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Configuration profile to create managed login items on macOS

This document will help you create managed login items on macOS devices using a configuration profile.

Organizations may require specific applications to be available to its users immediately after login, such as communication tools, project management software, or security applications. Using Hexnode’s Custom Configuration feature, administrators can deploy a configuration profile to configure managed login items for macOS users and thus specify the applications, files/folders, etc., that should open when they log in.

Disclaimer:

The sample configuration profiles provided below are created using various profile creator applications.

Note:

This configuration profile is supported on macOS 10.13 or later.

Provide the path to the application for the key Path. For example, to launch the Microsoft Word app and the Mail app at login.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>AutoLaunchedApplicationDictionary-managed</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>Path</key>
                    <string>/Applications/Microsoft Word.app</string>
                    <key>Hide</key>
                    <false/>
                </dict>
                <dict>
                    <key>Path</key>
                    <string>/System/Applications/Mail.app</string>
                    <key>Hide</key>
                    <false/>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
            <string>com.apple.loginitems.managed.1EE03C59-90B0-4819-B00E-3BEB3C70BCD9</string>
            <key>PayloadType</key>
            <string>com.apple.loginitems.managed</string>
            <key>PayloadUUID</key>
            <string>1EE03C59-90B0-4819-B00E-3BEB3C70BCD9</string>
            <key>PayloadVersion</key>
            <integer>1</integer>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
    <string>Login Items Managed Items</string>
    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
    <string>MacBook.05036591-7C98-46A4-8028-C8FC1D528149</string>
    <key>PayloadType</key>
    <string>Configuration</string>
    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
    <string>9F6C8F8C-83CF-4DEC-A1D0-EEE33F711CC7</string>
    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<dict>

<key>PayloadContent</key>

<array>

<dict>

<key>AutoLaunchedApplicationDictionary-managed</key>

<array>

<dict>

<string>/Applications/Microsoft Word.app</string>

</dict>

<dict>

<string>/System/Applications/Mail.app</string>

</dict>

</array>

<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>

<string>com.apple.loginitems.managed.1EE03C59-90B0-4819-B00E-3BEB3C70BCD9</string>

<key>PayloadType</key>

<string>com.apple.loginitems.managed</string>

<key>PayloadUUID</key>

<key>PayloadVersion</key>

</dict>

</array>

<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>

<string>Login Items Managed Items</string>

<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>

<string>MacBook.05036591-7C98-46A4-8028-C8FC1D528149</string>

<key>PayloadType</key>

<string>Configuration</string>

<key>PayloadUUID</key>

<key>PayloadVersion</key>

</dict>

</plist>

This will add the applications as login items, and they will be launched every time a user logs in to their account.

Provide the path to the file for the key Path.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>PayloadContent</key>
    <array>
        <dict>
            <key>AutoLaunchedApplicationDictionary-managed</key>
            <array>
                <dict>
                    <key>Path</key>
                    <string>/path/to/file.txt</string>
                    <key>Hide</key>
                    <false/>
                </dict>
            </array>
            <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
            <string>com.apple.loginitems.managed.AE924980-4849-4D92-ACB0-289269B4D780</string>
            <key>PayloadType</key>
            <string>com.apple.loginitems.managed</string>
            <key>PayloadUUID</key>
            <string>AE924980-4849-4D92-ACB0-289269B4D780</string>
            <key>PayloadVersion</key>
            <integer>1</integer>
        </dict>
    </array>
    <key>PayloadDisplayName</key>
    <string>Login Items Managed Items</string>
    <key>PayloadIdentifier</key>
    <string>MacBook.8D0A9509-A0A5-42E7-A779-1D28CACE80E4</string>
    <key>PayloadType</key>
    <string>Configuration</string>
    <key>PayloadUUID</key>
    <string>89BE36B0-4D21-43E2-A232-AE01B791B79D</string>
    <key>PayloadVersion</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">

<dict>

<key>PayloadContent</key>

<array>

<dict>

<key>AutoLaunchedApplicationDictionary-managed</key>

<array>

<dict>

</dict>

</array>

<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>

<string>com.apple.loginitems.managed.AE924980-4849-4D92-ACB0-289269B4D780</string>

<key>PayloadType</key>

<string>com.apple.loginitems.managed</string>

<key>PayloadUUID</key>

<key>PayloadVersion</key>

</dict>

</array>

<key>PayloadDisplayName</key>

<string>Login Items Managed Items</string>

<key>PayloadIdentifier</key>

<string>MacBook.8D0A9509-A0A5-42E7-A779-1D28CACE80E4</string>

<key>PayloadType</key>

<string>Configuration</string>

<key>PayloadUUID</key>

<key>PayloadVersion</key>

</dict>

</plist>

The file will be added as a login item and will open every time a user logs in to their account.

Notes:

To create and customize configuration profiles, you can use tools like Apple Configurator, Profile Manager or manually create them using text editors.
Use non-encrypted .mobileconfig, .xml, or plist files to deploy profiles across devices.
Ensure that you do not associate conflicting configurations with the devices.
Use wildcards to fetch key values from the portal.
It is recommended to manually validate the configuration profile on a system before executing it in bulk.
Hexnode will not be responsible for any damage/loss to the system on the behavior of the configuration profile.

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