Maintain the App

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Explain why a branded app can require updating.
Create a new version of a branded app.

Change Is Inevitable

Here at Salesforce, we’re always making improvements to our products, and we’re sure your organization experiences change, as well. So it’s inevitable that your branded apps require updates and maintenance over time.

In this unit, we discuss the different types of maintenance you can encounter in the future. And we show you how to make changes to your apps after they’re live in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Types of Maintenance

When it comes to Mobile Publisher, there are two types of maintenance: updates that Salesforce initiates and updates that your organization initiates. Let’s go over both kinds so you understand why they may be necessary.

Salesforce-Initiated Updates

There are a few reasons why Salesforce might need to update your app. Here are the most common ones.

Salesforce releases a new version of the Experience Cloud sites app or the Salesforce mobile app.
Apple or Google makes a change to their app submission form. If this happens, Salesforce updates the Mobile Publisher form to reflect that change and then rolls out a release.

Tip

To stay up to date with the latest Mobile Publisher for Experience Cloud app release notes, make sure to follow #Mobile Publisher on Trailblazer Community!

Depending on the nature of the update, we might need to resubmit your app to Google and Apple. But don’t worry. If we need to update your apps for any reason, we send you an email in advance and provide plenty of information and instructions.

Your Updates

You can decide to update your branded app if it requires a facelift. For example, if you change your company’s logo or name. Or if the design of your app icon gets a bit stale, and you decide it’s time for a fresh new look. You can also decide to update your branded app when there’s a new Mobile Publisher feature that you want to incorporate, and you enable the feature in Setup for Mobile Publisher. These examples require changes to the information in your app’s Setup for Mobile Publisher project, which means you need to create a new version of your app. We cover that shortly.

Managed Package Maintenance

Perhaps you’re wondering whether updates to your app require the installation of a new managed package. Great question! And the answer is: Sometimes. Here are the two main reasons to upgrade the package.

Salesforce makes an improvement to a component included in the managed package, like push notifications.
You update the connected app name or connected app icon of your branded app, which are part of the managed package.

In either case, Salesforce automatically creates a new managed package and sends you an email notifying you to upgrade. Be sure to install the new package in each org where the app needs to run—for example, in both sandbox and production.

When Salesforce releases a new version of the Experience Cloud sites app, we also update the Publisher Playground app to the new version with the latest and greatest features. If you use Mobile Publisher for Experience Cloud, be sure to install the latest managed packages for the Publisher Playground app when there’s a new app version. You can always download the latest packages from Get Started with the Playground App.

Create a New Version of an App

Let’s return to DreamHouse Realty. The DreamHouse iOS app has been available in the App Store for about 6 months, and the CEO decides to update the app icon so it aligns with the company’s new brand guidelines. The designer is done creating the new icon, so let’s help D’Angelo create a new version of the iOS app in Salesforce.

From Setup, enter Mobile Publisher in the Quick Find box, then select Mobile Publisher.
Click Continue next to the listing for the iOS app.
Click Create New Version. Salesforce creates a new draft of the app and copies over the existing information and assets to the new draft version.
Update the necessary fields or upload revised branded assets.
Click Submit.

D’Angelo follows the same process as before. He requests a beta of the app and makes sure the DreamHouse beta tester thoroughly reviews the updates. Then he approves the app and waits for Salesforce to notify him that Apple published it.

The Path to Mobile Transformation

Developing enterprise mobile apps can be tricky, but Mobile Publisher is the secret ingredient in your organization’s mobile strategy. With a little help from Salesforce, you released your very own app in the Apple App Store and Google Play. And now that you can put a branded app into the hands of every single employee and partner, your organization is well on its way to unlocking the transformative power of mobility.

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