Switchboard (App Store)

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Revision as of 21:36, 1 February 2021 by InternalStore (talk | contribs) (Details the deprecation of Switchboard and replacement by App Shack and Self Service)
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This article discusses software internally used by Apple.

Acquiring a copy without Apple's consent is illegal and may result in being scammed.
Engaging in illegal activity is not condoned. This information is provided for educational purposes only.

Switchboard
Switchboard icon ios7.png
Original author(s) Apple Inc.
Developer(s) Apple Inc.
Stable release 8.4.6
(last version ever to be released)
Operating system iOS
Available in English
License Closed source

Switchboard, not to be confused with SwitchBoard, was an internal app that functioned as an app store for Apple employees, allowing them to download and update other internal apps all in one place. Switchboard's icon is very reminiscent of the official App Store icon, except it is green and has an "S" instead of an "A". Inside Switchboard, there are a variety of apps available for download, including Concierge, Directory, Radar, and UniBox, just to name a few. The apps available for download within Switchboard may vary from employee to employee depending upon one's AppleConnect permissions. Enrollment is done through various different websites. To begin enrollment, employees would visit sb.apple.com. After signing in with their AppleConnect credentials, they would be redirected here to finish enrollment and install all the necessary MDM profiles on their device. After launching the app, Switchboard checks to see if you're running the latest version. If you're using an outdated version, Switchboard will not load its content and will ask you to update the app. Switchboard began to be phased out with the release of iOS 13, and was partially replaced by a more modern alternative called App Shack, which was originally thought to serve as an eventual replacement. However, on January 29, 2021, Apple shut down Switchboard, making 8.4.6 the last version to ever be released. Self Service, which Apple has used for a number of years, was chosen as the official Switchboard replacement.

Version History

This list is incomplete.

  • 2.4 (presumed to exist)
  • 2.6
  • 3.0 (presumed to exist, mentioned in 2.6)
  • 3.1
  • 4.1.1
  • 4.2
  • 4.3.1
  • 5.1
  • 5.1.1
  • 5.2 (latest version for devices running iOS 5.0 - iOS 6.1.4)
  • 6.0
  • 6.0.1
  • 6.0.2
  • 6.3.2
  • 7.0
  • 7.1 (introduces support for iOS 7 and up)
  • 8.0.8
  • 8.2
  • 8.4.6 (last version ever to be released)

Screenshots

See Also