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In macOS Sonoma, Safari gains a new feature called “Add to Dock.” I was way too excited about this feature when it was announced because I know how transformational it can be for macOS deployments in the enterprise (with some help from Apple). Web apps reign supreme for many enterprise tools, and “Add to Dock” is going to make it a lot better.
About Apple @ Work: Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 100s of Macs, and 100s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.
Back when I was working on my very first macOS deployment in 2009, I knew the power of web apps. We were already using Google Apps for your Domain (now known as Google Workspace). Of course, macOS Sonoma didn’t exist then, so I had to use an app to make my own web apps. It worked great! The Gmail app even had badges for unread messages. I originally create one for Docs, Mail, and Calendar. It was a great way to help folks transition away from the Windows world that was driven by Outlook access on Exchange (we did these two migrations pretty close together).
Fast-forward to today, that same organization still uses Google Workspace but has also added countless other “apps” like HR portal, student SIS, etc. Add to Dock for Safari is going to be fantastic for helping users access these apps without needing to clutter up their bookmarks screen.
Apple should expand Safari ‘Add to Dock’ to device management
While I wish it could have been this year, I really hope that Apple is planning a “Safari Add to Dock” feature as a device management API. The idea here is similar to how IT admins can deploy web apps in much the same way they do traditional macOS apps. I can envision a Window where you load URLs, give titles, and even allow for a custom icon (or default) and then you can scope those apps to different groups of devices. As devices are deployed, they could be set up automatically with the company SaaS products right on the macOS dock from the first login.
There would be little reason to update these apps after they’re installed, but it should be really easy to update the URL in the future. Let’s say that a company installed its Payroll solution on the macOS dock, but is later changing to a new solution – device management support would make it easy to update the URL and push it when the cut over happens to the new system. Assuming the login is behind a SSO login, the employees wouldn’t need to do anything but learn the new UI – no new app or new login.
I’ve chatted with some folks in the MDM industry about alternatives until Apple releases it, and it doesn’t look like it would be possible with scripting just yet either. This feature is low-hanging fruit for Apple, and I hope it’s built into macOS 15 in 2024.
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