After linking any Apple device to your Prey Control Panel, you’ll be able to execute most security actions available for MacOS and iOS. Due to the restrictions that Apple places on developers, Factory Reset and the native Apple Lock actions cannot be run unless the device is linked to an MDM Certificate for Prey. To learn more about these actions, please refer to our Security Actions article.
Creating the MDM certificate
Before linking your device to an MDM certificate we need to create this certificate. To do so, navigate to the Apple Certificate section of your Prey Control Panel and follow the directions on screen. Once the certificate is signed and approved (it shouldn’t take longer than a minute), you can now download and install the profile with the certificate. Keep in mind that this certificate will be valid for 1 year and you can only have 1 certificate linked to your device (you cannot have 2 certificates working for different software in the same device).
Downloading and installing the profile
With the certificate signed and approved, download the profile file to the device; you can do this by navigating to the Device view of the device you want to link, and then clicking on the button.
-
Even if Prey is available on the App Store, Prey for iOS capabilities are heavily limited due to the OS. We do not recommend to install Prey on iOS devices, unless you are absolutely sure you are not going to close the app under any circumstance.
You’ll receive a push notification on the device which will install a profile on your device when accepted. The location of installed profiles on iOS can vary based on the model and iOS version. Normally, to check for installed profiles on your iPhone, you can go to Settings > General > Device Management. If you see a "Profiles" or "Device Management" option, it means your device is enrolled in an MDM program.
You can also find it by navigating to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management option on your iPhone. You will find a section titled Mobile Device Management where the installed profiles are displayed. - Once you click the button, the file will be automatically downloaded. Open it, and then, in the Settings app, navigate to Privacy & Security > Profiles. From there, authorize the Remote Management profile from Prey.
Once those steps are complete, the device will be linked and the Apple-specific actions will now be available.
Renewing your MDM certificate
To renew your certificate before expiration, navigate to the Apple Certificate section of the Settings tab in your Prey panel, and follow the on-screen instructions. Keep in mind that the certificate needs to be renewed before its expiration date; otherwise you will have to start the process from scratch.