Shared iPad not applying from Hexnode ADE profile on iPadSolved

Hi @noor_k,

To enable Apple’s native Shared iPad mode through Hexnode, the setting must be configured in the Automated Device Enrollment profile before the iPad is activated.

Shared iPad cannot be applied dynamically to an already set-up device because iPadOS provisions the multi-user storage layout during the ADE activation flow.

Use the following configuration:

1. Go to Enroll > All Enrollments > No-Touch > Apple Business/School Manager
2. Create a new ADE profile or edit the existing profile assigned to the iPad.
3. Under General Settings > Device Settings, click Enable Supervision.
4. Open the Shared Device Settings section.
5. Click Enable Shared Devices.
6. Choose the required mode:
   • User Mode: for sign-ins with Managed Apple IDs.
   • Guest Mode: for temporary guest sessions.
7. Configure the Expected number of users if required, then save the profile.
8. Assign the updated ADE profile to the target iPad from the Apple Business/School Manager device list in Hexnode.
9. Wipe/factory reset the iPad.

After the reset, the iPad must go through the Remote Management screen during setup. At that point, it pulls the updated ADE profile and provisions itself as a Shared iPad.

For the ADE sync issue: if the token is not expired and there are no pending Apple Business terms, re-uploading the ADE server token can still help because it refreshes the secure connection handshake between Apple Business and Hexnode.

Regards,
Isabel Lora
Hexnode UEM

That explains why it wasn’t taking effect for me. I had edited the enrollment profile, but the iPad was already activated. I expected it to switch modes automatically after the profile update.

Re-uploading the ADE token worked, and after assigning the updated ADE profile and wiping the iPad, Shared iPad came up during setup. The missing piece was that the reset is mandatory for the Shared iPad configuration to apply.