What is Declarative Device Management?

Declarative Device Management is a new approach introduced by Apple to manage devices more efficiently. It allows IT administrators to define the desired state of a device using declarations, which are then enforced by the device itself. This method replaces traditional MDM commands, profiles, and restrictions, providing a more streamlined and reliable way to manage devices.

For example, in the session What’s new in device management, it is mentioned that a new software update settings configuration will replace all legacy MDM software update management commands, profiles, and restrictions. This declaration can be used on supervised devices with iOS and iPadOS 18 and macOS 15 or later to manage all aspects of software updates.

Additionally, the session highlights that declarative management includes new features such as changing notification behavior to show notifications only one hour before enforcement times in the restart countdown and managing beta updates. This makes it easier to manage public or AppleSeed for IT beta program participation in an organization.

For more details, you can refer to the chapter on Platform updates in the session "What’s new in device management".