iPhone Profiles and Device Management Missing? How to Fix the Issue

by J. Robertson Macaulay D. Young Updated On Nov 7, 2023 Published On Apr 20, 2022 Basic iPhone Tips Ideal for Newbies

You may have noticed that you can't find the profiles and device management settings on your iPhone. But what do you do when this happens? In this guide, we will:

  1. Figure out what iPhone device management and profiles are
  2. Learn why profiles and device management settings might go missing and how to fix the issue

With so much to do, let's jump right in!

What is iPhone Profiles and Device Management?

Device Management profile utility empowers users to securely and wirelessly configure and oversee their devices.

It offers a range of functionalities, such as updating device software and settings, ensuring compliance with your organization's guidelines, and even remotely locking or wiping a device as necessary.

For example, a profile can be used to restrict the type of websites that can be viewed on the device or set up to require a password to access certain types of data.

Users have the capability to independently integrate their devices with Device Management Profiles. Additionally, the devices owned by your organization, you can streamline their inclusion in MDM using services like Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager.

Device Management and Profiles in iOS

Why Is Device Management and Profiles Setting Missing on iPhone?

There are many reasons why your iPhone profiles and device management might go missing. If you haven't been able to find them yet, here's why:

You May Have Looked at the Wrong Place

These steps guide you on where to find missing iPhone profiles and Mobile Device Management (MDM) settings:

  1. Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone, which looks like a gear or cogwheel.
  2. Inside the Settings app, scroll down and select "General."
  3. In the "General" section, look for an option called "Profiles & Device Management" or "VPN & Device Management".

This is where you can manage installed profiles and MDM configurations on your device. If you're missing profiles or need to adjust MDM settings, you'll find them here.

The Profile Wasn't Installed Successfully

One reason could be that the profile didn't get properly installed on your device initially. Unlike regular iOS settings, you'll only see the device management option on your iPhone if a profile is successfully installed.

You should double-check if there were any issues during the installation that prevented it from working correctly. This can help explain why the Mobile Device Management (MDM) features are missing, as they depend on having a working profile in place.

You May Have Updated to the Latest Version of iOS

Updating to the latest version of iOS tends to change a lot of settings on your device. One of these changes can include terminatin the Device Management profiles or tampering with the restriction settings. This is also because those settings aren't default to begin with.

Corrupted System Files

Another thing to consider is that your MDM profiles might not be showing if the system files are broken or corrupted. To make sure this isn't the case, download a tool called the System File Checker (SFC). Now follow this simple step:

Open the Command Prompt as an admin, and type "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes). This will check your system for damaged files and try to fix them.

Third-Party Software Conflicts

There is also the chance that the profile you downloaded are conflicting with antivirus app on your iPhone, which may be causing this issue.

Consider removing or temporarily disabling either apps and then checking if you can see the device management. If you can, you will need to either get rid of those apps or find ways to make the two work..

How to Fix iPhone Profiles and Device Management Missing Issue

The following are the most effective solutions you can try to fix this problem:

Reset Location & Privacy on Your Device

  1. First, disconnect the iPhone, then proceed to navigate to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Location & Privacy.
  2. Following this, reconnect the iPhone and click "Trust this device" on both the Mac and the iPhone when prompted by the respective pop-ups that appear upon reconnecting.
  3. After completing the first step, reinstall the application that you had initially removed manually from the iPhone.

Reset Location & Privacy

Try Restarting Your iOS Device

If you don't see the profiles in the device's settings, the first thing you should do is restart the device.

To restart your iPhone X, 11, 12, or 13:

  1. Hold down either the volume down or up button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
  2. Drag the slider and wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off. 
  3. To restart your device, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.

To restart your iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd generation), 8, 7, or 6:

  1. Press and hold the side button down until the power-off slider appears.
  2. Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off.
  3. To restart your device, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

To restart your iPhone SE (1st gen), 5, or earlier:

  1. Hold the top button down until the power-off slider appears.
  2. Drag the slider to turn off the device and then wait a few seconds.
  3. To restart your device, press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears.

Restarting Your iOS Device

Update to the Latest iOS Version

You can also try to update the device to the latest version of iOS to fix the problem.

To update the device:

  1. Tap the Settings app from the iPhone's Home screen.
  2. Scroll down and then select General.
  3. Select Software Update. Check to see if there is an update available. If there is one, it tells you what it is and what the update is about.
  4. To begin installing the iPhone software update, tap Download and Install.

check for an iOS update

Reinstall the Profile

You can also just reinstall the profile onto your device. Download the profile from its source and then follow these steps to install it on your device;

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap "Profile Downloaded or Enroll in (Organization Name)".
  3. Tap "Install" in the top right corner and then follow the instructions to complete the installation process.

iPhone Developer Profiles Missing?

If you are using the iPhone developer profiles and it is still missing on your iPhone device after you've tried all of these steps, you can try re-downloading the developer profile.  

  • Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad and navigate to developers.apple.com/profile/ to download the developer profile.
  • Then, next to the iOS Developer Profile, tap "Download," and then "Install."
  • Then, when prompted, enter your passcode and tap "Install" again.

Profiles and Device management should be visible in Settings on your iPhone device after installing the developer profile. If they are still missing, restart your device again.

Wrap Up

If profiles and device management are still missing after reinstalling, contact Apple support or your IT department and explain your situation.

They will be able to assist you in resolving your issue. If your iPhone is still under warranty, you might as well take advantage of free service or a new unit replacement.

We are dedicated to assisting our readers in resolving iPhone issues and learning how to use their devices properly.

So, if you have any other problems, you can go to our troubleshooting page and look through the articles we've already published that have solutions to common iPhone problems.

J. Robertson Macaulay D. Young

Mako is a technical writer with a passion for all things tech. Whether you're wondering about how to fix your iPhone or Android device or trying to get something to work in your settings, Mako is your go-to for professional help. He loves writing, testing solutions, and most of all, making sure his research is factually accurate.

Learn more
Unlock your Apple ID, screen passcode, bypass MDM lock, and remove the Screen Time passcode.
Download Now
Download Now
Secure Download
Table of Content

    Foneazy uses cookies to personalize your experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our privacy policy. OK