Overview
Use employee enrolment when you have no Apple Business or Autopilot setup yet, when a device was bought outside those channels, or when any other method has failed. It is supported on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS and Android.
Prerequisite: employees must already exist as accounts before you can invite them.
How to use
Share the enrolment portal
Every organisation gets its own enrolment page. Share it however you normally reach people — Slack, email, intranet.
Invite by email
Go to Employees and use the Invite to MDM action:
- One person — open their profile and click Invite to MDM.
- A group — select the employees, then click Invite to MDM > Invite X selected employees.
- Everyone — click Invite to MDM > Invite matching employees.
Each invited employee is added to the invitation list and reminded every 7 days until they enrol a device or you switch the invitations off.
Tips and Best Practices
- Send the invitations after you have told people it is coming, not before. The automatic weekly reminder is effective, but only if the first email was expected.
- Use the bulk action, not one profile at a time. "Invite matching employees" covers a whole rollout in one click.
- Remember employees need administrator rights on their own machine. On a locked-down fleet this is the step that stalls a rollout, and it is worth checking before you send anything.
- Switch invitations off for people who should not be enrolled, rather than letting them receive a reminder every week.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Troubleshooting
- An employee cannot be invited. They have no account yet. Accounts come first — create or sync the employee, then invite.
- The employee says they never got the email. The invitation repeats automatically every 7 days, so check whether they enrolled in the meantime. If not, send them the enrolment portal link directly instead of waiting for the next cycle.
- The employee cannot finish the installation. They almost certainly lack administrator rights on the device. That cannot be worked around from your side.
FAQ
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How often are people reminded?
Every 7 days, automatically, until they enrol or you deactivate their invitation.
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Can someone enrol without an invitation email?
Yes. The enrolment portal link works on its own, which is useful for people who deleted the email.
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Does this work on personal devices?
Yes, on every supported platform. On Android, employees can choose the work profile mode, which keeps their personal data out of your visibility.