iPad mini Apple Icons Disappeared

[timotay89]

Hello,

I have an iPad Mini and today some of the Apple Icons that come with the device are suddenly missing. They were there, and then a minute later after opening an app (Evernote), they were gone. The ones I notice missing are Safari, Camera, Messages and some others. In the settings app, there are some missing on the sidebar and the "iCloud" one is faded and can't be selected. I'm also unable to take a screen shot of the home screen, so I've included some pictures taken with my phone.

I've checked restrictions, reset all factory settings and restored from a backup from before they vanished, and reset the home screen, but nothing worked.

These are iPads issued by my school district, so they are monitored (it asked for their password when I restored from a backup, but I skipped that part as I don't know it). Would this have something to do with it?

This is also not an isolated incident. I am the technology teacher for my building and another teacher's iPad did the exact same thing and I'm trying to fix his as well. I'd rather fix this without going to our district tech people if that's at all possible.

Does anyone know what to do to fix this. I'll be putting mine into recovery mode to try and fix it, but that's not something I want to be doing with other people's iPads.

Anything anyone could offer would be a great help.

 

[charlyham]

It sounds like your school district has configured the iPads to disable those apps, and the removal of the icons makes it so you won't try to use them. Schools don't want to be responsible for the iPads being used inappropriately, so they just disable them. Check with your school district tech support to see if this is what has happened.
Charly

 

[XTheLancerX]

It sounds like your school district has configured the iPads to disable those apps, and the removal of the icons makes it so you won't try to use them. Schools don't want to be responsible for the iPads being used inappropriately, so they just disable them. Check with your school district tech support to see if this is what has happened.
Charly

Although I see exactly what you are saying, and would completely understand the removal of messages, etc, I am still confused as to why they would get rid of Safari. Yes, that can be used "inappropriately" but there are profiles you can add so the websites will be blocked, even when you are connected to a different WiFi network. That's how my school does it anyway. Safari is kind of important in doing research at times, if you search the right places...

Unless their only purpose in giving out the iPads was for digital textbooks, nothing else, I don't see why they would suddenly remove so much. Just ask the tech people who configured and issued the iPads, and see whether they made the changes or not.

 

[andyw715]

Is App Store available. Just download a different browser.

 

[timotay89]

It sounds like your school district has configured the iPads to disable those apps, and the removal of the icons makes it so you won't try to use them. Schools don't want to be responsible for the iPads being used inappropriately, so they just disable them. Check with your school district tech support to see if this is what has happened.
Charly

We've used these iPads since June with no issues. I've confirmed with only two people that this is happening. Is it possible for this to be done remotely through the iPad configuration software?

 

[charlyham]

We've used these iPads since June with no issues. I've confirmed with only two people that this is happening. Is it possible for this to be done remotely through the iPad configuration software?

It is entirely possible that your school board pushed out a new configuration remotely. The only answer can come from whoever is in charge of maintaining these iPads. If they didn't make the changes, they need to be informed of this issue. If it is a malicious act by someone else, they will need to know so they can remediate it.
Charly

 

[charlituna]

Although I see exactly what you are saying, and would completely understand the removal of messages, etc, I am still confused as to why they would get rid of Safari.

because the district/school owns them, controls them and can do whatever they want with them. Doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense.

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We've used these iPads since June with no issues. I've confirmed with only two people that this is happening. Is it possible for this to be done remotely through the iPad configuration software?

It could be. And while you say 'with no issues' the school may feel otherwise. They could see a number of things as issues, particularly on tech that is school property. And these moves might be part of how they fix them

 

[tityexplod]

Just ask the tech people who configured and issued the iPads, and see whether they made the changes or not.