(Update) Ending support for Setup Assistant (legacy) auth method in ADE and Apple Configurator for iOS/iPadOS and macOS

(Update) Ending support for Setup Assistant (legacy) auth method in ADE and Apple Configurator for iOS/iPadOS and macOS

Intune will end support for Setup Assistant (legacy) authentication in iOS/iPadOS and macOS ADE, and Apple Configurator Setup Assistant enrollment for iOS/iPadOS devices with user device affinity with the October 2610 release. They will be replaced with Setup Assistant and Apple Configurator Company Portal enrollment, using modern authentication for improved security. Existing devices remain enrolled; profiles will auto-update, but reviewing and testing updates is recommended.

2026-07-30T18:33:46.027Z

Updated message,User impact,Admin impact

<p>Updated July 30, 2026: We have updated the content for clarity. Thank you for your patience.&nbsp;</p><p>Expected with Intune’s October (2610) service release, to help improve security and align with modern authentication standards, Intune is ending support for the <b>Setup Assistant (legacy)</b> authentication method for iOS/iPadOS and macOS Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) and Apple Configurator Setup Assistant enrollment for iOS/iPadOS devices with user device affinity. These legacy methods do not support multifactor authentication or Conditional Access and have been superseded by <b>Setup Assistant with modern authentication </b>for ADE and Apple Configurator Company Portal enrollment, which provides a more secure and seamless enrollment experience for devices enrolling with user affinity.&nbsp;</p><p>[How this will affect your organization:]</p><p>There is no impact to existing devices, they will remain enrolled.</p><p>All existing ADE enrollment profiles with user affinity that use <b>Setup Assistant (legacy)</b> will be automatically updated to use <b>Setup Assistant with modern authentication</b>. The Setup Assistant (legacy) authentication option will be removed from the creation and edit experience for new ADE enrollment profiles.</p><p>All existing Apple Configurator enrollment profiles for iOS/iPadOS with user affinity that use <b>Setup Assistant</b> will be automatically updated to use Company Portal for authentication. The Setup Assistant authentication option will be removed from the creation and edit experience for new Apple Configurator enrollment profiles.</p><p>[What you need to do to prepare:]</p><p>Review your iOS/iPadOS and macOS enrollment profiles in the Intune admin center to understand which profiles currently use <b>Setup Assistant (legacy) </b>for ADE and <b>Setup Assistant</b> for Apple Configurator enrollment. We recommend updating your enrollment profiles to use <b>Setup Assistant with modern authentication </b>for ADE and <b>Company Portal</b> for Apple Configurator and testing these changes in your environment. If no action is taken, these profiles will be automatically updated as part of this change.&nbsp;</p><p>Learn more about using Setup Assistant with modern authentication to provide the most secure and best enrollment experience for ADE devices for iOS/iPadOS and macOS in this blog: <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/intunecustomersuccess/transforming-the-iosipados-ade-experience-in-microsoft-intune/4013312" target="_blank">Transforming the iOS/iPadOS ADE experience in Microsoft Intune</a></p>