When enrolling a macOS virtual machine (VM) in a mobile device management (MDM) server, the enrollment profile installs successfully, but the VM never receives anything else from the server:
- No additional configuration profiles are installed.
- No apps or management agents are installed.
- In the VM, System Settings > General > Device Management shows only the MDM enrollment profile.
The issue may occur with macOS 26 and macOS 27 guest operating systems and has been observed with more than one MDM server. macOS 15 virtual machines are not affected.
Cause
This is a known issue in newer versions of macOS, not in Parallels Desktop. macOS 15 virtual machines enroll normally, while macOS 26 and 27 virtual machines do not. Parallels has reported the issue to Apple.
Resolution
There is currently no resolution or supported workaround. This article will be updated when there is new information.
Until then, consider the following:
- Do not rely on MDM-managed macOS VMs for workflows that require policies, apps, or security settings to be delivered after enrollment.
- If you need to validate your MDM configuration, test it on a physical Mac.
- Report the issue to Apple feedback to help calibrate its importance.
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