Bought on Amazon or Best Buy? Here's what that means for enrollment.
Macs and iPads bought from retailers like Amazon or Best Buy can't be enrolled in Apple Business (formerly Apple Business Manager) automatically: only the Apple reseller or carrier that sold a device can submit it to Apple. They can still be added by hand, with some catches.
Adding them by hand
Apple Configurator, Apple's free app for iPhone and Mac, can add a Mac or iPad to Apple Business no matter where it was bought. Each device is added one at a time, in person, and a Mac needs Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip.
The 30-day catch
For the first 30 days after a hand-added device is enrolled, the person using it can release it from Apple Business and remove its management: your security policies, apps and settings. For company devices handed to employees, that's a gap many IT teams would rather avoid.
What we recommend
- For new purchases: buy through an Apple reseller that enrolls at shipment. With GatorTec, you add our Reseller ID (5559440) once and every Mac and iPad arrives already enrolled, with corporate pricing.
- For devices you bought from GatorTec earlier: send your account manager the serial numbers and we'll add them.
- For retail purchases: Apple Configurator is the only route. Plan for the 30-day window, or replace them on your normal refresh cycle with devices bought through a reseller.
Questions
Can devices bought on Amazon be added to Apple Business Manager?
Only by hand, with Apple Configurator. Amazon and other retailers don't submit devices to Apple Business, so they can't be enrolled automatically.
What is the 30-day provisional period?
After a hand-added device is enrolled, the person using it has 30 days to release it from Apple Business and remove its management. Devices submitted by a reseller don't have that window.
Can GatorTec enroll devices we bought somewhere else?
Not devices bought from retailers like Amazon or Best Buy: only the reseller that sold a device can enroll it. Devices you bought from GatorTec can always be added: send your account manager the serial numbers.
Related
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