Deploy your screens with Auto-Sync.

Before you begin

• An Apple TV enrolled in your organization’s MDM and connected to its display and network.
• An UrbanLoop organization account with permission to link TVs.
• The tvOS app assigned through your app-distribution process, with enough distribution licenses where Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager is used.
• One pilot TV and known test content before expanding to the rest of the fleet.

MDM app-distribution licenses and your UrbanLoop service plan are separate. For a screen without MDM, use the manual first-screen setup guide.

Identify the correct app and configuration

The tvOS bundle identifier is bnm.eztv-phone. The app’s name may appear as UrbanLoop or the previous EZ Plus name while versions transition. Use the official tvOS app record and the bundle identifier to identify it.

Managed configuration keys still use the eztv_ prefix for compatibility. Keep them exactly as generated; rebranding the display name does not rename those keys. Use the app version approved for your deployment and confirm its service environment before rolling out a configuration.

Generate a configuration for each site

1. Open Auto-Sync

   In the management dashboard, open TVs, then Auto-Sync. Make sure you are in the organization that will own the screens.

2. Open App Config Generator

   Choose App Config Generator. Under Site Selection, choose an existing site or enter the intended new site name.

3. Choose the MDM format

   Select Jamf Pro or Jamf School and copy the generated configuration. If your MDM expects a different format, check its current documentation or contact us.

4. Keep each site’s configuration distinct

   Generate a configuration for each intended site. Keep the organization ID and secret private and scope the configuration to the intended devices. Devices can be reassigned later.

Configuration keys and examples

These examples show structure only. Copy real values from your own App Config Generator; the placeholders below cannot link a device.

Jamf Pro format

<dict>
  <key>eztv_secret</key>
  <string>YOUR_ORGANIZATION_SECRET</string>
  <key>eztv_org</key>
  <string>YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID</string>
  <key>eztv_site_name</key>
  <string>Office</string>
  <key>eztv_disable_location_request</key>
  <true/>
</dict>

Jamf School format

<plist>
  <dict>
    <key>eztv_secret</key>
    <string>YOUR_ORGANIZATION_SECRET</string>
    <key>eztv_org</key>
    <string>YOUR_ORGANIZATION_ID</string>
    <key>eztv_site_name</key>
    <string>Office</string>
    <key>eztv_disable_location_request</key>
    <true/>
  </dict>
</plist>

Assign the app and managed configuration

In Jamf Pro, use the app record’s App Configuration tab. In Jamf School, open the app’s advanced options, enable Apply Managed Configuration, and assign the intended configuration to the appropriate device group. Keep the structure required by that MDM.

Confirm that the app and configuration reach the same pilot device. Interface labels and scoping behavior can vary by MDM version; use Jamf Pro’s configuration documentation or Jamf School’s instructions for the MDM-specific controls.

Install and launch the display app

The app must run at least once before the TV can appear in Auto-Sync. Installation alone is not enough. Launch it manually or, for a dedicated signage device, use your MDM’s Single App Mode/App Lock profile with bnm.eztv-phone.

App Lock keeps the selected app open and reopens it after restart. Plan how to remove the profile if a shared Apple TV needs other apps. See Apple’s App Lock settings for the device-management requirements.

Retrieve and link the TVs

1. Retrieve unlinked devices

   Return to TVs → Auto-Sync in the same UrbanLoop organization. Choose Get Unlinked Devices.

2. Select the intended devices

   Check the returned devices and select the pilot TV or intended deployment group. Choose Link Selected Devices.

3. Map the sites

   In Map Sites, map the site names reported by the devices to existing UrbanLoop sites or create the intended new sites.

4. Check the resulting TV records

   Confirm the linked TVs appear in the correct sites. Review the pilot’s identity and assignment before linking the rest. Already-linked devices may not appear in the unlinked list.

Set location and verify playback

When eztv_disable_location_request is true, manually configure the TV or TV Group location so local-time and weather features have the intended context.

• Assign a known playlist and confirm the correct content on the physical display.
• Check the site, orientation, local time, and schedule.
• Confirm remote changes reach the pilot device.
• If using App Lock, restart the pilot and confirm it returns to the intended app and content.
• Record app/MDM versions and the result before expanding the scope.

Updated UrbanLoop builds use outbound HTTPS for core API access at api.urbanloop.ai and management at app.urbanloop.ai. Selected Google, YouTube, or hosted media sources also need their own access. Older releases may still use legacy service addresses; confirm the requirements for the actual versions deployed.

Troubleshooting and existing deployments

Older per-device MDM configurations

The legacy eztv_udid workflow differs from organization-level Auto-Sync. Keep existing working deployments in place while planning a tested migration. Do not mix the two configuration examples or remove the app across a fleet as an initial troubleshooting step.

For an already-installed app, first check configuration delivery, app version, and a one-device relaunch. Schedule any reinstall only after testing its effect on that device.

Deployment reference and help

Download the UrbanLoop Jamf Pro / Jamf School deployment guide (PDF) for an offline reference to this workflow.

When requesting help, include the app and MDM versions, device model, and the failed step. Remove organization secrets and private account data from screenshots.