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Is there a way to enable XProtect on managed Macs from Hexnode? I was looking for a policy toggle for macOS XProtect but could not find one under the macOS policy settings.
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Hexnode Expert
5 days ago
Oct 13, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review
Hi @eleanor_a ,
XProtect is enabled by default on macOS and does not have a separate MDM command or Hexnode policy toggle to turn it on or off.
Apple runs XProtect in the background and updates its malware definitions through macOS system data files. In Hexnode, the recommended approach is to make sure those background security updates are installed automatically.
To configure this:
- Go to Policies.
- Open an existing macOS policy or create a new one.
- Navigate to macOS > Patches & Updates > Software Update Preferences.
- Enable Automatically install critical updates.
- Save the policy and associate it with the required Mac devices.
This does not manually enable XProtect, because it is already active by default. It ensures that the Macs continue receiving Apple’s critical security updates, including XProtect signature and system data file updates.
Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM
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