Table of Contents
What's Changing
Until recently, many people were using their own personal Apple ID with or without university owned devices.
Unfortunately, this could cause issues where someone from a department would use university funds to purchase software for university use and then, after leaving the university, remaining people would find they lost access to the software. Because, of course, the purchase was tied to that persons personal Apple ID.
To help prevent issues like this from occurring, UIC will be linking the @uic.edu email domain for Apple IDs to the university's authentication system and managing purchase software using Apple School Manager (ASM). As a result, any Apple ID that currently uses an @uic.edu email address will need to transition to a personal email address. So, if you have any Apple devices that already exist (Prior to December 2022) that you log into using your UIC email address, you'll need to switch the email address associated with that account over to, for example, a gmail email account. If this is the case, you'll likely have been getting emails informing you of this switch that look like the following:
NOTE: To switch your personal Apple ID from an @UIC email address to a personal account, follow the instructions found here.
After you change your personal Apple ID we recommend, if you are using an un-managed Apple device, that you use your personal AppleID instead of UIC's federated AppleID as these following changes will take effect:
- Past purchases of software are still linked to your personal AppleID
- Access to Apple School Manager and JAMF are restricted to Staff, Instructors, and IT Personnel
If you have questions please feel free to contact us or your IT group.
How to switch from the Apple store to ASM for the purpose of downloading software
- If necessary, follow the instructions here to associate your current Apple ID that is using a UIC email address with your personal email address
- Use the following form to request access to ASM
- Sign in to iCloud with your new Apple ID (i.e. not your personal Apple ID) using Settings on an iPhone or iPad, using System Settings (in macOS 13), or System Preferences (in macOS 12 or earlier), or during the initial setup of the device
How do I purchase software for Apple School Manager
Press this link for information from Apple on how to purchase software.
How do I access Apple School Manager at UIC?
Please use this link to request Access to ASM.
NOTE: Please scroll down to the bottom of the Request Type field and select "ASM Access Request".
How to I request to have software added to ASM
Please use this form to request software.
How Do I Add software to a JAMF device/user?
Jamf Pro allows you to distribute Mac App Store apps to computers and users. You can also use Jamf Pro to update Mac App Store apps that have been installed by Jamf Pro.
Jamf Pro provides two Mac App Store app distribution methods: make the app available in Self Service, or install the app automatically/prompt users to install the app. When you distribute a Mac App Store app, you add it to Jamf Pro and configure settings for the app, including the distribution method. Then, you specify the users and computers that should receive it (called “scope”).
Note: Removing targets from the scope of the app revokes the app license (if applicable) but does not remove the app from the computer. To completely remove the app, the app must be manually dragged to the Trash on the target computer.
Mac App Store apps purchased in volume can be distributed to computers or users with managed distribution. For more information, see Managed Distribution for Computers and User-Based Volume Assignments.
As an alternative to managed distribution, Jamf Pro also supports distributing Mac App Store apps to computers using redeemable VPP codes. For more information, see VPP Code Distribution for Computers.
Mac App Store apps distributed with user-based assignments or with VPP codes are not managed by Jamf Pro. Users can update apps using the Mac App Store or uninstall the apps from their computers.
Requirements
To allow users to install Mac App Store apps from Self Service via MDM, or to allow Mac App Store apps to be installed automatically you need:
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A push certificate in Jamf Pro (For information, see Push Certificates)
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The Enable certificate-based authentication and Enable push notifications settings configured in Jamf Pro (For information, see Security Settings)
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Computers that are bound to a directory service or local user accounts that have been MDM-enabled (For information, see Binding to Directory Services and the Enabling MDM for Local User Accounts Knowledge Base article)
Note: On computers with macOS 10.10 or later and Jamf Pro v9.64 or later, the local user account is automatically MDM-enabled the first time a Mac App Store app is installed automatically or via Self Service, or a user-level configuration profile is installed via Self Service. With PreStage enrollment, the first local user account that is created is made MDM-enabled.
On computers with macOS 10.9 or earlier and Jamf Pro v9.4–v9.64, the user is prompted with a “Local Administrator credentials required” message the first time a Mac App Store app is installed automatically or via Self Service, or a user-level configuration profile is installed via Self Service. The user can click OK or Cancel when prompted.
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Apps assigned to computers or users via managed distribution
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For device-based assignments, you need:
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For user-based assignments, you need:
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Computers with macOS 10.9 or later
Note: If a computer does not have macOS 10.9 or later and the “Install Automatically/Prompt Users to Install” distribution method is selected, the app will instead be made available in Self Service.
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Users registered with volume purchasing and the apps assigned to them using volume assignments
(For information, see Volume Purchasing User Registration and User-Based Volume Assignments.)
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Users must be logged in to Mac App Store with the Apple ID used during volume purchasing registration
Note: If the scope for a Mac App Store app is configured to include a computer and the user is not assigned to that computer in Jamf Pro, the app will instead be made available in Self Service.
To allow users to install apps from the Mac App Store (linked from Self Service), you need:
Distributing a Mac App Store App
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Log in to Jamf Pro
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Click Computers at the top of the page
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Click Mac App Store Apps
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Click New 
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Do one of the following:
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To add the app by browsing the App Store, enter the name of the app, choose an App Store country, and then click Next. Then click Add for the app you want to add
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To add the app by uploading a VPP code spreadsheet, click Choose File and upload the Excel spreadsheet (.xls) that contains VPP codes for the app
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To add the app by manually entering information about it, click Enter Manually
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Use the General pane to configure settings for the app, including the distribution method. For apps distributed using managed distribution, you can also enable automatic app updates
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Click the Scope tab and configure the scope of the app
For more information, see Scope
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(Optional) Click the Self Service tab and configure the way the app is displayed in Self Service. You can customize the text displayed in the description for the app in Self Service by using Markdown in the Description field
For information about Markdown, see the Using Markdown to Format Text Knowledge Base article
Note: The Self Service tab is only displayed if "Make Available in Self Service" is chosen in the Distribution Method pop-up menu.
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(Optional) If you want to distribute the app directly to computers via managed distribution, do the following:
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Click the Managed Distribution tab, and then click the Device Assignments tab
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Select the Assign Volume Content check-box
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Choose the location that has purchased the app to distribute to computers
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(Optional) If you want to associate VPP codes with the app and have not already uploaded a VPP code spreadsheet, do the following:
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Click the Managed Distribution tab, and then click the VPP Codes tab
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Upload the Excel spreadsheet (.xls) that contains VPP codes for the app
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Click Save 
If users were added as targets to the scope, the app is distributed to the computers those users are assigned to the next time the computers check in with Jamf Pro.
Updating a Mac App Store App
Jamf Pro allows you to update an individual Mac App Store app in the following ways:
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Schedule automatic Mac App Store app updates—This automatically updates the app description, icon, and version in Jamf Pro and on computers. This update happens once a day depending on the time of day you specify
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Automatically force Mac App Store apps to update—You can automatically force a Mac App Store app to update on computers. This update happens automatically every time computers check in with Jamf Pro
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Manually force a Mac App Store app to update—You can manually force an app to update immediately on computers if there are updates available in Jamf Pro. This applies only to apps distributed using managed distribution for computers
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Distribute a Mac App Store app update—You can distribute an update for a Mac App Store app by manually updating the version number and URL for the app in Jamf Pro. The update is distributed to computers the next time they contact Jamf Pro
Note: Jamf Pro also allows you to enable automatic updates for all Mac App Store apps, or force all Mac App Store apps to update immediately. For more information, see Mac App Store App Update Settings.
Scheduling Automatic App Updates
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Log in to Jamf Pro
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Click Computers at the top of the page
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Click Mac App Store Apps
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Click the app for which you want to enable automatic app updates
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Click Edit 
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Select Schedule Jamf Pro to automatically check the App Store for app updates
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Choose a country or region to use when syncing apps with the App Store from the App Store Country or Region pop-up menu
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Set the time of day to sync apps with the App Store with the App Store Sync Time pop-up menus
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Click Save
The app is updated in Jamf Pro and on computers in the scope based on the time you configure the app to sync with the Mac App Store.
Automatically Forcing an App Update
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Log in to Jamf Pro
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Click Computers at the top of the page
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Click Mac App Store Apps
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Click the app you want to update
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Click Edit
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Click Force Update
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Click Save
The app is updated immediately on computers in the scope each time computers check in with Jamf Pro.
Manually Forcing an App Update
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Log in to Jamf Pro
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Click Computers at the top of the page
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Click Mac App Store Apps
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Click the app you want to update
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Click Edit
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Click Force Update
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Click Save
The app is updated immediately on computers in the scope if there is an update available in Jamf Pro.
Distributing an App Update
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Log in to Jamf Pro
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Click Computers at the top of the page
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Click Mac App Store Apps
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Click the app you want to update
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Click Edit
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Enter the new version number and URL
Important: Do not change the bundle identifier. Jamf Pro uses the existing bundle identifier to distribute the update
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Click Save
The update is distributed the next time computers in the scope contact Jamf Pro.
Further Considerations
Apps are enabled by default when added to Jamf Pro. This means you can edit the app details and assign licenses, and the app will be installed on computers or displayed in Self Service based on the selected distribution method. You can disable an app by deselecting the Enable check-box. This stops the app's subsequent installations and it is not displayed in Self Service. You cannot edit app details if it is disabled.
A Mac App Store app will be automatically disabled in Jamf Pro if it is a managed distribution item that has been removed from the Mac App Store. You will not be able to assign licenses, and the installation commands will not be sent. The app will not be displayed in Self Service. An automatically disabled managed distribution item will not be removed from computers that already have this item installed.