The Microsoft Intune admin portal (officially called the Microsoft Intune admin center) is the single web interface where you manage devices, apps, policies, and compliance for your entire organization. It lives at intune.microsoft.com.
This guide covers exactly what the portal is, how to access it, what each section does, and how real IT admins and MSPs use it day-to-day — including the gaps Microsoft documentation often skips.
What Is the Microsoft Intune Admin Portal?
The Intune admin portal is the web-based console for Microsoft Intune. It replaced the old “Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center” (endpoint.microsoft.com) in 2022. All old URLs still redirect correctly.
It is the central control panel for:
- Device enrollment and management (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux)
- App deployment and lifecycle
- Configuration profiles and security baselines
- Compliance policies and Conditional Access
- Software updates and third-party patching
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
Intune vs the Admin Portal
Intune is the cloud service. The admin portal is the interface you use to control it. When troubleshooting, remember the two are separate layers.
How to Access the Intune Admin Portal
Go directly to: https://intune.microsoft.com
You need:
- A Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) work or school account
- An Intune license (Microsoft 365 Business Premium, E3/E5, or standalone)
- An appropriate Entra role (Intune Administrator is the most common)
Chromium browsers (Edge/Chrome) work best. Firefox is fine. Safari can have minor rendering issues with some reports.
Navigating the Intune Admin Portal
The left sidebar is the main navigation. Here are the sections you will use most often:
Home & Dashboard
Quick overview of enrolled devices, compliance status, app deployments, and alerts. Many admins customize the Home page as their daily starting point.
Devices
The heart of daily operations. Includes All Devices, Configuration Profiles, Compliance Policies, Windows Autopilot, and Remote Actions (Sync, Wipe, Retire, Restart, etc.).
Apps
Deploy Microsoft Store, Win32, LOB, Web, and Microsoft 365 apps. Set Required / Available / Uninstall assignments and App Protection Policies.
Endpoint Security
Security baselines, antivirus, BitLocker/FileVault, firewall, attack surface reduction, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint integration.
Reports
Device compliance, app installation status, update deployment, and policy assignment reports. Many teams export these to Power BI.
Tenant Administration
RBAC roles, scope tags, audit logs, connectors (Apple, Google, etc.), and diagnostic settings.
Device Management in the Portal
Go to Devices > All Devices for the full inventory. Click any device to see hardware details, installed apps, applied policies, and compliance state.
Useful remote actions from any device profile:
- Sync (most common — forces immediate policy check-in)
- Restart
- Wipe (full factory reset)
- Retire (remove company data only)
- Collect diagnostics
Configuration Profiles & Settings Catalog
Use the Settings Catalog (recommended) for granular control over thousands of settings. The older template-based profiles are being phased out.
Windows Autopilot
Register devices so they can self-enroll and configure on first boot. See our separate device enrollment guide for details.
App Management & the Third-Party Patching Gap
You can deploy many app types: Microsoft Store, Win32 (.intunewin), LOB, Web, and Microsoft 365 Apps.
Important limitation: Intune does not automatically update third-party Win32 apps after deployment. Once you push Chrome, Zoom, 7-Zip, etc., you must manually repackage and redeploy every new version.
This is one of the biggest ongoing time sinks for Intune admins. See our Intune Patch Management post for a full comparison of options (manual, Enterprise App Catalog, and automated services).
Compliance Policies & Conditional Access
Define what “compliant” means (minimum OS version, encryption, antivirus status, etc.).
Compliance by itself is just a status. Real enforcement comes when you link it to Conditional Access policies in Entra ID (e.g., “Block access to company data unless the device is compliant”).
Software Updates & Patching
Control Windows Update rings via policies. Best practice is a staged rollout: Pilot → Early Adopters → General.
Windows Autopatch (Enterprise E3+) can automate much of this ring management. See our Windows Autopatch guide.
Third-party patching remains the weak spot (see App Management section above).
Roles, Permissions & RBAC
Use Intune Administrator for most IT staff (instead of Global Admin). Create custom RBAC roles + scope tags for granular control (e.g., helpdesk can only see certain sites and trigger Sync, nothing else).
Real-World Admin Tips
- Always force a Sync before troubleshooting (saves hours).
- Use Filters instead of creating dozens of Entra groups.
- Check Audit Logs (Tenant Administration) when something mysteriously changes.
- Never deploy new policies to “All Devices” — always test in a small pilot first.
- Prefer the Settings Catalog over legacy templates.
Automating Work in the Portal
Almost everything can be done via Microsoft Graph. Common automations include bulk policy updates, compliance reporting, and forcing syncs across non-compliant devices.
The biggest time saver for most teams is automating third-party app updates so you stop manually repackaging Win32 apps every month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the URL for the Intune admin portal?
https://intune.microsoft.com (endpoint.microsoft.com still works and redirects).
Do I need Global Admin to use it?
No. The Intune Administrator role is usually sufficient and safer.
Does Intune automatically update third-party apps?
No — not for Win32 apps. See our Intune Patch Management guide for solutions.
Can I manage Macs and iPhones here?
Yes. The same portal supports Windows, macOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android, and Linux.
Still manually repackaging app updates every month? Always Up To Date automates third-party patching directly into your Intune tenant. No repackaging required.