Change MDM server with Apple ADE

ADE or Automated Device Enrollment is Apple’s enrollment method to enroll organization-owned Apple devices into MDM. ADE utilizes the capabilities of Apple Business Manager (ABM) allowing organizations to assign, reassign, or unassign devices into their MDM. If you are planning to migrate your devices from any MDM solutions to Hexnode, you can reassign device licenses to the Hexnode server. Also, ABM allows you to assign licenses to different servers within the same MDM solution. In this way, an organization can change the MDM server associated with their devices in just a handful of steps.

Default MDM Server Assignment

Through ABM, you can assign default MDM servers to Apple devices based on their device type. For instance, you can configure all newly added iPads to be automatically assigned to a default MDM server, while directing all Macs to another.
Here’s how you can assign the devices of different types to default MDM servers:

1. Log in to your ABM portal.
2. Click your name at the bottom of the sidebar and go to Preferences > MDM server assignment.
3. Under Default MDM Server Assignment, click on Edit to manage the automatic assignment of devices to MDM server.
4. You can use the drop-down menu next to each device type to assign a default MDM server for that specific device category.

Edit MDM server of devices

In ABM, you can edit the MDM server assignment to manually assign or reassign devices to a different MDM server. Note that the server to which the devices are to be assigned or reassigned should be already linked with ABM using a secure token. In order to assign/reassign licenses,

1. Log in to your Apple Business Manager account.
2. Click Devices. Search and select the required devices from the list. You can filter devices based on their source, order numbers, device types, etc. Then, click on Edit corresponding to the Edit MDM server option. For a single device, click on the horizontal ellipsis button in the top-right portion of the screen, and select Edit MDM Server.
3. Next, select the Assign to the following MDM option, and choose the required MDM server to which the devices are to be assigned.

Unassign/Release devices from MDM Server

You can unassign devices from an assigned MDM server by following the steps below,

1. Go to Devices in your ABM portal and click on the device you want to unassign.
2. Click on the horizontal ellipsis button on the top-right portion of the screen.
3. Then, click on the Edit MDM server icon (upon selecting one device) or the Edit button (upon selecting multiple devices).
4. Select the ‘Unassign from the current MDM’ option (this option will not be available if you’re choosing a device that is not assigned to any MDM servers).

You can also release devices in ABM if they have been lost, sold, or repaired,

1. Click on the device you want to release from ABM.
2. Then, click on the horizontal ellipsis button on the top-right portion of the screen.
3. Select the Release from Organization option.

Note that releasing a device will remove the device from ABM, and it can be added back using Apple Configurator. To add Mac devices back to ABM using Apple Configurator on iPhone, ensure that the macOS is running Monterey with Apple M1 Silicon or T2 Security chip.