Releasing a device from Apple Business Manager sounds simple, but the outcome isn’t. We noticed two very different behaviors depending on how the device was originally enrolled.
Trying to understand where the line actually is.
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Replies (3)
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Participant
1 month ago
Dec 09, 2025
Marked SolutionPending Review
The key difference is Automated Device Enrollment (ADE).
If a device was enrolled via ADE and you release it from ABM, you’re effectively removing the ownership and automated management link. Once the device checks in or is reset, it disenrolls from MDM and exits organizational control.
That’s expected behavior ABM is the authority for ADE.
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Participant
1 month ago
Dec 09, 2025
Marked SolutionPending Review
But if the device was never enrolled through ADE and only exists in ABM for record-keeping, releasing it doesn’t undo MDM enrollment.
In that case:
- ABM no longer lists the device
- MDM management stays intact
Policies, profiles, and restrictions continue to apply
Because the enrollment path didn’t depend on ABM to begin with.
Marked SolutionPending Review
Participant
1 month ago
Dec 09, 2025
Marked SolutionPending Review
So, the action is the same, but the impact isn’t.
- ADE device → Release = device leaves management
- Non-ADE device → Release = ABM cleanup only
Mmmm….that distinction matters a lot before clicking “Release”. One removes ownership. The other just removes inventory.
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