The Apple Setup Assistant Policy allows administrators to control and streamline the Setup Assistant experience during initial device provisioning on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices.
Setup Assistant is the series of onboarding screens a user sees when first turning on a new device or after wiping it.
Using this policy, IT teams can skip or suppress specific setup steps to create a faster, more controlled deployment workflow.
This policy is essential for supervised devices used in enterprise, education, and high-security environments where onboarding must be consistent and automated.
Overview
Setup Assistant normally prompts users to make configuration choices about:
Apple ID and iCloud
Siri
Touch ID
Screen Time
Appearance (Light/Dark mode)
Privacy windows
Accessibility
Apple Watch unlock
iCloud Storage
The Apple Setup Assistant Policy lets administrators selectively skip these screens.
This ensures devices enroll smoothly into management with minimal user interaction, reducing confusion and speeding up deployment.
Note about deprecations:
Apple has deprecated many per-screen skip options in macOS 15+, iOS 14+, and iPadOS 14+ in favor of the new skipSetupItems array. Where applicable, Swif.ai displays a note in the UI.
Requirements
macOS 10.11+
iOS 14.0+
iPadOS 14.0+
Some controls require macOS 15+, iOS 15+, or iPadOS 15+
Device must be supervised for many skip options
Configurable Settings
Below is a complete list of all settings inside the Apple Setup Assistant Policy.
Skip Setup Items (Recommended for macOS 15+, iOS 14+, iPadOS 14+)
A flexible array of setup items to skip.
This is the preferred modern method for skipping Setup Assistant screens.
Apple defines a full list of skipKeys such as:
AccessibilityAppearanceAppleIDiCloudSiriScreenTimeTouchIDUnlockWithWatchPrivacyTrueToneDisplayiCloudStorage
…and more depending on OS version.
Best practice:
Use Skip Setup Items whenever possible.
Other skip settings listed below are older and deprecated on newer OS versions.
Deprecated / Per-Screen Skip Settings
(Still usable for older macOS and iOS/iPadOS versions)
These settings allow skipping specific setup screens individually.
Each setting supports True/False.
macOS Skip Accessibility
Skips the first-boot Accessibility window.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
Minimum requirements: macOS 10.11–15.0
macOS Skip Appearance Window
Skips the Light vs. Dark mode selection screen.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
Minimum requirements: macOS 10.15–15.0
macOS Skip iCloud
Skips the Apple ID login screen.
Deprecated on macOS 15+, iOS 14+, iPadOS 14+.
macOS Skip Privacy Consent Window
Skips the Privacy explanation screen.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
macOS Skip Screen Time Window
Skips the Screen Time setup window.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
macOS Skip Siri
Skips the Siri setup window.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
macOS Skip TouchID
Skips Touch ID enrollment during setup.
Deprecated on macOS 15+, iOS 14+, iPadOS 14+.
macOS Skip True Tone Display
Skips True Tone Display setup.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
macOS Skip Unlock with Apple Watch
Skips the Unlock with Apple Watch configuration step.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
macOS Skip iCloud Storage Window
Skips the iCloud Storage information screen.
Deprecated on macOS 15+.
Best Practices
Use
Skip Setup Itemsfor devices running macOS 15+, iOS 14+, iPadOS 14+—it is the modern Apple-recommended method.Skip unnecessary onboarding screens to reduce deployment time in corporate environments.
Skip Apple ID login for shared devices or tightly managed corporate devices.
Allow iCloud setup for BYOD or user-assigned deployments.
Combine this policy with Automated Device Enrollment (ADE) for a fully touchless setup experience.
How to Configure
Navigate to Swif Admin Console → Policies → Create New Policy
Select Apple Setup Assistant Policy
Configure skip options:
Prefer Skip Setup Items on newer OS versions
Use individual skip toggles when supporting older systems
Click Continue to assign the policy to devices or groups
Save and deploy the policy
The settings will apply automatically during the next Setup Assistant run (e.g., after erase/install)
Compliance & Operational Benefits
Standardized onboarding workflows
Reduced user confusion during provisioning
Ensures devices comply with organizational requirements from first boot
Eliminates access to restricted screens such as Apple ID, Privacy, or Screen Time
Supports automated, large-scale deployments