed any light onto it.

 

2) It was purchased from the App Store under a personal account, and that has allowed the MDM to push the app to this device from App Store instead of Apps and Books.

 

The MDM in question is Mosyle.

[DaveTheTech]

It is possible to sign in with an apple account and make purchases.

I highly suspect thats happened. I had it happen with some DLC content for an app. No idea who bought it, which appe account it could have been.

[tmoon-mint]

The answer is option two. The app was purchased using a personal Apple ID. If you look at the installation method on the app install profile it says AppStore rather than Apps and Books.

[rjf99]

It is possible to sign in with an apple account and make purchases.

I highly suspect thats happened. I had it happen with some DLC content for an app. No idea who bought it, which appe account it could have been.

 

Having spoken to Apple just now, they have all but ruled out it being legacy VPP. The technician I spoken to was very thorough and couldn't find any other accounts linked to our school.

 

If I go down the route that it was purchased on a personal account, the only options I can see are:

 

1) Get the devices in, and disable the restriction on editing accounts. Go in and have a look if it is signed into an account.

 

2) Get in touch with the (3 or 4) former staff members who have been involved in this in the past and see if they know.

 

If there are any other options, I am all ears.

[RLR]

Having spoken to Apple just now, they have all but ruled out it being legacy VPP. The technician I spoken to was very thorough and couldn't find any other accounts linked to our school.

 

If I go down the route that it was purchased on a personal account, the only options I can see are:

 

1) Get the devices in, and disable the restriction on editing accounts. Go in and have a look if it is signed into an account.

 

2) Get in touch with the (3 or 4) former staff members who have been involved in this in the past and see if they know.

 

If there are any other options, I am all ears.

 

Can you purchase licenses for this app via ASM and push it out via your MDM? Jamf has an option to make an app managed if it currently listed as unmanaged.

[rjf99]

Can you purchase licenses for this app via ASM and push it out via your MDM? Jamf has an option to make an app managed if it currently listed as unmanaged.

 

Yes I can, from a technical point of view. However they are £200 each, which rules it out for financial reasons.

[rjf99]

It was of course Option 2, and all is resolved.

 

Does anyone have any experience of Apple migrating a licence from a personal account (with the permission of the owner) to Apple School Manager / Apps and Books?

 

I'm inclinded to think that there is a 0% chance of this happening, but thoight it was worth asking.

[Koldov]

I'm a little confused... Do you mean a teacher bought a license for an app worth £200 and is now giving it to the school?

 

Or did they purchase it on a personal account with school money?

[rjf99]

I'm a little confused... Do you mean a teacher bought a license for an app worth £200 and is now giving it to the school?

 

Or did they purchase it on a personal account with school money?

 

The school have paid for the app, so have 'ownership' of it (sort of.)

[tmoon-mint]

I guess just make sure you never lose access to the Apple ID that was used to purchase it. That is the only solution I can see without buying it again.

[Brimstone]

I have direct experience of this app and the methods used to purchase it. It is a specialist AC communications app and well before the VPP store or Apps and Books were around schools could purchase the app from the personal apps store FOC then get pay for an unlock code direct from the developers for the full version.

 

I would definitely try contacting them to see if they can allow you to move this to a Managed MDM app, details are below

 

https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go