In Microsoft Intune, a Settings Catalog policy is a device configuration profile built from the settings you choose for a platform. Create a profile, add only the settings you intend to manage, assign it to the right users or groups, then use policy and per-setting reports to confirm its status.
What an Intune Settings Catalog policy does
The Settings Catalog gathers configurable device settings in one place, allowing an administrator to start with a blank profile and select what to manage. Microsoft documents catalog support across Windows, Apple, and Android management scenarios; settings and applicability vary by platform and device characteristics. The catalog includes Windows settings generated from configuration service providers, including Administrative Templates. For Apple platforms, it includes declarative device management configurations and Apple MDM payload settings. Microsoft describes the catalog and its use in Intune.
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Think of a profile as a deliberate set of configuration choices, not a bundle that should be filled with every setting available. Each selected setting can have its own applicability requirements, such as operating-system edition, enrollment mode, or user/device scope.
Create a Settings Catalog profile
- Open profile creation: In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > Manage devices > Configuration > Create > New policy. The account needs at least the built-in Policy and Profile Manager role. Microsoft’s creation guide documents this path.
- Choose the platform and profile type: Select the target platform, then choose Settings catalog as the profile type and select Create. Documented platform choices include Android Enterprise, Android (AOSP), iOS/iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and Windows 10 and later. Available settings depend on the platform and device characteristics; do not assume a setting listed for one platform will apply to another.
- Name the profile: In Basics, use a name that identifies both the platform and purpose, and add a description that explains the intended configuration.
- Add settings: Under Configuration settings, select Add settings. Browse categories or search, then use the available filters to narrow results. Depending on platform, filters can include properties such as Windows edition, user/device scope, or Android management mode.
- Check each setting before configuring it: Read its tooltip and linked documentation. Confirm the supported platform, OS edition, enrollment mode, and scope match the devices or users in your deployment. Then select the setting and set the intended value.
Keep only settings the profile should manage
A setting appearing in the editor does not mean it must remain in the profile. If you do not want this policy to manage a setting, remove it with the minus control. Microsoft treats that as Not configured: the setting is removed from the profile. After the next device check-in, another policy or the device user may change it. See Microsoft’s explanation of configured and unconfigured settings.
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Before saving, review the profile as a list of explicit management decisions. A configured value should be intentional; leaving an unwanted value in place can cause the profile to enforce a setting you did not mean to control.
Scope the profile with tags and assignments
Scope tags are optional and help filter profiles for specific IT groups. On Assignments, select the users or groups that should receive the profile. For Android Enterprise and Android (AOSP) Settings Catalog policies, assignment filters can include or exclude devices based on device properties. Check the platform-specific assignment guidance before relying on filters for other platforms. Microsoft documents scope tags and assignment options.
Before selecting Create, review the configured settings, scope tags, and assignment targets together. Intune saves and assigns the profile; configured settings apply the next time devices check for configuration updates. Microsoft does not promise a fixed elapsed time for that check-in.
Verify deployment and investigate problems
Review policy and per-setting status
Go to Devices > Manage devices > Configuration, select the profile, and open View report. The report shows device names and policy state, allows filtering by deployment status, and can be exported as a CSV. Per-setting status can show how many devices succeeded, are in conflict, or have errors, and identify the users or devices in those states. Use Microsoft’s reporting guidance for the current report workflow.
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Resolve a conflict
Intune reports a conflict when different policies update the same setting to different values. Review the policies targeting the affected device or user, identify the overlapping setting, and reconcile the competing values. A conflict is not resolved by assuming one profile will always take precedence; determine which policy should own the setting and align or remove the competing configuration.
Inspect an assignment failure
For a failed assignment, go to Devices > Monitor > Assignment failures, select the policy and device, and inspect the failing setting and any reported error code. Check the setting’s platform and applicability documentation before changing its value. Microsoft also documents Intune Copilot features that can summarize policy settings and help identify potential conflicts; validate generated explanations against the official setting documentation before making consequential changes. Microsoft’s policy guidance covers these monitoring features.
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Export or import a Windows catalog policy
For Windows Settings Catalog policies, Microsoft documents exporting a profile as JSON from its context menu and importing an exported JSON policy through Create > Import policy. This workflow is documented for Windows; check current platform documentation rather than assuming equivalent import and export support elsewhere. See Microsoft’s Windows Settings Catalog import and export instructions.
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If the deployment requires several related management objects to be assigned as a coordinated unit, consider an Intune policy set rather than copying a single catalog profile. Microsoft’s overview lists device settings support for Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS/iPadOS. Read Microsoft’s policy sets overview.
Choose the right profile design
| Decision | What to check | Practical choice |
|---|---|---|
| Platform and applicability | Does the setting support the OS, edition, enrollment mode, and user/device scope in use? | Confirm the setting’s details and linked platform documentation before assignment. |
| Assignment scope | Should the profile target users or groups, and are device-property filters needed? | Use the narrowest appropriate assignments; documented catalog filters apply to Android Enterprise and Android (AOSP). |
| Setting overlap | Could another assigned policy configure the same setting differently? | Check targeting and reconcile values before broad deployment to reduce conflicts. |
| Reuse and packaging | Are you reusing one Windows catalog profile or coordinating several management objects? | Use Windows JSON import/export for a supported profile workflow; consider policy sets for multiple related objects. |
The catalog contains a large and changing collection of settings, but Microsoft does not give a dated count in the cited guidance. Check the live catalog and the documentation attached to the specific setting for current availability and requirements. Licensing prerequisites for every setting and a complete cross-platform applicability matrix are not established by the general workflow documentation.
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