Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
Apple has built a world for IT where zero-touch deployments are the defacto default. Most devices arrive sealed, are unboxed by the end user, and are configured automatically through device management services. For many IT teams, that is the dream scenario they have always wanted. In education and retail, there are still plenty of times when a hands-on macOS app for deployment can be just as valuable. That is where Apple Configurator for macOS continues to matter.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a device management system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 1000s of Macs, and 1000s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.
What is Apple Configurator for Mac?
Apple Configurator for macOS is a utility that has been around for years. It was originally the go-to tool for supervising and preparing iOS devices while also deploying apps from Apple’s Volume Purchase Program. Over time, most of that functionality shifted to device management services and Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager. Apple Configurator never went away, though, and Apple has kept adding to it in small, but important ways.
Why it still matters in 2025
Zero-touch deployments are the standard, but not every workflow is zero touch. Schools still need to wipe carts of iPads between school years. Retailers still need to repurpose devices, reset them before redeployment, or handle edge cases where device management alone is not enough. Apple Configurator paired with Shortcuts on macOS brings automation to these situations. Instead of clicking through menus in the app, IT can build a Shortcut that erases dozens of iPads with a single click or on a set schedule. That makes it useful not only for IT staff but even for non-technical employees who just need to reset devices consistently, such as a teacher preparing devices for a class.
IT can create a Shortcut with actions like “Find Connected Devices” and “Erase All Content and Settings.” Connect a hub of iPads, run the Shortcut, and Apple Configurator handles the rest. Add in Automated Enrollment from Apple School Manager and the devices can immediately return to management when they reboot. That combination of physical automation and over-the-air management is where Apple Configurator earns the title of hidden superpower.
It is easy to think of Apple Configurator as a relic from before device management services were as powerful as they are today, but the truth is that it has never been more relevant. It gives IT teams a way to automate tasks that would otherwise require many more steps through device management. That saves time, reduces mistakes, and returns devices to service faster. In a K–12 environment, preparing hundreds of iPads for a new school year or recycling devices for new employees in a healthcare environment, Apple Configurator combined with Shortcuts is the simple tool that makes zero-touch deployments even better.
Wrap up
Apple Configurator does not grab headlines when new updates come out, but continues to earn its place in an IT team’s software toolkit. In the era of zero-touch deployments and declarative device management, it’s a hidden superpower that bridges the gap between what can be done remotely and what sometimes can be done faster with a cable. Pair it with Shortcuts and Automated Enrollment, and IT gains automation that is just as powerful as doing it remotely.
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
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