Smart Device Groups help you efficiently manage your devices by dynamically grouping them based on predefined conditions. Automatically categorize devices to streamline policy deployment, software installations, and compliance monitoring.

Benefits of Smart Device Groups

Automated Management: Devices automatically join or leave groups as they meet or fail to meet the defined criteria.
Simplified Administration: Quickly deploy policies, software, and compliance rules to specific groups.
Flexible and Scalable: Easily manage devices at any scale by creating customized conditions.

Creating a Smart Device Group

Log into your Swif Console.
Navigate to Device Management > Device Groups.
Click Create Group, and select Smart Group.
Enter a descriptive Name for your group and add an optional Description.
Define group membership criteria by specifying one or more conditions. Common examples include:
- Operating System (e.g., macOS, Windows, Linux)
- OS Version (e.g., less than, equal to, greater than a specific version)
- Device Name
- Installed Software
- Enrollment Status
- Ownership Type (e.g., BYOD, Corporate)
- Last Check-in Date
Click Save to create your Smart Device Group.

Example Use Cases

Outdated macOS Devices:
- OS: macOS
- OS Version: < 14.0
Devices Missing Antivirus:
- Installed Software: Does NOT include Antivirus App
Corporate-owned Windows Devices:
- Platform: Windows
- Ownership Type: Corporate

Managing Smart Device Groups

Editing Groups: Click on an existing group, update your criteria, and save changes.
Deleting Groups: Select a group and click Delete. Devices are unaffected; only the grouping is removed.

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Advanced Smart Device Group Capabilities

Use Device Specs and Extension Attributes

You can create more advanced smart device groups using detailed device properties and custom attributes.

This allows you to:

Target devices based on hardware, OS version, or custom signals
Build dynamic groups for compliance, testing, or staged rollouts
Use extension attributes for organization-specific logic

👉 Learn more: Smart Device Groups with Device Specs and Extension Attributes

Automate Account Provisioning by Device Group

Smart device groups can be used to automatically provision accounts when devices enter a group.

This helps:

Ensure users get access to required systems immediately
Reduce manual onboarding steps
Maintain consistency across teams

👉 Learn more: Automate Account Provisioning by Device Group

Sync User Account Permissions by Device Group

You can also use device groups to enforce and synchronize user permissions.

This ensures:

Users have the correct access levels based on their device group
Permissions stay aligned as devices move between groups
Reduced risk of over-permissioned accounts

👉 Learn more: User Account Permission Sync at Device Group

Automatically Rename Devices by Smart Group

You can automatically rename devices based on the smart group they belong to.

This helps:

Standardize device naming conventions across your organization
Improve visibility and organization in the dashboard
Quickly identify device ownership, role, or department

👉 Learn more: Device Name Auto‑Renaming for Smart Groups

Why This Matters

Smart device groups are not just for organization—they are a core mechanism for automating security, access control, and compliance workflows at scale.

By combining grouping logic with automation:

Policies are applied consistently
Access is controlled dynamically
Compliance is enforced continuously

This aligns with Swif’s approach to centralized, automated device management and compliance enforcement

FAQs

Can a device be part of multiple Smart Device Groups?
Yes. Devices join every Smart Group whose criteria they meet.
How frequently are Smart Groups updated?
Swif updates Smart Group memberships dynamically as device conditions change (e.g., after a check-in).
What happens if a Smart Group is deleted?
Deleting a Smart Group only removes the group itself. Devices remain unaffected and continue to be managed individually or by other existing groups.
How Policy, Software, and Command Assignments Are Retried
If a policy, software, or command assignment to a device fails, Swif will automatically retry the assignment every 10 minutes, up to 3 times. If the assignment is still unsuccessful after 3 retries, it will not be retried further. This ensures that temporary issues are handled automatically, while preventing excessive system load.