Deploying or Upgrading to Linewize Connect Filter for iOS

2. Deploy Linewize Connect Filter

You can get Connect Filter from Apple and deploy it using your MDM after you receive the email confirmation from Linewize.

1. Sign in to https://school.apple.com or https://business.apple.com.
2. If you have not already, enable Custom Apps in your Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager.
3. Select Custom Apps > Connect Filter in the left navigation panel.
4. Select a location to assign the licenses.
5. In Quantity, enter the number of licenses for your iOS devices.
   

   

6. Select Get.
   The licenses will be available in your MDM within ten minutes. 
7. Open your MDM and verify the Connect Filter licenses have synced. Here are the steps for some of commonly used MDMs:
   
   
   • Cisco Meraki - Manage Apple Volume Purchase Program
   • Hexnode UEM - Managing Apple VPP apps
   • Kandji - Configuring Apple integrations and the Apps and Books Location token.
   • Microsoft Intune - Synchronize a VPP token
   • PDQ SimpleMDM - Synchronize Apple VPP Apps and Books
   • VMware - Synchronize VPP managed distribution licenses

8. Use your MDM to remove the consumer apps Google, Google Go, and YouTube from devices.

9. Distribute Linewize Connect Filter from your MDM’s catalog, library or app management function.

8. Use your MDM to restart the iOS devices.

3. Verify the Installation

We recommend you spot check several of your iOS devices before distributing the devices to your users. If you find unexpected results, update the your MDM configuration and repeat the device management update.

1. Restart a managed device and connect it to your school network or the internet.
2. On the device, go to Settings > General.
3. If the device is protected, you will see:
   
   
   “This [iOS or iPadOS device] is Supervised. [organization name] can monitor your internet traffic and locate this device.”

4. Next go to Settings > General > Device Management > More Details. You will see the:
   
   
   • Mobile Device Management: Your MDM tool details
   • Certificate: Family Zone Root CA
   • DNS proxy settings: Family Zone DNS Proxy
     
     
5. Open the Connect app on the device to verify the Username and your School Manager Device ID.
   
   If the device displays incorrect details or doesn’t display details, contact Linewize Support to troubleshoot your MDM options and device configuration.

Verify your school network connection

Optionally, you can check if an iOS device has errors while connected to your School Manager physical appliance by finding the device in the event log.

1. In School Manager, go to Statistics > Realtime > Alerts and Events.
2. Type “userdb” in the Search.
3. Use the Find in your browser to search for the Usernames.

Verify device filtering

You can spot-check the devices to verify filtering is protecting your users.

1. Connect the device to the internet.
2. Open the Connect app and verify the user’s name is displayed.
3. Open Safari. Go to an allowed website, like Google, and verify the site loads.
4. Go to a known blocked website and confirm the Block Page loads.

FAQ

How do I restore a locked iOS device?

An iOS/iPadOS device may be unable to connect to the internet or your school network if the signing certificate for Linewize Connect is over a year old. Locking the device protects users until the device is running a current version of Connect with the current signing certificate. Connect and the signing certificate with Apple are updated several times a year to ensure the device will not lock if it syncs with your MDM infrequently.

If you have a locked device, you can restore and update it with the following troubleshooting steps:

If the device has not been connected to the internet and your MDM can manage it:

1. Use your MDM to remove Connect.
2. Restore the factory settings using one of the following methods:
   
   
   1. Restore the factory settings from your MDM options
   2. Manually restore the device to factory defaults from the iOS/iPadOS Settings.
      
      
3. Use your MDM to install the current version of Connect.
4. Restart the device.

If the device has connected to the internet and is locked and you can’t manage the device using your MDM or access the iOS/iPadOS Settings.

1. Connect the device using a USB cable.
2. Use the Apple Configurator to restore the factory settings.
3. Use your MDM to install the current version of Connect.
4. Restart the device.

Why should I remove apps like Google and YouTube?

To protect your users, the Chrome browser app and Apple apps (like Safari) allow educational filtering to protect the device. Many consumer apps (like Google, Google Go, and YouTube) do not provide educational filtering access to monitor content.

How do I know which versions of Connect for iOS my users have?

You can use School Manager’s Advanced Search Report to search for users who have a specific version of Linewize Connect.

1. In School Manager, go to Reports > Advanced Search.
2. Select the From Date field.
3. Select Presets and then select Last 7 days.
4. Select the Agent field.
   
   
   1. Change 'is' to 'contains'.
   2. In the any value field, field, enter one or more of these values:
      • ios-dns v1
      • ios-dns v2
      • ios-dns v3
5. Load the report to see your results.

How do I add more Connect Filter licenses?

You can purchase Connect Filter licenses at any time in your Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager. You can also move unused licenses to other parts of your organization.