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Ask HN: Does anyone know of any Remote Management for iPads?

1 points by westondeboer ↗ HN
I am used to using Apple Remote Desktop to manage laptops.

But my kids are using iPad's this year for school and I was wondering if there was a way to manage the apps and do some basic setup on them without having to do it twice?

I might just get an old laptop for them because iPad management is just time consuming. Or Chromebooks?

5 comments

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bartvk
Jamf supports up to three devices on the free tier, if I recall correctly.
westondeboer
Thank you, I am going to look into this.

It is very annoying that there is no app from apple like remote desktop. I think we might move away from iPads because of this.

joezydeco
Chromebooks might be the way to go if your district is using any kind of Google setup (Classroom, Docs, or both) for school lessons. Having a keyboard is a big help.

If Google is not a factor and you just want to set up the iPads so the kids focus on their work, you either manage the iPad or manage the internet traffic.

For managing the iPad, there's ScreenTime built into iOS and some third-party programs like OurPact that can shut off individual apps and prevent the kids from downloading new apps. Neither is 100% effective. ScreenTime is a dissapointment IMO and, as far as my experience goes, it's abandonware from Apple at this point.

For managing the internet, you can install something like Disney Circle that will interfere with DNS on their devices and prevent them from reaching certain domains thereby blocking them off net-required apps like Facebook or Snapchat. You can also try OpenDNS or some other gizmos like PiHole that can sink traffic for specific clients.

But remember, kids are smart. They figure out workarounds and trade them with their friends. It's a constant time consuming fight as you have observed.

(Meta-comment: there will be others here that will state that blocking kids from internet apps and filtering traffic is a bad thing and shouldn't be considered at all. What you choose to do as a parent is your choice, especially when trying to manage remote learning in this new era. Don't let anyone change what you believe is the best outcome for your own children.)

westondeboer
These are some great suggestions, thank you.

I think that we are going to try for the Chromebooks. The iPad's work okay, just not great.

And yes, I know about circumventing the internet. I worked at a middle school and know all the in's and out's of that, because I couldn't stand the restrictions myself.

bradknowles
There are multiple Mobile Device Management systems, but JAMF is probably the best known and perhaps the best supported on iOS. Myself, I use SimpleMDM to manage all the devices in our family. But if I had to do it over again, I’d use JAMF.

I know that JAMF can be used to build your own custom App Store, and to enforce the installation and maintenance of your selected software.