As part of the Winter ’20 Release, the Salesforce Mobile App has been completely transitioned to Lightning. This change not only comes with new capabilities and functionality, but it also includes a UI update. However, the new app requires admin activation, and users will remain on the old Salesforce Mobile Web Experience until it is retired in Summer ’20. With less than a year until the automatic push, we advise familiarizing your team with the new features in the next few months. In this article, we will show you how to activate and customize the new app.
Note: In order to use the new Salesforce Mobile App, you have to be on Salesforce Lightning. If you haven’t made this transition yet, check out this series on how to start migrating.
Activating the New App
Believe it or not, downloading the app or updating your current installation will not activate the new Salesforce Mobile App. Instead, you must navigate to Setup and click on New Salesforce Mobile App QuickStart.
From there, you can follow the wizard:
- The first step involves watching a video that summarizes some of the new features.
- The second step will confirm if the prerequisites for the new app are completed. If they are not, you can click the Upgrade button.
- The third step instructs you to create a permission set for the newly added Salesforce Mobile App permission.
Once you have completed the above steps and have installed or updated the app, you will need to enable your Lightning Apps and Pages for mobile. You can click Launch the Tool to complete the necessary steps.
Once this is finished, you and your users are ready to use the new Salesforce Mobile App!
Opening the App for the First Time
Upon opening the new app, your users will be greeted by a “Get Started” button. By clicking on the button, the app will guide them through a series of pop-ups that introduce new features and navigation. Because the new app is run with Lightning, they will experience a seamless transition from desktop to mobile. This means that they will be able to see exactly the same screens on their mobile devices as their desktop computers. Additionally, with a little customization, you can choose to show and hide different components based on the user’s device.
Customizing Based on Form Factor
If you’ve clicked through some of the admin screens for the new mobile app, you’ve surely come across the phrase “form factor.” Essentially, the form factor refers to the type of device (phone, tablet, or desktop) that a user is running Salesforce on. As an admin, you can use the form factor to:
- Show different pages
- Hide or show components
- Use different templates to show data
- Preview what a screen looks like
Because different devices allow users to interact with Salesforce in different ways, it is important to customize based on form factor. For example, you can show the same data in different layouts based on whether a user is on a desktop, tablet, or phone. You can even change the layout based on whether a tablet is held vertically or horizontally!
Contact Us for Help with Customization
With the new Salesforce Mobile App, the customization possibilities are endless! However, flexibility can be dangerous if the wrong practices are implemented. If you need help with customizing the new app, Ntegro can offer some consultation. We are well-versed in different design best practices that will make your app accessible and effective. There’s a thin line between using layouts to simplify screens for easier navigation and creating too much variance that the new app becomes confusing to use. At Ntegro, we can help you find the best ways to leverage this new mobile application. Contact us online today for a free consultation.
