Creating and uploading your Apple Push Notification (APNS) certificate

Apple requires that you create and upload an APNS certificate to Mobile Guardian before Mobile Guardian is allowed to interact with your devices (manage applications, send commands, send configurations to apply restrictions, etc.).

To manage more than 10 iOS devices in your school account, you need an Apple MDM Push Certificate. This guide will walk you through the process of creating and uploading an APNS certificate to Mobile Guardian.

Apple APNS Certificate Setup Guide

Prerequisites

• An Apple ID (If you do not have one, you can create an Apple ID).

Download Your Certificate Signing Request (CSR)

• Log in to Mobile Guardian:
  • Navigate to the Mobile Guardian School Dashboard.
  • Click on Settings in the left-hand panel.
  • Select iOS MDM Settings from the drop-down menu.
  • On the right-hand side, you will see a link to download your Certificate Signing Request (CSR). Click on the download link and save this file for later use.

Generate the APNS Certificate from Apple

• Access the Apple Push Certificates Portal:
  • Click on the Apple Push Certificates Portal.

• Sign in:
  • Use your Apple ID to sign in.

• Upload the Mobile Guardian CSR to Apple:

• Click on Create a Certificate.
• Agree to Apple’s Terms of Use by ticking the checkbox and clicking Accept.
• On the “Create a New Push Certificate” page, upload the CSR file downloaded from Mobile Guardian.
• Click on the Choose File button to select the CSR file.
• After uploading the “Mobile_Guardian_APNS.csr” file, click Upload.
• Once uploaded, download the APNS certificate from the confirmation screen.

#Note: Add the School Name in the Notes field to know which School it belongs to

Upload Your APNS Certificate to Mobile Guardian

• Return to Mobile Guardian iOS MDM Settings:
  • Navigate back to the Mobile Guardian Dashboard.
  • Go to Settings > iOS MDM Settings.
• Upload the APNS Certificate:
  • Click on the Update/Renew Certificate button.

• Complete the Upload:
  • In the pop-up window, enter a name for your Apple ID.
  • Click on Select Certificate and upload the APNS certificate file you downloaded from Apple.
  • Click on Update Certificate.

• Confirmation:
  • A message will appear in the top right corner confirming that your upload was successful. Your screen should now display your certificate details.

Important Notes

• Re-enrollment: If you revoke or add a new certificate, you will need to unenroll and re-enroll all devices.
• Annual Renewal: The certificate must be renewed annually through the Apple ID portal. Ensure you retain your login details. Renewal does not require re-enrollment of devices.
• Reminders: Mobile Guardian will remind you when the certificate is nearing renewal.

Please let us know if you found this helpful.

Thanks for reading! 🙂