How to Troubleshoot Microsoft Intune Management Agent on macOS for Seamless App Deployment

Troubleshoot the Microsoft Intune management agent on macOS effectively with this guide. Learn how to verify agent installation, check running processes, analyze logs, identify app installation issues, and understand key log entries to ensure smooth app and script deployment via Intune. Unique :

Troubleshooting Microsoft Intune Management Agent on macOS: What You Need to Know

If you’re managing macOS devices with Microsoft Intune, the Intune management agent is your go-to tool for deploying apps and running scripts. But what happens when things don’t work as expected? Let’s dive into key troubleshooting tips and insights to keep your Intune agent running smoothly.

What’s New with the Intune Management Agent?

The Intune management agent on macOS handles installing DMG and PKG apps and running scripts. It installs automatically right after device enrollment, appearing as Microsoft Intune Agent.app in /Library/Intune/. You can check its version by right-clicking the app and selecting “Get Info.”

Major Updates: Processes and Logs to Watch

Two critical processes keep the agent alive:

IntuneMdmDaemon: Runs scripts and installs apps as root.
IntuneMdmAgent: Runs scripts as the user.

Use the Terminal command pgrep -il "^IntuneMdm" to verify if they’re running. If not, restart the agent app.

Logs are your best friend when troubleshooting. You’ll find transaction logs named IntuneMDMDaemon in /Library/Logs/Microsoft/Intune. These logs provide detailed info, including timestamps, process IDs, and task details.

“The IntuneMDMDaemon logs are broken up into 6 columns of data delimited by a pipe character (|),” explains Chris Kunze, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft Intune.

How to Check If Apps Are Installing Correctly

If an app isn’t installing, start by searching the logs with the app ID or name. The app ID is often found in the Intune admin center URL or within the logs themselves.

The agent detects apps via two methods:

Spotlight search for the app’s bundle ID
Checking the package receipt

Use these Terminal commands to verify:

mdfind "kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier == '{bundleid}'" (case sensitive)
pkgutil --pkg-info {bundleid}

If apps or scripts don’t appear in logs, double-check their assignment in the Intune admin center.

Agent Startup and Health Checks

Every time the agent starts, it triggers a full sync. Look for this log line:

Initializing service.

At first run, you might see warnings about missing device or tenant IDs. This is normal as the agent fetches them from the gateway.

“The Microsoft Intune agent has a heartbeat that runs about every minute to verify the status of the agent and connection to Intune,” Kunze notes.

Successful health checks show paired log lines indicating the agent’s pulse.

What Policies Are Installed?

The logs list policy IDs currently applied. If your app or script’s policy ID isn’t listed, it’s probably not assigned correctly.

Wrapping Up

Understanding these key points helps you troubleshoot the Intune management agent effectively on macOS. From verifying processes and logs to checking app installations and policy assignments, you’ll be equipped to solve common issues fast.

Keep these tips handy for smoother Intune management and less downtime.

Intune management agent installs automatically post device enrollment with the Intune profile.

Two critical processes, IntuneMdmDaemon and IntuneMdmAgent, manage root and user script executions.

Transaction logs located in /Library/Logs/Microsoft/Intune provide detailed operational insights.

App installation verification involves bundle ID checks via Spotlight and package receipts via Terminal commands.

The agent performs a HealthCheckWorkflow heartbeat every minute to confirm connectivity and status.

From the Intune Customer Success articles