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Managed iOS devices are repeatedly getting a “Sign in to iTunes” / Apple ID prompt. The prompt seems to appear when Hexnode tries to install FaceTime and shows a “FaceTime cannot install” type message. FaceTime is currently included in the app group associated with our iOS Required Apps policy. We do not allow Apple IDs on these devices, so users cannot sign in to complete anything from the App Store. I cloned the production iOS policy to test this on a pilot device, but I’m confused about what actually stops the prompt. Does disabling “Remove apps on policy removal” fix this, or do I need to remove FaceTime from the app group? Also, if I remove FaceTime from the policy/app group, will it remove FaceTime from the device?
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Marked SolutionPending Review
Hexnode Expert
24 hours ago
Aug 23, 2026
Marked SolutionPending Review
FaceTime is a built-in iOS system app, so it should not be deployed as a required app through a standard app deployment policy.
If FaceTime is added to a Required Apps policy or an app group used by that policy, iOS may treat it as an app installation request. Since built-in Apple apps cannot be silently installed or reinstalled through MDM in the same way as managed App Store/VPP apps, the device can show Apple ID or “Sign in to iTunes” prompts.
To stop the repeated prompts:
1. Open the app group used in the iOS Required Apps policy.
2. Remove FaceTime from that app group.
3. Save the changes.
4. Allow the device to sync with Hexnode.
5. Check whether the install prompts stop on the pilot device before applying the same change to production.
Removing FaceTime from the Required Apps policy or app group does not uninstall FaceTime from the device by itself. It only stops Hexnode from trying to push FaceTime as an installable required app.
The “Remove apps on policy removal” setting is separate. It controls whether managed apps are removed when the policy is removed from a device. It does not directly stop Apple ID sign-in prompts. If you want to avoid accidental app removal during testing, keep “Remove apps on policy removal” disabled.
Regards,
Mary Romero
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