How to Use iOS Devices With Passcode on KOBITON System

Reading Time : 4min read
Image of blog cover IOS devices with passcode

For better security, you can set a passcode that needs to be entered to unlock iPhone/ iPad when you turn it on or wake it. Setting a passcode turns on data protection, which encrypts your iPhone/ iPad data with 256-bit AES encryption to protect the personal information — financial details, photos, emails, texts, and more — that’s stored on the mobile device. Without a passcode, anyone who has physical access to the device can access that information.

Do you know you can automate the tests on your apps with iOS devices that have a passcode? Today, on this tutorial, I will guide to configure the iOS devices with a passcode and execute the tests with the Kobiton system.

Install and configure Apple Configurator 2

Apple Configurator 2 makes it easy to deploy iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV devices in your institution. Apple’s Configurator 2 app configures and locks down devices against unauthorized changes by end-users.

screen shot of apple configurator 2

We can get all information about the device in detail such as Apps, Profiles, or the device logs in the Console.

Screen shot of console

Or, we can supervise and enroll the devices in our MDM server.

Screen shot of enrolling devices in MDM server

Let’s get started!

First of all, we need to install Automation Tools cfgutil by selecting Apple Configurator 2 -> Install Automation Tools.

screen shot of installing automation tools

Then click the Install button

Screen shot of install button

The next popup is displayed and required you to enter your credential account to install it.

Screen shot of apple configurator login

Set up Organization with Apple Configurator 2

An organization contains the contact information and supervision identity for a supervised device. The contact information will be shown under Settings -> General -> About on supervised devices, and cannot be changed without erasing the devices. From the Apple Configurator 2 menu on your Mac, choose Preferences > Organizations. You can then do the following:

Create/ Import an Organization

If you don’t have an Organization, you need to create an Organization with Apple Configurator 2. Please access Organization preferences in Apple Configurator 2 on Mac to set up your Organization (Supervision Identity) with the Apple official guideline.

If you have an Organization, you can import it into Organizations with the following steps:

  • Click the Gear pop-up menu, select Import Organization, locate your organization file, then click Import.
  • Enter the password used to encrypt the file, then click Submit.
screen shot of creating/importing an organization

Export Supervision Identity

  • Select your organization from the list, click the Gear pop-up menu, then choose “Export Supervision Identity
  • Make sure the format is Unencrypted DER (.crt and .der, for Automator and cfgutil)
  • Enter a name Organization.der for the identity, click Save
Screen shot of export supervision identity steps
screen shot of export supervision entering a name
  • Then, click the Export button. We will use those files for cfgutil automation tool.
Image of the export for cfgutil button

Activate Supervised Mode for iOS devices

To activate your iOS device with the supervised mode, you need to make sure that the iCloud account has been signed out.

  • Connect your iOS devices to a Mac
  • Select the device and click Prepare
  • In the Prepare Devices view, choose Manual Configuration and select the checkbox Supervise devices
screen shot of prepared devices and manual configuration selection
  • In the Enroll in MDM Server view, select Do not enroll in MDM
Screen shot MDM server drop down
  • In the Assign to Organization view, select your Organization
Screen shot of assign to organization selection
  • In the Configure iOS Setup Assistant view, select Don’t show any of these steps
screen shot of configure IOS Setup assistant, don't show any of these steps
  • Click “Prepare” button (If the confirm popup is displayed, click on the “Erase” button.)
screen shot of the confirmation popup erase button
  • After the device is prepared, it is moved to the “Supervised” tab.

Configure Passcode function on Kobiton Desktop app

  • Copy two generated files Organization .crt & Organization.der and move them into this folder: ~/Library/Application\ Support/Kobiton/
  • Create config file in the folder ~/Library/Application\ Support/Kobiton/devices/${udid} (We can get UDID of the device in the Info tab.)
  • Add data for config file

{“unlockPasscodeEnabled”: true}

  • Unplug & plug the device again
  • Register the device and start your testing
  • Note: The passcode is generated by the Kobiton system and is backed up in the same folder.

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