What happens to the managed Apps & Books when the ABM account is deleted?

Deleting the Apple Business Manager account can result in irreversible and significant changes to the managed apps and books associated with that account. Let’s take a look at the consequences of ABM account deletion.

Volume Purchase Program (VPP) is Revoked

• Invalidation of the License

  When the ABM account is deleted, all Volume Purchase Program (VPP) purchases made that are linked to that account become invalid. This results in the revocation of all the licenses, whether assigned or unassigned. The MDM will not be able to manage any of the apps or books.

• No License Recovery or Transfer

  Apple does not facilitate the recovery or transfer of the existing licenses to a different ABM account. To purchase a new ABM account, new licenses are to be purchased.

• Impact on MDM

  The MDM platform and ABM maintain a token-based connection. It helps manage VPP app licenses and distribution. When the ABM account gets deleted, the MDM platform immediately loses communication with the ABM device list. The MDM console will display “Connection Error” or “Disconnected from ABM” in the ABM integration status. The devices already enrolled will remain managed; however, their connection to the company’s ABM ownership will be severed. These devices will be flagged as “non-compliant”.

Apps Lose Functionality

• Apps Become Unusable

  Apps are deployed as managed apps through MDM and rely on Apple Business Manager for license validation. When the ABM account is deleted, app licenses are no longer validated. The existing apps cannot be updated, as the MDM loses the legal authority to install new versions. To maintain compliance, the MDM automatically removes the applications.

• Reinstallation Issues

  If the user tries to delete and reinstall the apps, the MDM will not be able to push them unless a new license is acquired.

Books Are Permanently Inaccessible

• Non-Reassignable in Nature

  Books work differently in this scenario. Unlike apps, which can be easily assigned, revoked, and reassigned, books purchased in association with ABM cannot be reassigned. This is based on Apple’s content rights management. Once assigned to a particular user’s Apple ID, they remain bound to that identity and cannot be redistributed. Hence, the license cannot be reclaimed or reassigned.

• No Back up or Export

  Apple does not facilitate a method to back up or export the books purchased via VPP. Once the ABM account is deleted, users automatically lose access to the books.

• Cannot be Recovered or Re-downloaded

  The books distributed through ABM cannot be found in the user’s purchase history once the account is deleted. They cannot be redownloaded.