Enable Supervised Mode (iPhone / iPad)

This guide will walk you through the process of enabling Supervised Mode on an iPhone. Once Supervised Mode is enabled, you can install configuration files to customize restrictions.

If you're wondering if enabling Supervised Mode is worth the effort, check out our blog post .

Guide Overview

These are the general steps we'll walk you through in this guide:

1. Back up your iPhone's media and app data: You will need to completely wipe your iPhone's data and reset it back to Factory Settings. Backing up your iPhone is a critical step to ensure that you can restore your data.
2. Disable Activation Lock: Activation Lock is used to prevent a Factory Reset in the case an iPhone is stolen. This will need to be temporarily disabled in order to proceed with Supervision.
3. Enroll your iPhone as a Supervised Device: This will require you to use a Mac or Windows computer with a specific type of software installed. 
4. Restore your iPhone's Data: Lastly, restore your data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which type of devices can be supervised?

You can enable Supervised Mode for most modern iPhones and iPads. The instructions you'll follow for an iPad are the same as you would for an iPhone.

How long does it take to enable device supervision?

If this is your first time supervising your device, expect the process to take between 30 minutes to an hour.

Why does Tech Lockdown recommend Device Supervision?

Device supervision is the most reliable way to protect settings on an iPhone.

When it comes to enforcing your connection to your Content Policy, we've built several tools that only work if supervised mode is enabled. 

How does device supervision protect settings on an iPhone?

Supervised mode allows you to install Config Files, which lock certain settings from being changed from the iPhone itself.

For example, you can remove the option to add new VPN profiles, or delete apps, and much more. Read more about it on our blog .

Next Steps