In Device Management – Azure AD Registering blogpost, I had covered the basics of Azure AD device management and registering feature of Azure AD. Azure AD registering device feature allow administrators to control the access for devices, which are leveraging corporate network and resources. Azure AD join is an extension of registering a device to Azure AD. It provides all the features that are part of the registering device, in addition to that Azure AD join changes the local state of the device. This change in the local state of the device allows users to logon to a device using the organizational account instead of personal account.

Azure AD join feature is extensively beneficial for small-to-medium organizations, who don’t have corporate/on-premises Active Directory and still want to provide almost same experience and control to the employees. However, organization using Hybrid AD can also leverage the benefit of Azure AD join for windows 10 and as well as for down-level devices such as Windows 8 and Windows 7.

Note: This feature doesn’t work with Windows 10 Home edition.

Below are the following benefits that can be provided by implementing Azure AD:

• Users will experience single-sign-on while accessing Azure managed SaaS apps and services. It is kind of similar experience that you recognize while using windows server Active Directory joined machines.
• Provides roaming profile settings at enterprise level across AAD join devices even though users are not in the corporate network.
• Users can choose application from the inventory prearranged by the organization.
• Windows Hello support.
• Allows administrators to set restriction policy for apps so that apps can be access only from the devices that meet compliance policies.

Let see how to join Windows 10 device to Azure AD.

Go to your windows 10 system and go to the settings. In settings panel, select Accounts.

Go to “Access work or school” and select “+Connect”.

To join this device to the domain, select “Join this device to Azure Active Directory”.

Enter you Azure AD account in UPN format.

In the password page, enter your password.

It will few seconds to join your device.

Read the message carefully and Select “Join” to continue.

Once you are done will get the following message, click on Done to finish.

Under “Access work or school” in settings, you can see that your device is connected to Azure AD.

Now, you will be able to see your Azure AD join device in “Devices -All devices” panel of Azure Active Directory.

Hope, it helped you.