Migration of Managed Apple Devices to Relution

Introduction

With the release of iOS 26, Apple now allows the migration of managed Apple devices from one Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to another (e.g. to Relution).
The goal is to take over devices without resetting them, without manual re-enrollment, and without losing existing configurations, apps, or Managed Apple IDs.

Prerequisites

Device requirements:

  • An iPhone, iPad, or Mac that is currently managed (MDM profile active) via DEP through Apple Business Manager (ABM) or Apple School Manager (ASM).
  • The device must be in Supervised mode.
  • Operating system version iOS/iPadOS 26+ or macOS 26+.

MDM requirements:

  • The existing MDM system must support device assignment or transfer via ABM/ASM. In Relution, this feature is supported starting with version 5.34.
  • Relution must be registered and operational as an MDM server in ABM/ASM.

Migration Steps to Relution

Step 1: Preparation in Relution

  • In Relution, verify that the DEP and VPP tokens are available and valid.
  • Create or identify a device group that will contain the devices to be migrated.
  • Set up all necessary configurations (profiles, certificates, apps) in Relution, but do not publish them immediately.

Step 2: Assignment in ABM/ASM

  • Log in to Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
  • Navigate to Devices > All Devices and filter by the serial numbers or UDIDs of the devices to be migrated.
  • Select the devices → Assign Device Management.
  • In the dialog, select Relution as the new server.
  • A migration grace period should be defined; this gives the user time to complete the migration before the deadline. After the grace period expires, the user must complete the migration to continue using the device.
  • Confirm the change – Apple will now mark the devices for Relution.

ASM/ABM view

Step 3: Migration on the Device

  • To start the migration directly, go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management on the device and tap Start Enrollment.
  • Once started, the device will be removed from the old MDM and added to Relution, without resetting to factory settings.
  • After completion, the device appears in Relution as managed.

Notification window on device

Prompt on device

Limitations & Notes

  • Devices that are not supervised via DEP or not listed in ABM/ASM must be re-enrolled manually — a factory reset may be required.
  • Some system functions or proprietary profiles may not fully migrate — in some cases, a reset remains the most reliable method.
  • Duplicate user or device IDs between the old and new MDM can cause conflicts — verify organizational consistency before migration.
  • To enable migration under iOS 26, a grace period must be set in ASM/ABM. If the option is grayed out, migration is not available.
  • The migration option in ASM/ABM may appear only up to two days after updating to iOS 26.