Jamf Self Service is the employee-facing app in Jamf Pro, Jamf’s device management platform for Apple devices. An admin chooses which items appear in it. Employees open the app, find what they need, and click to install or run it.

There are two versions to know about: the original, now called Self Service classic, and Self Service+, its newer replacement. Jamf’s documentation notes that Self Service classic will be deprecated in an upcoming release, and describes Self Service+ as the new end-user application. If you’re starting fresh, Self Service+ is where to begin.

According to Jamf’s Self Service+ documentation, users can:

• Browse, search and install configuration profiles, Mac App Store apps and books
• Run policies that IT has set up
• Install updates through patch policies
• Open web pages through bookmarks
• Sync passwords with their cloud identity provider (requires a Jamf Connect configuration)
• Request temporary local administrator access (requires a Jamf Connect configuration)
• See their device’s security status on a home-screen dashboard (requires Jamf Protect)

The last three depend on other Jamf products, so they won’t appear in every setup.

Self Service works best for requests that are the same every time. Teams commonly use it for things like:

• Installing approved software without waiting on IT
• Reinstalling a work tool that stopped working
• Running a pre-built fix, such as resetting a setting or clearing a cache
• Updating an app when a patch is available
• Reaching internal resources, like an HR portal, through bookmarks

What it can do in your environment depends on how IT builds each item. An admin packages the fix as a policy, and the employee runs it with one click.

If one person handles IT for the whole office, every routine request competes with the real work: security, projects, planning. Self Service moves the routine work to the people who need it.

Jamf says a company-branded catalog saves IT time otherwise spent on help desk tickets, and lowers support costs. It doesn’t publish figures to back that up, so treat it as a direction, not a guarantee.

It also helps with control. When employees install from an approved catalog, they’re less likely to hunt down software on their own. And a managed way to request temporary admin rights beats handing out permanent ones. We covered that tradeoff in giving engineers admin rights without the risk.

Be clear about its limits:

• It isn’t a help desk. A dead battery, a cracked screen or a problem no one has built a fix for still needs a person.
• It doesn’t set itself up. Someone has to build and test each item. A half-empty catalog frustrates people.
• It needs Jamf Pro. Self Service is part of Jamf’s platform and isn’t a standalone tool.
• Some features need extras. Password sync, temporary admin access and the security dashboard require Jamf Connect or Jamf Protect.

Teams usually get help from an Apple-focused IT partner that is also a Jamf partner. The work isn’t clicking “install.” It’s deciding what belongs in the catalog, building and testing each fix, and keeping it current.

DFC does that work. We’re an Apple Authorized Reseller and an Apple Technical Partner (formerly the Apple Consultants Network), and we help organizations plan, configure and manage Jamf, including building new environments and migrating from another MDM. When we’re done, your team gets the training and documentation to run it themselves, or we keep managing it for you.

Self Service classic is the original employee-facing app. Jamf says it will be deprecated in an upcoming release, so it’s mainly relevant for existing setups that are still running it.

Self Service+ is Jamf’s newer, replacement app. It consolidates Jamf’s end-user apps into one, which makes it the better starting point for new setups and migrations.

Check Jamf’s current system requirements before migrating.

Whether you do this yourself or with a partner, this is the order that works:

1. Start with your top five requests. Look at the last few months of tickets and pick the repeats.
2. Build one policy per fix. Keep each one small and give it a plain name, like “Reinstall VPN,” not a technical code.
3. Test on a few Macs first. A broken fix in front of the whole company costs more than the ticket it was meant to save.
4. Brand it. An app that looks like it belongs to your company is more likely to be trusted and used.
5. Tell people it exists. A short message and a one-page guide go a long way. Most teams skip this step.
6. Review it every quarter. Remove what nobody uses and add what keeps coming up.

What is Jamf Self Service?
It’s an app on Jamf-managed Macs where employees install approved software, run IT-built fixes and get updates themselves. IT controls what appears in it.

What’s the difference between Self Service and Self Service+?
Self Service+ is the newer app and is meant to replace Self Service classic, which Jamf says will be deprecated in an upcoming release.

Do employees need admin rights to use it?
No. Self Service runs approved items on the employee’s behalf, so they don’t need administrator access to install them.

Can employees get temporary admin access through it?
Yes, in Self Service+, if Jamf Connect is configured to allow it.

Does it replace a help desk?
No. It handles repeatable requests. Hardware problems and new issues still need a person.

Do you need a Jamf expert to set it up?
Basic setup is manageable for a Mac-savvy admin. Teams without one often bring in a partner. DFC plans, builds and manages Jamf environments for organizations that don’t have Jamf specialists in-house, and trains internal teams to take it over.

Who can help set up Jamf Self Service?
An Apple-focused IT partner that is also a Jamf partner. DFC, an Apple Authorized Reseller and Apple Technical Partner, helps organizations plan, configure and manage Jamf, including new environments and migrations.

Want help getting Self Service running?

If you’re already on Jamf and Self Service is gathering dust, or you’re still deciding whether Jamf fits, our Jamf team can help at whatever stage you’re at: evaluating, setting up, or cleaning up what’s there. We also provide Mac support for the day-to-day issues that Self Service can’t cover.

Ready to talk it through? Reach out to DFC and we’ll start with how your team works today.