Setting Up Apple VPP Accounts

Apple’s Volume Purchase Program (VPP), integrated within Apple Business Manager, allows organisations to license and deploy apps and books in bulk. Integrating your VPP token into Mobile Guardian enables automated, silent application assignment to managed iOS devices.

Prerequisites

• An active Mobile Guardian Administrator account.
• Apple Business Manager (ABM) account with Administrator or Content Manager privileges.

Download the VPP Server Token from Apple

• Log in to Apple Business Manager.
• Click on your organisation's name (or your profile icon) located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
• Choose Settings from the dropdown menu.

• Look at the left sidebar navigation pane and click on Payments & Billing.
• On the main page, find and click the Apps & Books tab/section.
• Scroll down to the Content Tokens section.
• Locate the line displaying your MDM server or Organisational Unit (OU) name and click Download to save your .vpptoken file.

Add the Content Tokens to Mobile Guardian

• Log in to the Mobile Guardian Dashboard.
• Navigate to Settings > iOS MDM Settings.
• On the right side of the screen, click Add an Apple VPP account.

• Fill in the required fields:
  • Account Name: Enter a descriptive name for the account or location (e.g., Main Campus - Content).
  • Email Address: Enter the Apple ID associated with your Apple School Manager account.
  • VPP Token: Click to upload the .vpptoken file downloaded in Step 1.
• Click Save.

Once saved, all purchased app licenses will automatically populate under the Applications tab in your dashboard.

Edit or Renew an Existing VPP Account

To update a token prior to expiration, or to scope licenses using tags:

• Go to Settings > iOS MDM Settings.
• Under the Apple VPP Application Distribution section, click the pencil icon next to the VPP account you wish to edit.
• Upload the new .vpptoken file.
• (Optional) Configure Tags:
  • Type a tag name to limit app availability exclusively to devices matching that tag.
  • Leave the tag field blank to make VPP applications available across all enrolled iOS devices.
• Click Update Certificate to apply changes.

Best Practices & Multi-Account Management

• Multiple Locations: If your organisation uses multiple VPP locations in Apple School Manager, repeat Step 1 and Step 2 to add each location's token individually.
• Annual Renewal: Mark your calendar for annual token renewal. Replacing an expiring token with a fresh token from the same location does not disrupt installed applications or revoke existing licenses.