Last updated: July 24, 2026

How to Supervise unmanaged devices in use without data loss?

This guide explains how to supervise unmanaged iOS devices already in use without losing their data, since supervision typically requires wiping the device. It requires the device to be supervised, a temporary device to hold a backup, and Apple Business Manager/Device Enrollment Program or Apple Configurator. The workflow backs up the device, restores it to a temporary device, re-enrolls the original device through DEP/ABM or Apple Configurator, then restores the backup, after which apps need to be redistributed.

Description

IT administrators prefer Supervision of devices as this lets them exercise additional control over the device. This task can simply be performed either using Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP)/Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple Configurator when the device is new. When the device is already in use and you wish to preserve the data on the device, the task gets complicated. Apple recommends wiping the data from the device to be Supervised, but Mobile Device Manager Plus offers the following method as a workaround for Supervising unmanaged devices without data loss.

Requirements

Device to be Supervised (main device)
A temporary device to back up data (This device may or may not be enrolled with MDM)
Apple Configurator or DEP/ABM

Steps

Using DEP/ABM for Supervision

NOTE: Devices must be eligible to be added in DEP/ABM. Do not skip Restore from Backup and Sign into iCloud options during device activation.

Ensure that Find My iPhone is off to avoid problems during enrollment.
Back up the main device using iTunes or iCloud.
Restore this content on a temporary device which can be either Supervised or unupervised.
Ensure that Find My iPhone is turned off and then back up the temporary device using iTunes or iCloud.
Add the device to DEP/ABM using the steps given here and activate the device to enroll it.
From the Apps & Data screen, restore the backup of the temporary device into the enrolled device.
All the app data is restored in the enrolled device and the MDM profile is installed with the new DEP/ABM profile.
The enrolled device will be awaiting user assignment and profile distribution.

Using Apple Configurator

Ensure that Find My iPhone is off to avoid problems during enrollment.
Back up the main device using iTunes.
Restore this content on a temporary device which can be either Supervised or unsupervised.
Ensure that Find My iPhone is turned off and then back up the temporary device using iTunes or iCloud.
Restore the backup of the temporary device into the device to be Supervised.
After restoration, when the device shows the Welcome screen on activation, connect the device to Apple Configurator and enroll it using the steps given here.
All the app data is restored in the enrolled device and the MDM profile is installed with the new Apple Configurator profile.
The enrolled device will be awaiting user assignment and profile distribution.

NOTE: Click here to know more about migrating from DEP to ABM

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I just enroll and supervise the device normally if it's already in use?

Apple recommends wiping a device's data before supervising it, since supervision is normally applied during a fresh enrollment through DEP/ABM or Apple Configurator. For an unmanaged device that's already in use, this workaround backs up and restores its data instead of wiping it.

What do I need to supervise an unmanaged device without losing its data?

You need the device to be supervised, a temporary device to hold a backup of its data, and access to Apple Configurator or Apple Business Manager/Device Enrollment Program (DEP/ABM) to re-enroll the device.