App Control for Business Goes Enterprise-Ready

• Granular targeting replaces tenant-wide enforcement. Policies can now be assigned to groups and rolled out gradually.

• Built on Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) with automatic trust for apps from approved sources.

• A wizard-driven UX reduces the risk of misconfigured policies.

This enables Zero Trust application control at scale without risking productivity:

• Windows Autopilot: Patching During Setup

• Devices now install Windows quality updates during OOBE.

• End-users receive laptops already patched, avoiding day-one interruptions.

• Admins can still control deferrals and pause options, which sync directly to devices.

While setup takes about 30 minutes longer, the trade-off is smoother onboarding and better security compliance from the start.

Real-Time Apple Update Visibility

• Based on declarative device management (DDM).

• Admins now see real-time status for update download, install, and failures.

• This replaces older MDM-based update methods, which Apple is deprecating with OS 26.

Without adopting DDM reporting, organizations risk losing visibility into Apple device patching in 2025.

Multi-Admin Approval for Critical Changes

• Sensitive operations like device wipe, retire, RBAC changes, and scope tags now support multi-admin approval.

• Acts as a safety net against accidental or unauthorized actions.

• Provides stronger governance without slowing routine management.

Apple OS 26 Enables Seamless Migration to Intune:

One of the most significant announcements this month comes from Apple: native MDM migration built into ABM/ASM.

Previously, moving devices from platforms like Workspace ONE or Jamf into Intune required factory resets, manual re-enrollment, and policy rebuilds. Now, devices can be reassigned directly to Intune without wiping or interrupting users.

Technical flow:

• Admins assign devices to Intune via ABM/ASM.

• Users receive a notification to approve management change.

• If ignored, enforced migration occurs at deadline with a non-dismissible prompt.

• The device downloads the new Intune profile — no reboot required.

Combined with Intune’s new features, this allows organizations to consolidate onto a single management platform with far less friction.

Conclusion:

August 2025 marks a milestone for Intune and Apple device management:

• Granular App Control brings Zero Trust policies to production scale.

• Windows Autopilot now delivers patched, work-ready devices out of the box.

• DDM-based reporting closes the visibility gap for Apple updates.

• Multi-admin approval reduces the risk of catastrophic mistakes.

• And Apple’s MDM migration feature makes large-scale transitions to Intune practical for the first time.

For IT teams, these updates mean fewer surprises, stronger governance, and smoother user experiences across platforms.