What Is the Settings Catalog in Microsoft Intune and How Does It Work
The Settings Catalog in Microsoft Intune is one place for settings. You can find and search for device and user settings. You can control policies for your group from one simple screen. This tool makes setting up devices and managing rules easier. You pick only the settings you need.
More than 13,000 companies use Microsoft Intune for device management. It has about 23.4% of the market.
With the Settings Catalog, you can:
Search for settings by group or word.
Make new policies for more control.
Use reports and filters to fix problems quickly.
Key Takeaways
The Settings Catalog in Microsoft Intune helps you manage settings. You can do this for devices and users in one place. This saves you time and makes things easier.
You can look for settings you want. You can also filter and choose only what you need. This makes managing devices quicker and more flexible. It works for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Making and giving out profiles is easy. There are steps to help you do it. You can set settings for certain user or device groups. This gives you better control.
The Settings Catalog gives you more choices than templates. It also helps keep devices neat. It removes settings when you delete policies.
You should test profiles before using them. Use deployment rings and check if devices work with your settings. This helps stop mistakes and keeps devices safe.
Settings Catalog Overview
What It Is
The Settings Catalog in Microsoft Intune helps you manage device and app settings from one spot. It is a feature inside the Intune admin center. You can use it to set up many options for devices and apps. It works with Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and Android. This lets you control all your devices in one place. The Settings Catalog has thousands of choices. You do not need to use different profiles or templates. You can see every setting for your devices in one view.
Key Benefits
When you use the Settings Catalog, you get many helpful features:
You can see all device settings in one spot. This makes it simple to manage and update rules.
You can search and filter settings fast. You can look by keyword or group, which saves time.
You get clear details for each setting. This helps you know what each option does.
You can check reports that show how your devices and settings are doing. You can find problems quickly and fix them easily.
You can pick and change settings without trouble. You get all the info you need for each setting.
You can handle thousands of settings in one profile. This makes your job easier and less confusing.
You can use the Settings Catalog for many platforms. You can control Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and Android devices from one place.
You can make better and more flexible rules. You get settings that old templates do not have.
You use a process like Group Policy Objects, but it is made for the cloud.
Tip: The Settings Catalog makes your work easier. You spend less time looking for settings and more time managing devices.
How Settings Catalog Works
Access in Intune
You get to the Settings Catalog from the Microsoft Intune admin center. This helps you make and manage configuration profiles for your devices. Here is how you do it:
1. Log in to the Microsoft Intune admin center. 2. Go to Devices and pick Configuration profiles. 3. Click Create profile. 4. Choose your platform, like Windows 10 and later. 5. Pick Settings Catalog for the profile type. 6. Press Create to begin. 7. Type a name and description for your profile. 8. Hit Next to keep going. 9. In Configuration Settings, click Add settings to open the Settings picker. 10. Look for the settings you want or search for them. 11. Close the Settings picker when you are done. 12. Set up the settings you picked. 13. Click Next to assign and send out your profile.
This step-by-step way makes it easy to find and use the Settings Catalog for device management.
Tip: Give your profile a good name. This helps you find and manage your settings later.
Search and Filter
You can use search and filter tools in the Settings Catalog to find settings fast. These tools help you manage policies with less work.
The search lets you type words to find devices, users, or settings.
The Settings picker window lets you look through categories and pick what you need.
You can use search to make policies faster and manage them easier.
Filtering helps you choose which groups or devices get certain settings. Here is a list of the filtering options you can use:
These search and filter tools make the Settings Catalog very helpful for managing devices and users in your group.
Creating and Assigning Profiles
Step-by-Step Process
You can make a new configuration profile in Intune by following easy steps. This helps you control device and user settings well. Here is how you do it:
Log in to the Microsoft Intune admin center with the right access.
Click Devices in the menu.
Go to Manage devices and pick Configuration.
Press Create and then choose New policy.
Pick your device platform, like Windows 10, iOS/iPadOS, Android, or macOS.
For profile type, pick Settings catalog.
Type a name and add a description if you want.
Choose the settings you want for your devices or users.
Add scope tags if you want to limit who can manage the profile.
Assign the profile to users or device groups.
Check your choices and finish making the profile.
Tip: Use a clear name and description for each profile. This helps you find and update them later.
You can also use automation to make and assign profiles. PowerShell scripts let you repeat tasks and manage devices without doing each step by hand. Microsoft Graph API lets you control Intune with your own scripts. You can use Connect-MgGraph to log in and Invoke-MgGraphRequest to manage profiles and assignments. These tools help you save time and make fewer mistakes.
Assign to Devices or Users
It is important to assign profiles to the right group. Here are some good tips:
Assign profiles to device groups if you want settings for every user on a device. This is good for shared devices or device-only settings.
Assign profiles to user groups if you want settings to follow the user. This works best for user apps or features.
Use filters to target policies better, especially if users have more than one device.
Test new profiles with a small group first. This helps you find problems early.
For shared or kiosk devices, always use device group assignments.
For settings that should move with the user, use user group assignments.
Note: Be careful with included and excluded groups. This helps you control who gets each policy and stops problems.
Troubleshooting and Best Practices
Common Errors (e.g., Error 65000)
You might see some common errors when you manage device policies. Error 65000 is the one you will see most. This error means the device cannot use the setting you picked. Sometimes, local Group Policies or other settings stop Intune policies from working. Devices may also not sync, so the policy does not get set.
Other problems people have seen are:
Some Office settings do not turn on parent settings by themselves. These now show as old or not used in the user interface.
Android Enterprise devices sometimes show wrong results in reports and API calls, but the admin center is still fine.
Samsung devices with work profiles can lose certificates after updating to Android 12. This makes it hard to use Gmail and VPN apps.
Managed Google Play apps may take longer to sync, but this problem is now fixed.
Error 65000 often happens when you try to turn off things like 'News and Interests' on the Windows taskbar. This needs certain Windows versions and special ADMX files. If these files are missing or too old, you get the error.
To fix Error 65000, you should:
Make sure your policy matches the Windows version on the device.
Check SyncML and Event Viewer logs for missing ADMX files or policy problems.
Make sure needed ADMX templates, like Feeds.admx, are on the device.
Watch the policy status in the Intune portal.
If there are still problems, wait for Microsoft to fix service issues.
Note: Sometimes, policies work even if you see Error 65000. Always check if the policy was set before you change anything.
Tips for Success
You can get better results by using best practices. Good planning and checking help you avoid mistakes.
Put target devices into groups called deployment rings. This helps you control how fast and wide you roll out changes.
Set clear goals for each deployment ring.
Try policy changes in audit mode first. This lets you see what happens before you make rules strict.
Use tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or event log forwarding to watch policy events.
Copy policy names from official docs and paste them in the settings picker search for quick results.
Change policies to fit your needs before you give them to groups.
Check if each device works with the policy, especially for Windows editions.
Ask for help in Microsoft Q&A, Intune tech forums, or social media if you need advice.
You can find step-by-step guides and help in Microsoft Intune official docs. Community sites also give real-world tips and help from others.
Tip: Good planning and checking often help you keep your devices safe and working well.
Settings Catalog vs Templates
Key Differences
You can pick the Settings Catalog or configuration templates in Microsoft Intune. The Settings Catalog is newer and gives you more choices. It has thousands of settings in different groups. You can choose only the settings you want for your policy. Configuration templates have preset groups of settings for things like VPN or device limits. Templates are good for simple jobs but do not give as many details.
The table below shows how they are different:
The Settings Catalog fixes problems like configuration tattooing. If you remove a policy, the settings go back to how they were. Templates do not always do this.
Why Use the Catalog
Use the Settings Catalog if you want more control and choices. You can make advanced profiles by picking settings from many groups. For example, you can set BitLocker options or make strong security rules for Windows, macOS, or iOS devices. This helps you match Group Policy settings and manage devices better.
Microsoft says to use the Settings Catalog for most new policies. Many old templates are moving to the catalog, so it is now the main tool. You can look at all the settings and make custom policies for what you need. The catalog is best for managing security, updates, or device limits with care.
Tip: Pick the Settings Catalog for more control. Templates are fine for simple needs, but the catalog gives you more choices and will be used more in the future.
You get lots of good things when you use this tool for device management.
You can set up iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices with more choices, like picking default apps and turning on smart replies.
You can make policies faster and keep settings the same on all devices.
You should keep learning about new features. This helps you stay ready and manage your devices well.
FAQ
What devices can you manage with the Settings Catalog?
You can use the Settings Catalog for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. It works with many types of devices. You can control all your device settings from one place.
What happens if you remove a Settings Catalog policy?
If you take away a policy, the device goes back to old settings. The Settings Catalog does not leave any settings behind. This helps keep your devices neat and tidy.
What is Error 65000 in Intune?
Error 65000 shows up when a device cannot use a setting. This can happen if the Windows version does not match the policy. It also happens if some ADMX files are missing.
What is the difference between device and user assignments?
Device assignments set rules for everyone who uses that device. User assignments follow the person, so their settings move with them to other devices.
What can you do if a policy does not work?
You can check if the Windows version is right. You should look at logs and see if ADMX files are there. You can also ask for help in Microsoft forums or support.