Maintain the App

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 Google Play and the App Store.

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 can 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 Salesforce mobile app or the Experience Cloud Sites 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.

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. 

The only time you need to update your branded apps is if they require 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. When you want to edit the visual appearance of an app that’s already live on the application store, you have to create a new version of it. We cover that shortly.

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.

Let’s return to DreamHouse Realty one last time. 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.

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.

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 Google Play and the App Store. 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.