Jamf, the standard in managing and securing Apple at work, today detailed a set of K-12-focused updates at its Education State of the Union, part of the company’s 17th annual Jamf Nation User Conference (JNUC). The new capabilities apply to the specific pressures schools face: students moving grades or schools entirely and staff changing roles, growing scrutiny of screen time, and IT teams stretched thin across buildings and departments. Jamf’s education announcements are built to close those gaps.

“Every school year, thousands of students move up a grade, transfer buildings, or leave a district and their device access needs to keep pace with that the moment it happens,” said Beth Tschida, CEO of Jamf. “Our identity-powered management adapts to the person’s role, grade, or location, automatically, while making device and app logins as simple as possible for the end user.”

Device access that follows the person, automatically

Student grades and classes change at least once a year, and staff roles can change regularly. When a student moves up a grade, a teacher switches buildings, or a staff member leaves with little notice; devices remain configured for a role that no longer exists.

  • Identity Device Sync: Connects live changes in a school’s identity system directly to device management, so a student’s or staff member’s device access updates automatically the moment their role changes. General availability targeted for Q1 2027.
  • Platform Single Sign-On with QR-code login: Brings modern sign-in options to macOS through Blueprints, including biometric login, QR-code login, and offline access, along with a dedicated bridge for schools that use Google as their identity provider on Mac. General availability targeted for Q1 2027.
  • Seamless Learning Access: Lets students and staff sign in once and land directly in the native apps, web apps, and third-party learning tools they use in class, including Microsoft Entra ID-connected productivity tools, without a separate login for each one. Available now.

Enterprise-grade IT solutions, tailored for education

Managing Apple devices across multiple schools, sites and buildings can create significant work for IT teams. New deployment and configuration capabilities give education customers more control over how devices are set up and managed across their environments.

  • Jamf Setup Manager for macOS: Lets IT pre-load critical apps, security tools, and branding onto Mac before handing devices to students or staff, so a device is ready to use the moment someone opens it. Supports both pre-provisioned deployments and shared lab setups. Available today.
  • Setup Checklist: A customizable, branded checklist that walks new device users through personal setup choices without IT having to manage each setting centrally. Available today.
  • Blueprints activations: Brings management logic directly to the device, so configuration decisions apply instantly and even while offline, rather than waiting on a server round-trip. Replaces the need for large numbers of narrow, single-purpose smart groups with condition-based rules built into a single Blueprint and supports excluding specific devices or groups from a given rule. Now available.
  • Blueprints for Sites and Locations: Blueprints now work with Sites in Jamf Pro and Locations in Jamf School, so a school-level admin can manage their own Blueprints without another admin elsewhere in the district affecting their configuration. Available today.
  • AI Assistant in Jamf School: Lets any school staff member ask a plain-language question about device status, such as which iPads haven’t checked in recently, and get an answer sourced directly from real device data. The assistant is read-only by design, with no write capability built into the client, reflecting the added sensitivity of managing devices used by minors. Currently in public beta, with general availability targeted for Q4 2026.

Extending focused learning beyond the classroom

Screen-time policy has become one of the fastest growing conversations in K-12 technology. Continuing the focus on delivering a purposeful deployment that keeps devices focused on learning and teaching, Jamf is framing this year’s parent-engagement work around a shift from tracking screen time to understanding screen value. The idea is that how a device is used matters more than how long it’s on.

  • Jamf Parent for Mac: Expands Jamf’s parent engagement solution to MacBook, bringing the app, website, and screen-lock controls parents already use on iOS to Mac devices coming home from school. Includes website allow/block lists, application restrictions to reduce distractions during study time, and scheduling so controls apply automatically at different times of day. General availability targeted for Q4 2026.

“Schools are increasingly deploying both iPad and Mac, especially with Mac Neo coming in at a lower price point, and parents expect a consistent experience across both,” said Suraj Mohandas, Head of Education Strategy at Jamf. “This Jamf Parent expansion is another step toward a unified parent engagement experience across every Apple device, helping families reinforce responsible device use at home and giving schools confidence that focused learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door.”

Jamf’s full slate of JNUC 2026 sessions, including the Education State of the Union, is available at jamf.com/jnuc

About Jamf

Jamf’s purpose is to simplify work by helping organizations manage and secure Apple devices while delivering an experience end users love and organizations trust. Built for the AI-enabled Apple enterprise, the Jamf platform provides a complete management and security solution with autonomous endpoint management and AI governance across cloud and on-device models. Today, Jamf helps over 78,000 organizations across 100 countries manage and secure over 35 million devices. To learn more, visit www.jamf.com.

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