# How to add devices to Apple Business Manager (ABM)

**Last Updated On**: 15 Jun 2026  
**30 minutes read**

Apple Business Manager (ABM) is free portal offered by Apple that enables businesses to simplify and automate the bulk deployment and management of corporate Apple devices, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS devices. Similar to Apple Business Manager (ABM), Apple also offers [Apple School Manager (ASM)](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/mdm-apple-school-manager.html) a dedicated service for schools to simplify the management of Apple devices.

Apple Business Manager (ABM) was previously known as [Apple Device Enrollment Program (Apple DEP)](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/help/enrollment/device_enrollment_program_ios_devices.html) and users can automatically or manually add devices to Apple DEP for over-the-air management.

## Prerequisites

Ensure the following pre-requisites are met to enroll Apple devices using Apple Business Manager (ABM) enrollment:

- Apple Business Manager must be available in your country. Find the list of countries where ABM is supported [here](https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT207305).
- The devices must be purchased from Apple or its authorized resellers. You can view the list of Apple's [preferred resellers here](https://support.apple.com/kb/PH26933).

In case of devices purchased neither from Apple directly nor from its authorized resellers, you can still add devices to Apple Business Manager (provided they're running or capable of running **iOS 11.0 or later versions**) as [explained here](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/mdm-enroll-any-ios-device-abm-via-apple-configurator.html).

**Note:** The steps mentioned in this document are also applicable to the [Apple School Manager portal](https://school.apple.com/).

- [How Apple Business Manager (ABM) works?](#how-apple-business-manager-abm-works)
- [Integrating Apple Business Manager with MDM](#integrating-apple-business-manager-with-mdm)
- [How to add devices to Apple Business Manager portal?](#how-to-add-devices-to-apple-business-manager-portal)
  - [Adding Reseller details into the ABM portal](#adding-reseller-details-into-the-abm-portal)
  - [How to manually add devices to Apple Business Manager?](#how-to-manually-add-devices-to-apple-business-manager)
- [Device Activation Settings](#device-activation-settings)
- [Mac Account Settings](#mac-account-settings)
- [Syncing Devices](#syncing-devices)
- [Assign Users to Devices](#assign-users-to-devices)
- [Remove Devices from the ABM portal](#remove-devices-from-the-abm-portal)
- [Apple Business Manager Unassign vs Release](#apple-business-manager-unassign-vs-release)

## How Apple Business Manager (ABM) works?

![Apple Business Manager workflow](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/ABMWorkflow-images.webp)

The process first starts when your organization purchases Apple devices from Apple or from Apple authorized resellers. You have to log into your [Apple Business Manager](https://business.apple.com/) account. If you already have an account with [Device Enrollment Program](https://deploy.apple.com/), you can migrate to Apple Business Manager by following the prompts available on your DEP portal.

You have to register MDM with the Apple Business Manager portal. Once you have registered the DC server, secure communication is enabled between the DC server and the Apple portal. This is used to synchronize the details of devices purchased by your organization. When you find the devices synced from the Apple portal, you can assign it to users.

Whenever the devices are activated, all restrictions and configurations imposed using MDM are automatically installed on all your devices over-the-air (OTA). By configuring ABM, you can ensure all the organization's devices are managed by MDM by default as soon as they are activated.

![Apple Business Manager integration](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/infoicon.webp)

If you do not have an ABM account, you can [create one here](https://business.apple.com/#enrollment). To know your DUNS number (which is one of the prerequisites), [refer to this](https://developer.apple.com/support/D-U-N-S/). You can also refer to [this document](https://business.apple.com/static/docs/beta.pdf) to fully understand Apple Business Manager.

### Benefits of Apple Business Manager (ABM) Enrollment

- The device is Supervised which means you have additional control over the device. For detailed information on Supervised Devices, refer to [this](https://www.manageengine.com/mobile-device-management/how-to/mdm-supervised-devices.html?abmhelp).
- The devices can never go unmanaged from MDM at any point, even if the device is factory reset.
- Users can skip initial setup steps for a faster device activation.
- Out-of-the-box enrollment to ensure devices are usage ready immediately upon activation.

## Integrating Apple Business Manager with MDM

After creating your organization's Apple ID and deployment account by following the steps mentioned in the [ABM Program Guide](https://www.apple.com/business/site/docs/Apple_Business_Manager_Getting_Started_Guide.pdf), you need to carry out the steps outlined below to seamlessly enroll and manage your organization's corporate Apple devices into MDM using Apple Business Manager enrollment.

First, you need to link the DC server to your organization's ABM account:

1. On the DC server, navigate to **Agent** tab and click on **ABM/DEP** under the **Mac** on the left pane.
2. Download **MDM Public Key** which has to be uploaded on Apple Business Manager portal.

![MDM Public Key download for Apple Business Manager](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/DownloadPublicKey.webp)

3. Sign in to [Apple Business Manager portal](https://business.apple.com/) using your organization's managed Apple ID.
4. Click on **Settings → Device Management Settings** and navigate to **Add DC Server** to create a virtual server on the portal.

![MDM Public Key upload on ABM portal](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/SettingsDevMgmtAddServer-images.webp)

5. Enter a name for the server based on your organization's locations or departments.
6. Upload the **MDM Public Key** downloaded earlier from MDM and click **Save**.

![Add ABM server on Apple Business Manager](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/ABMaddServer-images.webp)

7. Click on **Download Token** to download the server token from ABM. Click on **Download Server Token** when prompted.

![Download server token from Apple Business Manager](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/ABMDownloadSToken-images.webp)

8. Navigate back to your MDM console and add the Server Token under **Upload Server Token**.
9. Specify the e-mail address to receive notifications regarding Server Token expiry.
10. Click on **Upload** to complete the uploading of the Server Token. You can configure the device activation settings as explained [here](#device-activation-settings).

![Upload server token from ABM portal](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/UploadStoken.webp)

### Setting a default server

Using Apple Business Manager you can automatically assign the purchased devices to particular servers once they have been added to the portal. Additionally, you can select different servers based on the type of device being enrolled. It is recommended to assign different types of devices to different servers. All of these servers can be integrated and managed using DC.

To select a default server for a particular type of device:

1. Select the required server from the list and click on **Edit**.
2. Under **Default Device Assignment**, select the device type.
3. Click on **Apply** to ensure all the devices added to the portal are assigned to this server.

## How to add devices to Apple Business Manager portal?

One of the advantages of using Apple Business Manager to enroll your Apple devices is that the devices can be enrolled without any interaction with the devices. There are two methods available to add devices into Apple Business Manager:

- Adding reseller details to the ABM portal
- Manually adding devices (iPhone/iPad) to Apple Business Manager portal

### Adding Reseller details into the ABM portal

To add devices to Apple Business Manager, the reseller details must be added to the ABM portal. Every time devices are purchased from the same reseller, the devices are added to the ABM portal and in turn to the DC server due to the integration.

**Note:** On ABM, only the Administrator or Device Manager roles can add the reseller details.

1. Log into ABM using your organization's credentials.
2. Click on **Settings → Device Management Settings**. Navigate to **Customer Numbers** to add your Apple Customer Numbers and ABM/DEP Reseller IDs.
3. Click on **Apply** to save the details.

### How to manually add devices to Apple Business Manager?

After linking your DC Server to the Apple Business Manager (ABM) portal, if you have devices purchased before integrating the portals, you can add devices to Apple Business Manager using one of the three methods:

- Add devices by serial number
- Add devices by order number
- Add devices by uploading a CSV file

To add devices directly to DC:

1. On your Apple Business Manager portal, navigate to **Device Assignments**.
2. Select **Order Number** or **Serial Number** or **Upload CSV file** and mention the required details. If you choose Upload CSV file, browse and upload the CSV file containing the serial numbers of all the devices.
3. Choose the action **Assign to Server** and specify the name of the DC server which was configured earlier.

The Apple devices are now added to the DC server automatically.

![Add devices to Apple Business Manager](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/ABM-deviceassignment.webp)

## Device Activation Settings

On adding devices to MDM using Apple Business Manager enrollment, all the devices are enrolled successfully. Before the enrollment is complete, configure the settings to be applied to the devices on activation.

1. On DC console, navigate to **Enrollment → Apple → Apple Enrollment (ABM/ASM)**.
2. Complete the required fields displayed under **Device Activation Settings**.

![Device Activation Settings](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/dep-profile-creation-images.webp)

- **Authenticate and auto-assign users on device activation (Applicable only for On-premises):** Enable this option to automate user assignment and select the group to which the device is to be added upon enrollment.
- **Skip these configurations during device setup:** Skip selective setup steps or completely skip the setup assistant process as required.

#### All devices

| CONFIGURATION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Sign in with Apple ID and iCloud | Select to skip **Apple ID and iCloud sign in** by the user during setup. This does not restrict sign in after setup. |
| Touch ID Setup | Select to skip **Touch ID** configuration during setup. |
| Diagnostics | Omit a user prompt to send diagnostic data to Apple during setup. |
| Display Tone | Skip the **Display Tone** setup assistant screen. |
| Location Services | Disable **Location Services** during setup. Users can modify later. |
| Passcode | Prevent users from setting up a **Passcode** during setup. |
| Payment | Prevent users from setting up an **Apple Pay** account during setup. |
| Privacy | Omit the **Privacy** screen during setup. |
| Restore backup from old device | Restrict restoring iCloud/iTunes backup to device. |
| Terms and Conditions | Disable the **Terms and Conditions** step (accepted by default). |
| Siri | Restrict configuring **Siri** during setup. |
| Zoom | Omit the **Zoom** functionality step. |

#### iOS

| CONFIGURATION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Restore from Android device | Prevent restoring backup from an Android device. |
| Keyboard Selection | Prevent choosing a keyboard type during setup. |
| Home Button Sensitivity | Allow enrollment without configuring **Home button sensitivity**. |
| iMessage and FaceTime | Skip the **iMessage and FaceTime** prompt during setup. |
| New feature highlights | Skip onboarding informational screens. |
| Screen Time | Prevent informing users about **Screen Time** during setup. |
| Mandatory software updates | Skip the **Mandatory software update** screen. |
| Watch Migration | Prevent viewing **Watch Migration** options. |
| Appearance | Skip the **Choose your Look** screen during mac setup. |

#### macOS

| CONFIGURATION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| FileVault | Prevent configuring a **FileVault** account during setup. |
| iCloud diagnostics | Omit prompt to send diagnostics to iCloud. |
| iCloud storage | Skip **iCloud Documents and Desktop** screen. |
| Apple Registration | Restrict registering the device with Apple during setup. |

#### tvOS

| CONFIGURATION | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Screensaver | Allow enrollment without configuring a screensaver. |
| Tap to Setup | Skip setting up Apple TV using an associated iOS device. |
| Home screen layout sync | Prevent toggling the TV home screen layout during setup. |
| TV Provider SignIn | Prevent signing in to a TV provider during setup. |
| Where is this Apple TV? Screen | Omit the **Where is this Apple TV** step during setup. |

### Mac Account Settings

As imaging for deploying Mac devices has been stopped by Apple, DC provides a quicker and more efficient deployment by automating the creation of a local admin account on device activation.

Benefits of the local admin account:

- Simplified device maintenance and audits without user intervention.
- Admin can install, update, and remove system configurations.
- Easier troubleshooting and password resets.
- Add or remove user accounts as required.

To configure a local admin account, enable Mac Account Settings and provide the required details.

| SETTINGS | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Display Name | Name for the local admin account. |
| Username | Username to identify the account. |
| Password | Password for the admin account (modifiable later). |
| Hide admin account | Optionally hide the local admin account on the Mac device. |
| Allow users to create additional accounts on activation | Configure account type: **Standard** or **Administrator**. |

Click **Create** to apply the configurations and settings to the devices.

## Syncing Devices

After creating the ABM profile and applying it to devices, choose **Sync Devices** by navigating to **Enrollment → Apple → Apple Enrollment (ABM/ASM)**. On syncing, all devices get automatically listed on the DC console.

**Only when the devices are activated by the users**, the enrollment process is complete and the devices are listed under **Enrollment → Devices**.

![infoicon](https://cdn.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/help/mobile-device-management/infoicon.webp)

In case the devices are not new, the devices should be factory reset to be configured using ABM.

## Assign Users to Devices

You can assign devices to individual users manually by navigating to **Agent → ABM/DEP → Devices**. Alternatively, add users through a CSV file. You can also automate user assignment if using **on-premises DC version** (Active Directory must be configured).

When enrolling using ABM auto-assignment, the username format must be:

```
domain name\user name
```

Devices can also be added to groups to automate the distribution of apps, profiles, and documents. Devices can be added to multiple groups simultaneously.

**Sample CSV Format**

```
USER_NAME,EMAIL_ADDRESS,GROUP_NAME
ANDREW,andrew@zylker.com,zylker_drivers
```

**NOTE**

1. User Name and Email Address are mandatory. Group Name is optional.
2. If multiple groups are specified, separate them with a slash (/).
3. The first line is the column header; columns can be in any order.
4. Blank column values should be comma-separated.
5. If a column value contains a comma, specify it within quotes.

## Remove Devices from the ABM portal

To unmanage a device, remove it from the DC server. Once removed from the DC server, it is automatically removed from the ABM portal.

Devices enrolled with one ABM account cannot be enrolled in another unless removed from the first account.

1. Log into the ABM portal and click on **Device Assignments**.
2. Enter the Serial Number or Order Number. For multiple devices, upload a CSV file.
3. Under **Choose Actions**, select **Unassign device**.

## Apple Business Manager Unassign vs Release

To remove devices, always select **Unassign device** and not **Release device**.

**Release device** should only be used if the device is lost or permanently damaged and will never be part of any workforce. Releasing devices is a non-reversible action and once disowned, the device can never be part of an organization.