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Windows 11 devices can be managed with traditional Group Policy, cloud-based mobile device management (MDM) through Microsoft Intune, or a staged combination of Intune and Configuration Manager called co-management. The right choice depends on how devices are joined and connected, which settings you need, and whether your existing infrastructure still relies on Active Directory. Because Group Policy and Intune do not have complete setting parity, assess each policy, test it on a pilot group, and migrate only what remains necessary.
Choose the management approach that fits your Windows estate
Group Policy and Intune can both configure Windows, but they deliver and scope policy differently. Group Policy suits organizations that continue to manage domain-joined devices through Active Directory. Intune is a cloud-based MDM service that applies Windows configuration through management clients and configuration service providers (CSPs). A device can also use co-management when Configuration Manager remains part of the organization’s endpoint-management environment.
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| Situation | Approach to consider | Why it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Devices remain centrally managed through Active Directory and depend on domain policy processing | Group Policy for applicable settings | It preserves the existing centralized policy workflow. Review policies periodically so obsolete settings do not persist without a current purpose. |
| New or cloud-managed endpoints need centralized remote configuration | Intune configuration profiles, including Settings Catalog | Intune can assign CSP-backed settings to users or devices. Confirm that each setting supports the target Windows edition and scope. |
| Configuration Manager is still important, but the organization wants cloud-management capabilities | Co-management | Supported workloads can move to Intune individually; workloads not switched remain managed by Configuration Manager. |
| The existing GPO environment is large, old, or poorly documented | Inventory and assess first; migrate only a selected subset | Analysis can uncover deprecated, unsupported, or unnecessary settings before they are carried into a cloud-management model. |
These are options rather than a one-size-fits-all migration path. Device identity, connectivity, application dependencies, and policy requirements all affect the decision. Microsoft’s Group Policy analytics guidance explains how to assess existing policies for MDM equivalents and other migration issues.
Understand what changes between Group Policy and Intune
Delivery and refresh behavior
Windows 11 includes enrollment and management clients that communicate with an enterprise MDM server. Intune uses Windows CSPs to expose many configuration settings that administrators may also have set through Group Policy. The mechanisms overlap, but they are not interchangeable in every case.
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Microsoft’s Windows 11 security book, last updated November 18, 2025, documents these default intervals: Group Policy refreshes at sign-in and every 90 minutes; MDM policy refreshes at sign-in and every eight hours. The same page says Config Refresh can reset Policy CSP settings to the administrator’s configured value every 90 minutes by default, with an interval configurable to 30 minutes. These are documented defaults, not a promise that a newly assigned policy takes effect immediately. When troubleshooting, check the device’s actual sync and policy status. See Microsoft’s Windows 11 device-management guidance.
Setting support and scope
Intune exposes Windows settings through configuration profiles, including Settings Catalog options backed by CSPs. A setting may apply only to particular Windows editions or to a particular management scope. Check the setting’s CSP documentation and edition requirements before assigning it.
User and device assignments have different meanings. Use a user group when a setting should follow the person across eligible devices. Use a device group when it should follow the endpoint regardless of who signs in, such as for a shared or userless device. Microsoft’s profile assignment guidance covers user-group versus device-group targeting. For an example of configuring a security feature through Settings Catalog, CSP, Group Policy, or registry, consult Microsoft’s User Account Control guidance.
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Policy coverage is not complete parity
Microsoft’s Group Policy analytics can identify settings with MDM equivalents, deprecated policies, and settings without a supported match. An imported GPO can help seed Settings Catalog policies, but the translation is best effort: a suggested setting may be similar rather than identical, and import or migration can fail when the source format or child settings are incomplete. Review each proposed mapping and value instead of treating a successful import as proof of equivalent behavior.
Windows Update and shared devices
Windows Update client policies determine which updates are offered, when they arrive, and how rollout is staged. Microsoft documents management through Group Policy or MDM such as Intune, while noting that policy availability can differ among CSP, Group Policy, and Cloud Policy formats. Identify the exact update setting you need and verify its supported management method rather than assuming it exists in all three.
Windows can also be configured as a kiosk locally or through Intune, with single-app, multi-app, or full-screen browser experiences. For shared endpoints, device-targeted policy is often the more appropriate scope when configuration should stay with the device rather than change with each user. Check the setting’s scope and edition applicability before deployment.
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Assess and migrate GPOs without carrying forward unnecessary policy
- Inventory what is applied. Export relevant GPOs and record their purpose and scope. Note dependencies such as OU placement, filtering, loopback processing, and legacy application settings before changing management authority.
- Run Group Policy analytics. Import the GPOs into Intune and review migration readiness, supported settings, deprecated settings, and settings with no MDM match. Use the report as an assessment aid, not as a requirement to preserve every old setting.
- Decide setting by setting. Keep a setting in Group Policy, replace it with a supported Intune configuration, or retire it if it is no longer needed. For current requirements, configuring the setting directly in Settings Catalog or the relevant Intune policy type may be clearer than importing an old GPO.
- Resolve duplicate and conflicting values. Where imported GPOs contain conflicting values, determine the intended value and verify that it meets security and user requirements before deployment.
- Assign with the right scope. Separate user-scoped and device-scoped policies. Use device targeting for shared or userless endpoints when policy should remain with the endpoint. Confirm Windows edition support and use applicable filters or rules where needed.
- Pilot the configuration. Assign policies to a small test group first. Confirm devices receive the policy, verify the resulting setting on the endpoint, and make users aware of restrictive changes.
- Plan authority and cleanup. If using co-management, decide which workloads remain in Configuration Manager and which move to Intune. When removing an assignment, verify the specific CSP’s removal behavior: an unassigned policy may leave the existing value in place rather than restore the prior state.
Microsoft’s Group Policy analytics documentation describes the migration workflow and its limitations.
Use co-management for an incremental transition
Co-management allows Configuration Manager and Intune to manage a Windows device concurrently. Rather than moving everything at once, an organization can switch supported workloads individually to Intune; workloads that have not been switched remain with Configuration Manager. This makes co-management a transition option for organizations that still depend on Configuration Manager, not a requirement for every Intune deployment.
Microsoft’s co-management overview and co-management FAQ provide workload and device-joining details. The FAQ says co-management supports both Microsoft Entra joined and hybrid joined devices.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep Group Policy and use Intune at the same time?
Yes, but manage the overlap deliberately. A device may receive configuration from different policy channels, so inventory existing settings, identify conflicts, and pilot changes before broad deployment. If Configuration Manager is also in use, co-management lets supported workloads move individually to Intune while other workloads remain with Configuration Manager.
Should I assign an Intune policy to a user group or a device group?
Use a user group when the setting should follow a person across eligible devices. Use a device group when the setting should follow the endpoint regardless of its current user, as with many shared or userless devices. Confirm the setting’s supported scope and Windows edition before assigning it.
Does co-management support Microsoft Entra joined devices?
Yes. Microsoft’s co-management FAQ says both Microsoft Entra joined and hybrid joined devices are supported.
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