# Apple Business Manager and Apple Business Setup

Source: https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/apple-business-manager/
Updated: 2026-11-13

> dijitul support sets up Apple Business, the free service that replaced Apple Business Manager in April 2026, for UK businesses with Macs, iPhones and iPads. We configure Automated Device Enrolment, Managed Apple Accounts and your MDM, whether Apple's built-in management or Microsoft Intune, at £45 an hour + VAT, or under a monthly plan.

## Common symptoms

- A leaver's iPhone is locked to their personal Apple Account
- New Macs need setting up by hand, one at a time
- Staff use personal Apple IDs on company iPads
- You cannot wipe or lock a lost company iPhone
- Intune cannot see your company iPhones
- You are not sure whether Apple Business Manager still exists

## Key facts

- Apple Business launched on 14 April 2026, replacing Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Connect
- Apple says it is free, including in the UK
- Automated Device Enrolment enrols new or erased company devices during setup, and they are supervised
- Devices bought from Apple or Apple Authorised Resellers can be added for zero-touch deployment
- Managed Apple Accounts (formerly Managed Apple IDs) are work accounts owned by the business
- Accounts can be created from Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace
- Works with built-in MDM or third-party MDM such as Microsoft Intune
- Set-up: £45 an hour + VAT

## Apple Business Manager is now Apple Business

Apple announced in March 2026 that Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Connect would be combined into a single service called **Apple Business**, launching on 14 April 2026. Apple's newsroom says it is free for new and existing users in the UK and more than 200 other countries and regions, though some features vary by country. If you search for Apple Business Manager today, the portal and Apple's guides now use the Apple Business name. The core features that most businesses used are still there: device enrolment, work accounts and app distribution.

The new service also adds built-in device management, which was previously a US-only paid Essentials feature, plus optional business email and calendar on your own domain for devices on iOS 26, iPadOS 26 or macOS 26.

## Automated Device Enrolment

Automated Device Enrolment (ADE, once called DEP) is the main reason to use Apple Business. Company-owned devices are linked to your organisation by serial number. When someone switches one on, or after it is erased, it connects to your device management service during setup and installs your settings, apps and restrictions automatically. Apple's guide says devices enrolled this way are **supervised**, which gives you more control, and that any iPhone or iPad that needs supervision must use ADE.

- Devices bought from Apple or an Apple Authorised Reseller, with your organisation details attached to the order, can be assigned for zero-touch deployment.
- Devices bought elsewhere can be added using Apple Configurator.
- Because the link is tied to the serial number, a wiped device re-enrols itself, so a stolen or leaver's device cannot simply be reset and kept.

## Managed Apple Accounts

Managed Apple Accounts, which Apple used to call Managed Apple IDs, are Apple accounts owned by your business rather than the employee. Apple says they keep work and personal data cryptographically separate on the device. You can create them automatically from Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace, so a new starter gets one when their Microsoft 365 account is created, and it is disabled when they leave.

Apple's enrolment guide explains where each method fits:

| Method | For | Supervised |

| Automated Device Enrolment | New or erased company devices | Yes |
| Account-driven Device Enrolment | Company devices already in use | Macs yes; iPhone and iPad no |
| Account-driven User Enrolment | Personally owned devices (BYOD) | No |

## Built-in management or Intune

Apple Business now includes its own device management, with Blueprints for preconfigured settings and apps. That suits a small team that is mostly Apple. If you already use Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Intune can manage Apple devices alongside Windows PCs from one place. Microsoft's Intune documentation walks through linking Apple Business to Intune: you add an MDM server in Apple Business, download its token, upload it to Intune and assign devices. Microsoft notes devices can take up to 12 hours to appear. See [device management with Intune](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/device-management-intune/).

## Getting set up

- Sign up for Apple Business with your organisation's legal details. Apple verifies the organisation before full access is granted; have your company details and a work email on your own domain ready.
- Verify your domain so Managed Apple Accounts can use it, and connect Entra ID or Google Workspace.
- Give your Apple reseller your organisation ID so future purchases appear automatically.
- Choose built-in management or link Intune or another MDM.
- Set default device assignment, enrolment settings and apps.
- Test on one device, then roll out.

For existing devices tied to personal accounts, we plan a careful handover so nobody loses photos or data.

## How dijitul helps

We set up Apple Business, ADE, Managed Apple Accounts and your MDM remotely at £45 an hour + VAT. Ongoing device support, new starter set-ups and leaver wipes fit within our [monthly plans](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/pricing/); the Complete plan at £99 a month + VAT includes helpdesk support for your team. See also [Mac support](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/mac-support/) and [new starter IT setup](https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/new-starter-it-setup/).

## FAQs

### Does Apple Business Manager still exist?

It has been replaced. Apple launched Apple Business on 14 April 2026, combining Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Connect. Existing device enrolment and account features carry on under the new name. dijitul can set it up for you.

### Is Apple Business free in the UK?

Apple says Apple Business is free in the UK and over 200 other countries and regions. Some paid add-ons, such as extra iCloud storage and AppleCare+ for Business, were announced with US pricing. dijitul's set-up time is £45 an hour + VAT.

### What is Automated Device Enrolment?

It links company-owned Apple devices to your organisation by serial number, so they enrol in your device management automatically during setup and are supervised. A wiped device re-enrols itself, which stops lost or leavers' devices being reset and kept.

### What happened to Managed Apple IDs?

Apple now calls them Managed Apple Accounts. They are work accounts owned by your business, and can be created automatically from Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace so they follow your starters and leavers.

### Can we use Intune instead of Apple's built-in management?

Yes. You link Apple Business to Intune with an MDM server token and assign devices to it. This suits businesses on Microsoft 365 Business Premium that want Windows and Apple devices in one place.

### Can we add iPhones we already own?

Yes. Devices not bought through Apple or an Authorised Reseller can be added with Apple Configurator, or enrolled with account-driven enrolment. dijitul plans the move so staff keep their data.

## Pricing and contact

Support plans from £25 a month + VAT, or £45 an hour + VAT for one-off fixes. Plans: Essential £25/month + VAT (Website software updates (core, plugins, themes) applied and checked, Daily backups, Uptime monitoring, Security monitoring); Business £50/month + VAT (Everything in Essential, 1 hour of fixes or changes every month, Priority support); Complete £99/month + VAT (Everything in Business, 3 hours of fixes or changes every month, IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk for your team). Ad-hoc support is £45 an hour + VAT. The first 30 minutes are the minimum charge, then we bill in 15-minute blocks. Contact: 01623 650333, support@dijitul.uk, https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/contact/