Other MDMs, Apple Configurator and no MDM
The same five steps work in every Apple device management system.
The recipe that works everywhere
Every Apple MDM is a front end to the same Apple services, so the steps are the same whatever the console looks like.
- Claim free licenses in Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager. See Get free licenses.
- Sync Apps and Books (it may still be called VPP) in your MDM so the app appears in its catalog.
- Assign the app to devices or a device group as a required or automatic install, using device-based licensing so that no Apple Account is needed.
- Turn on automatic updates for the app.
- Optionally, assign a Single App Mode profile that locks a supervised, dedicated iPad into the app. See the overview.
If your console asks for identifiers: App Store ID 6806084436, bundle ID com.modelcommunicator.app.
Where to find it in common consoles
Good to know: Menu names below follow the vendor's documentation as of September 2026. Consoles are redesigned often, so a label may differ slightly in yours. The order of the steps does not change.
| MDM | Add and assign the app | Lock to the app |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Meraki Systems Manager | Systems Manager → Manage → Apps, add an App Store app, then scope it by device tags | A settings profile with the Single App Mode payload |
| Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM | Resources → Apps → Native → Purchased, then assign to a smart group with automatic deployment | A device profile with the Single App Mode payload |
| Kandji (Iru) | Library → Add new, choose the app from Apps and Books, and assign it to a Blueprint | The kiosk or Single App Mode Library item |
| SimpleMDM | Apps → Catalog, add the app from Apps and Books, then add it to an assignment group | A Single App Mode profile |
| Hexnode | Apps, add a store or VPP app, then include it in a policy as a required app | A kiosk lockdown policy in single app mode |
| Lightspeed, Securly, FileWave and others | Look for Apps and Books or VPP in the app catalog, and assign to a device group | Look for Single App Mode, App Lock or Kiosk |
Profile keys, if your MDM only takes a custom profile
Single App Mode is the standard Apple App Lock payload (com.apple.app.lock) and needs a supervised iPad:
<key>App</key>
<dict>
<key>Identifier</key>
<string>com.modelcommunicator.app</string>
</dict>Build the full profile in Apple Configurator or your MDM's profile editor instead of typing it by hand. Apple documents every key in its device management reference.
Apple Configurator, without an MDM
A school with a handful of iPads and a Mac can do this over a cable.
- Prepare the iPad as supervised in Apple Configurator on the Mac. This erases the iPad, so back up boards first.
- Sign in to Configurator with the Apple School Manager account that holds the licenses, select the iPad, click Add → Apps and choose Model Communicator.
- To lock the iPad into the app, select it and choose Actions → Advanced → Start Single App Mode. Stop it from the same menu, with the iPad connected to that Mac.
No MDM at all
On an unmanaged or family iPad, install the app from the App Store and use Guided Access to keep the iPad in it. Nothing else is needed.