Managed Apple ID users cannot install apps from App Store on iOSSolved

Participant
Discussion
13 hours ago Nov 13, 2026
I’m trying to temporarily allow one iPhone user to install apps without changing the same restriction for everyone else under our main iOS policy.
I duplicated the existing policy, enabled the option to allow installing apps, and assigned that version only to the employee’s device. The App Store setting looks allowed now, but the user still cannot install apps themselves.
All employees use company-issued Apple IDs created through Apple Business Manager. Is Hexnode still blocking the install, or is there another restriction involved? Also, if I switch policies for a device, how do I avoid apps being removed and reinstalled?

Replies (1)

Marked SolutionPending Review
Hexnode Expert
22 minutes ago Nov 13, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review

For iOS devices, app installation permissions are controlled through policies. If a restriction is configured in a policy, it cannot be overridden directly for a single user or device outside policy assignment.

To allow app installation for only one employee, the usual approach is to either:

  1. Create a separate iOS policy with the required restriction changed and assign it only to that device, or
  2. Exclude that device from the restrictive policy and associate it with another policy for the required period.

However, in this case, there is an additional Apple limitation to consider. If the device is signed in with a Managed Apple ID from Apple Business, the user cannot directly download apps from the public App Store, even when Hexnode’s Allow installing apps restriction is enabled.

Apple disables App Store purchasing and download privileges for Managed Apple IDs by design. This applies even to free apps. Hexnode can allow the App Store restriction at the device level, but it cannot override Apple’s account-level restriction.

Regards,
Mary Romero

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