Configuration Profiles 3.0: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Apple platform management has never been more dynamic or more complex.

At JNUC 2025, Jamf’s Larry Stegall and Nick Koval, along with Matthew Cooper from Cambrionix, showcased how Jamf Configuration Profiles 3.0 redefines the ways IT:

• Deploys settings

• Enforces compliance

• Simplifies multi‑OS management

By pairing blueprints with Declarative Device Management (DDM), organizations can now standardize Apple settings faster and more reliably than ever.

Key takeaways

• Deliver configuration updates before official Apple releases.

• Manage macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS and visionOS devices with one consistent workflow.

• Simplify enforcement and scoping through Jamf Pro’s unified blueprint model.

Why configuration profiles still matter

Configuration profiles have always been the backbone of Apple device management. They determine:

• What users can do

• How data is protected

• Which settings are enforced

But as Apple expands its platforms and features with greater automation and efficiency, legacy profile models can’t keep pace with new declarations or security controls. That’s why Jamf introduced Jamf Configuration Profiles 3.0 – a generational upgrade built for DDM, blueprints and faster delivery.

During the session, Jamf’s engineers explained how configuration profiles account for nearly half of Apple’s device management schema. With over 20,000 lines of code defining restrictions, payloads, and declarations, the complexity is immense.

Jamf’s approach: automate, simplify and deliver those updates to admins sooner than Apple’s full release cycles.

From same‑day to “sooner than same‑day”

Historically, Jamf’s same‑day support meant customers received full OS support the day Apple publicly released it. Jamf Configuration Profiles 3.0 pushes that standard further. When Apple added new restriction keys for Safari privacy during WWDC, Jamf implemented and delivered them the very next day through its public beta. This is what’s intended with the “sooner than same‑day” model. In effect, it enables admins to:

• Begin testing new payloads immediately

• Validate compliance

• Prepare devices before the OS officially launches

The result? Fewer disruptions, faster adoption and greater confidence in enterprise readiness.

Simplifying with blueprints and DDM

Blueprints and DDM are the engines behind this transformation. Legacy profiles forced admins to configure separate settings for macOS and iOS devices, effectively doubling the workload. In the new model however, administrators define one configuration once, then scope it across multiple device types, allowing Jamf Pro intelligently apply the correct keys for each OS.

Blueprints also unify the scoping process. Instead of creating separate profiles for computers and mobile devices, admins can now mix scopes and apply settings — like passcode policies or app restrictions — across both. This saves time, reduces duplication and ensures consistent enforcement across fleets.

A bridge between legacy and modern management

Jamf Configuration Profiles 3.0 bridges legacy payloads with DDM declarations. Admins can wrap older MDM profiles into the DDM world through “legacy payload configurations.” These profiles still appear under blueprints in Jamf Pro, maintaining compatibility with existing workflows while unlocking new declarative capabilities.

In practice, that means admins can continue using familiar settings, like macOS restrictions, while gaining DDM benefits such as:

• Real‑time status updates

• Faster enforcement

• Easier troubleshooting

Smarter UI, smarter discovery

The new configuration profile engine also introduces a reimagined UI that makes finding and applying settings easier. Instead of scrolling through endless lists, admins can now search by Apple key, OS type or category — such as Apple Intelligence restrictions. Additional improvements, like contextual filters and enhanced key descriptions, reduce guesswork: delivering only relevant controls.

For example, rather than memorizing integer codes for app ratings or country restrictions, admins can now select human‑readable options from dropdowns, saving time and reducing errors.

Built for automation and API‑first management

Jamf Pro’s next‑generation API strategy extends to blueprints and configuration profiles. Previous profile versions were only available through Jamf’s Classic API. Jamf Configuration Profiles 3.0, however, is fully compatible with Jamf’s modern API, enabling workflow creation that includes:

• Automation

• Scripting

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

This shift allows IT teams to dynamically generate, deploy, and audit profiles via API calls, integrate them with existing automation pipelines, and even feed data into AI‑assisted management tools for proactive recommendations.

The future: everything, everywhere, all at once

Configuration Profiles 3.0 isn’t just a new feature; it’s a new mindset for managing Apple devices. By embracing DDM, blueprints, and automation, Jamf helps IT teams manage configurations across every Apple platform faster and more consistently. The approach accelerates compliance, eliminates redundancy and brings the long‑term vision of unified device management to life.

As Larry Stegall summarized, “Having everything everywhere all at once is possible and this is the way we’re headed.”