I was taking my dog for her perambulation through the leafy valleys and forests of one of the most densely populated parts of London this morning when it struck me how annoying it has become that I must now update multiple Apple devices across my family group. That’s pretty much mandatory given recent security warnings, and may involve additional updates over time.
“Why must I spend so much time updating other people’s stuff?” I asked myself, managing to combine resentment and self-pity within one short sentence. “Why can’t they learn how to update their own stuff?” I muttered, dreaming once again of that inevitable lottery win that absolutely will change my life. “If only there was an easier way.”
The one thing every family admin should do
You can do this in IT. There you have a suite of tools to manage devices. But for families, there are no easy ways, I thought.
That’s not to say you can’t do anything. Number one is the standard thing every family admin should do, though many of us don’t:
- Open Settings > General > Software Update.
- There, tap Automatic Updates and turn on Download (iOS, iPadOS, macOS) Updates and also turn on Install (iOS, iPadOS, macOS) Updates.
From then on, that device will automatically download and install updates overnight when it is locked, on Wi-Fi, and charging.
Great. You can forget it. Except you can’t, as not only must you take these steps on each individual device, which is really boring, but, unlike IT admins, you cannot monitor the family fleet to make sure every device is up to date. The first you’ll know they aren’t will probably be when someone has a tech problem you must resolve as a result of them cancelling those updates because they wanted to check their email.
Apple Business isn’t for the home
To resolve this, you can try to use Apple Business or third-party fleet device management tools, such as Jamf Now. Aimed at business users, in theory both tools could extend enterprise-grade device management into family setups, but neither seems ideal.
Apple Business, for example, demands managed Apple accounts, requires strict registration as a business user and puts in place other barriers that prevent it being easily used to manage family tech. Jamf Now is much more flexible, but the company charges around four dollars for each device after three, which adds up fast when your extended family have iPhones, Macs, and iPads.
Apple Configurator isn’t enough
Another option could be Apple Configurator. This is free and lets you supervise multiple devices manually. The limitation is that it only lets you manage iOS, iPadOS and tvOS devices — all it can do for Macs is enroll them to enable MDM. Another limitation is that you need to connect each device manually to your Mac for configuration — and during the config process you’ll need to back up the device, as it will be wiped and restored during the configuration process.
Configurator is powerful — perhaps too powerful. Once it is applied, you can permanently block apps, force web content filtering, and stop AirDrop. You can also prevent people from changing the device name or passcode, or from adding new mail accounts. Much of this is great for family device management, I thought as I leaned over to deal with another canine gift, but the problem remains that it will not automate updates across the family group.
“Why must I always carry the load?” I muttered to myself, resentfully, as I walked toward the park trash can. “All I want is to make sure everybody installs software updates. Is that too much to ask?”
What Apple already offers
I really don’t think it is too much to ask. Apple has already built system hooks inside its operating systems that force devices to upgrade to specific OS versions by defined deadlines. These tools sit inside the Declarative Device Management (DDM) framework and are made available through MDM services. These aren’t APIs, but system-level hooks.
Could Apple provision these services from within Family Sharing?
I think it would be possible, but the problem is a philosophical one. There is a difference between business and family users, and the latter’s are seen as personal devices. What that means is that Apple’s fundamental security model for family devices is based on the individual user, protecting that user and ensuring that no remote user or server should be able to force deep, system changes — like OS updates — on someone else’s personal device.
This makes a lot of sense, of course, because by adding managed software updates to Family Sharing, Apple would be empowering the administrator at the cost of individual users’ personal agency. It’s not hard to imagine situations in some families where such power might be abused. There’s also the risk of data loss.
Family Sharing does let you control things like content access and set time boundaries but leaves the software updating and other core tasks to the individual.
Privacy may matter most
Should Apple change this?
As I walked my deeply reluctant and not even slightly grateful dog back home, I reflected that perhaps individual privacy and agency are worth protecting. It’s what I am raising my family to care about, after all — but surely there should be a tool within Family Sharing that admins can use to remind family members to upgrade? Something a little stronger than a text message, email, or personal request, like perhaps a system message?
“It would be helpful if I could just pop a pester message on everyone’s device reminding them to upgrade,” I thought as I turned the lock and walked into the family home.
“Then at least I wouldn’t have to talk to everyone,” I thought as I snuck into my man-cave, where I reached over and began the tedious task of updating a couple of dozen devices all by myself.
“Is that all there is?” I thought, as I watched the morning wane.
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