How to Remove Apple Device Enrollment Program Step by Step

When an organization wants to manage and control all the iOS devices that it owns, it may use the Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP).

DEP can give an organization access to very many aspects of the device, allowing IT admins to monitor how the device is used or even restrict some of the features on the device.

As useful as DEP can be to an organization, it may prove to be an unwanted hindrance to the user of the device.

This is particularly true if you purchase a second-hand device only to find that it is enrolled in DEP.

If this is the situation you find yourself in, here you will find ways to remove DEP from your device.

Overview of the Apple Device Enrollment Program

The Apple Device Enrollment Program allows businesses to easily configure and deploy the iOS devices that they own.

It can be used to configure all Apple devices including iPhones and iPads, Apple TV and Mac computers that have been purchased directly from Apple or Apple-authorized stores.

When an organization purchases an iOS device from Apple, they log in to the Apple Deployment Program Portal or create a new account.

They then register MDM with the Apple DEP Portal, a process that enables secure communication between the MDM and the Apple DEP Portal.

This way when the devices are activated, all restrictions and configurations that are imposed using the MDM will be installed on the devices that the DEP account manages.

All devices purchased under this DEP account are managed by the MDM by default as soon as they are activated.

Can't Delete Devices from the Apple DEP?

Under certain circumstances, you may find it hard to remove delete the enrollment profile from the device.

In this case, you may need to contact the company's IT department to get the device removed, but this will only work if you are still employed by the organization.

If you are unable to reach the IT department, you no longer work for that organization or you bought a device that is enrolled to DEP, you may need an alternative solution.

The steps below explain the details.

Remove Devices from the Apple DEP by Admin

One of the most important advantages of enrolling a device in DEP is that the user cannot unmanage the device even if it is factory reset.

To remove a device from the DEP server, you must first remove the device from the MDM server that it is connected to. Doing this will automatically remove the device from Apple DEP.

Here are the steps to remove the MDM from the iOS device:

Step 1: Log in to the DEP Portal.

Step 2: Click on "Manage Devices" and enter the serial number or order number of the device that you are trying to remove. If you want to remove multiple devices, you can upload a CSV file with the details of the devices.

Step 3: Choose "Unassign Device" under "Choose Actions" to remove the device or devices from the DEP account.

NOTE: Always select Unassign device instead of Disown device when removing devices from Apple DEP. Disown devices should only be used if the devices lost or permanently damaged. Disowning devices is a permanent action that cannot be reversed, and once disowned, the device can never return to the organization.

Bypass Enrollment without Password Using Unlockit

If you are unable to sign in to the Apple DEP Portal to remove the device from the program, you can use a tool like Unlockit to remove the MDM profile from the device.

This is a simple-to-use solution that will remove the enrollment profile in a matter of minutes.

Although it is impossible to completely delete such a profile, you can temporarily disable it and disable'supervision' while using your device when you are outside of the office.

Here's how you can use it:

Step 1: Start by making sure that the device has an MDM profile attached to it.

To do that, go to Settings > General > Profile & Device Management. Here you will find the profile. You can click on it to see additional details.

Step 2: Place your order for the Unlockit service.

Step 3: Then download and install Unlockit on to your computer.

Step 4. Launch Unlockit and select "Bypass MDM Lock" from the interface.

Step 5: Connect the iOS device to the computer and then run Unlockit.

Step 6. Click the "Start" button.

In a few minutes, the iOS device will be activated, allowing you to set up and continue using the device as you normally would.

Wrap Up

DEP and by extension MDM can be very difficult to remove from the device especially when you don't have the DEP portal log-in information.

With Unlockit, you can lift all these restrictions and begin using your device as normal.