Securus iPad Browser
- 1 Device Requirements
- 2 Application Age Rating
- 3 Required Information
- 4 PLIST File
- 4.1 MDM Variables
- 4.1.1 Intune Variables
- 4.1.2 Lightspeed Variables
- 4.1.3 JAMF School Variables
- 4.1.4 JAMF Pro
- 4.1.5 Mosyle Variables
- 4.1.6 Meraki Variables
- 4.1 MDM Variables
- 5 Deployment
- 6 Test The Deployment & Troubleshooting
- 7 Other Useful Information
- 7.1 Bundle ID
- 7.2 Deployment Guides
- 7.2.1 JAMF School guide for deploying PLISTS
- 7.2.2 Meraki
- 7.2.3 Mosyle Deployment Guide
- 7.2.4 Lightspeed Deployment Guide
- 8 Help & Support
- 8.1 Deployment Guides
- 8.1.1 JAMF School guide for deploying PLISTS
- 8.1.2 Meraki
- 8.1.3 Mosyle Deployment Guide
- 8.1.4 Lightspeed Deployment Guide
- 8.1 Deployment Guides
The Securus Browser app can be deployed via MDM using the provided unique .PLIST file to connect the app to your Securus environment.
The browser application will monitor keystrokes and website content against our proprietary library and sends captures directly to the Securus console for viewing.
Captures generated within the Securus Browser will show with the following capture source icons:
In shared device environments, the username on the capture will be taken from the device's name or hostname within the MDM.
Device Requirements
iOS 14 or higher recommended.
Application Age Rating
The Securus Browser carries a 16+ age rating in the Apple App Store. This is an Apple classification requirement, not a reflection of the app's suitability for school use.
Why Apple applies a 16+ rating
Apple's App Store age ratings are based on an app's technical capabilities, not the age of its users or the context in which it operates.
The Securus Browser provides web access functionality, and Apple classifies all apps that enable internet browsing under higher age bands by default. Chrome and Firefox carry the same 16+ rating for the same reason. The classification does not account for school level filtering, monitoring policies, or supervised use.
This rating does not mean the browser is unsuitable for primary-aged pupils, that pupils are given unrestricted access, or that the app contains adult content.
It is a store classification based on technical capability, not an educational suitability judgment.
Because of this, you will need to ensure that apps with an age rating of 16+ can be used within your tenant.
Required Information
Prior to setup, we will require the following information:
Your Apple Organisation ID for each school.
Full Organisation name to match the school ID.
School postcode.
Which MDM do you use.
What iOS version are the iPads running.
How are your iPads filtered.
How many iPads do you want to monitor.
PLIST File
Based on the above information, we will provide a pre-configured .PLIST file containing all the necessary settings.
Your MDM system only needs to populate two variables, which will be completed automatically upon deployment.
The variables will depend on the MDM in use, we have included the major MDM provider variables further on in this document to help choose which variables to use.
These values are:
<key>username</key>
- This key will set the username on the captures.
<key>stationName</key>
- This key will set the station name on the captures.For reference, an example JAMF PLIST structure is shown below:
<?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>school</key>
<string>[Your Organisation Name]</string>
<key>apiKey</key>
<string>[Server API Key]</string>
<key>server</key>
<string>[Your Server URL]</string>
<key>username</key>
<string>%Name%</string>
<key>stationName</key>
<string>%udid%</string>
<key>mdmGroup</key>
<string>FlutterDevices</string>
</dict>
</plist>Note that since this is a JAMF PLIST file, %Name% and %udid% are used.
All other configuration settings, including server details and authentication keys, will be pre-configured in the .PLIST file.
MDM Variables
Intune Variables
{{DeviceName}}
- The device name
{{UUID}}
- The unique identifier of the deviceLightspeed Variables
%device_name%
- The device’s name
%serial_number%
- The device’s serial numberJAMF School Variables
%Name%
- The device name
%udid%
- The device's unique identifier
%SerialNumber
- The device’s serial numberJAMF Pro
$DEVICENAME
- The device name
$UDID or $SERIALNUMBER
- The UUID or Serial number of the deviceMosyle Variables
%DeviceName%
- Current device name
%UUID%
- Device UDID
%SerialNumber%
- Device Serial NumberMeraki Variables
$DEVICENAME
- Device Name
$UDID
- Device UDIDDeployment
We will set up your organisation to have access to our Apple custom application, which is called “Securus Safeguard Browser”.
This is a custom application and is not accessible through the App Store. If not already enabled, you will need to enable the use of custom apps.
Enable Custom Apps
Custom Apps are apps developed by you or a third-party developer to meet your organisation’s specific education needs. See Learn about Custom Apps.
In Apple School Manager
, sign in as a user that has the role of Administrator or Site Manager.
Select your name at the bottom of the sidebar, select Preferences
, then select Organisation Settings
.
Select Enable below Custom Apps.
Give your Organisation ID (located in Organisation Information
) to the app developer so they can add your organisation to their approved list.
You can now buy any additional Custom Apps from the Custom Apps section. Custom apps are deployed using managed licences and have the same management options as App Store apps.
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/apple-school-manager/axmb43b66449/web
Acquire Licences
Once your organisation has been enabled to use the app and custom apps are enabled, you can acquire licences at no cost through your Apple Business/Education account.
In Apple School Manager
To view and edit who can buy content, see Role privileges.
Select Apps and Books
in the sidebar, then select or search for an app or book in the search field. See How to search.
Select the app in the search results list that you want to buy.
Select the location where the app licenses will be initially assigned.
Enter the number of licenses, and if necessary, change the payment method, then select Buy.
Availability of app licenses depends on the amount bought. If you bought:
5000 licenses or fewer, they are immediately processed
5001 to 19,999 licenses, they are processed daily after 1:00 p.m., Pacific time
20,000 licenses or more, they are processed daily after 4:00 p.m., Pacific time
Deploy the custom application via your preferred MDM solution connected to Apple Business/Education.
Once deployed, the application will connect to your designated Securus environment and the device will be visible in the station list within the Securus console on first launch.
Test The Deployment & Troubleshooting
It is highly recommened to test that the deployment was successful and capturing is working as expected.
Device Info
The Device Info option in the browser will show the current configuration being provided by the PLIST file.
To get to this option click on the 3 dots in the top right corner and select Device Info.
Verify that the details are correct, if anything looks wrong, please contact the Securus support team.
If the Managed App Configuration server is showing as “https://demo.securus-software.com” then the PLIST has not been deployed correctly and will need to be looked at again.
Create A Test Capture
With the Device Info tab checked, a test capture can be created. We recommend going to Wikipedia and searching for Our Secret or AK47.
The capture will be viewable in the Securus console with the Browser or Browser Keyboard source icon as shown at the beginning of the article. If the capture does not appear in the Securus console, please contact the support team.
Other Troubleshooting
The app is currently rated with a 17+ age group, so we would recommend allowing apps up to 17+ if the browser is not opening correctly.
Other Useful Information
Bundle ID
The Bundle ID can be used to create Web Clips for the browser.
com.securus.safeguardDeployment Guides
JAMF School guide for deploying PLISTS
Ensure that “Allow Teachers to distribute this app” is not ticked.
Meraki
Mosyle Deployment Guide
Securus Browser Mosyle Deployment
Lightspeed Deployment Guide
Securus Browser Lightspeed Deployment
Help & Support
If you encounter any issues during deployment, please contact our support team on support@securus-software.com.
Document number/reference: SEC-KB-INST-004
Classification Level: Public/Internal/Confidential/Secret
Related Articles
Deployment Guides
JAMF School guide for deploying PLISTS
Ensure that “Allow Teachers to distribute this app” is not ticked.
Meraki
Mosyle Deployment Guide
Securus Browser Mosyle Deployment
Lightspeed Deployment Guide