Updated · Originally published
The value of a mobile app is being able to use it to find information quickly. Here are a few tips on the set up and navigation of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Mobile App that your team will appreciate.
First, download the Dynamics 365 for Phones from Playstore.
- Enter the CRM URL. Always enter the URL preceded by a https//. Downloading the customizations would take 2-3 minutes depending on the internet speed.
- Each time you login, the latest customizations are fetched from the server. You will not see a black screen unless any new published customizations have been made available by the server but in case of a first time login, the screen would emerge.
Navigation
The navigation of the Dynamics CRM Mobile App is simple and only those entities will be made visible which have been enabled for mobile. But be aware, they are displayed in alphabetical order and the order can NOT be changed! If you are offline, a red bar emerges across the entity list which tells that your internet connection is lost. This is also the time when you can actually see which entities are offline supported. Each entity that is available offline will have either a green (or red) bar at the side of their icon. With a red bar suggesting that the data might not be synchronized.
There are four items available
- Top Right Corner: List of records
- Search: To do a quick search
- Home: Takes you to the Home screen
- Back: Takes you to the previous screen
Search a record
- Click on the ‘search’ button at the top and enter the text required for the search.
Mobile Themes
- The Mobile App theme and web client theme would remain in sync.
Home Page Navigation Tip
The Home screen is the place where you can find your pinned records, views, and dashboards on the left side of the screen. One helpful hint is that you can pin your frequently visited records or views on the Home screen. For example, pin your ‘Key Account’, which saves you from searching for it again.
Comparison of Dynamics 365 Desktop vs Mobile App
There are times when you will want to compare what you see in the mobile app versus the Desktop version. To simulate the Dynamics 365 app on a desktop, use this format in the URL -
https://orgname.crm.dynamics.com/nga/main.htm?org=orgname&server=https://orgname.crm.dynamics.com.
This becomes quite useful as you do not need to open the app and download customizations, although the process will be the same.
Layout for Tabs
Dynamics 365 for tablets takes many of the Main form elements and presents them in a way that is optimized for tablets.
Enabling Tabs for the Mobile App
Tabs can be made available on the phone device; we just need to visit Tab Properties and enable it through a checkbox in the Tab properties. Similarly, each field on the form can be made available on the Phone.
Relationships
- If an entity relationship is configured to appear in the Navigation area within the form customization, and the entity is enabled for Dynamics 365 for tablets, the entity relationship will appear in the Relationships section.
- The Connections relationship tile is not displayed in Dynamics 365 for tablets.
Configuring Entities and Forms
If you need an entity to be read only on the mobile app, select ‘Read only in mobile’. If you want this entity to be available as an offline feature, select ‘Enable for mobile offline’.
The read-only mode will only allow users to view records of the entity. The settings can be turned on or off per your requirements.
Mobile Forms
- Forms in Dynamics 365 for Phones are based on the development principle of “Design once and deploy across clients.” Entity behavior and business processes in Dynamics 365 for Phones form function similarly to forms in the web application, but with a flow tailored for a tablet.
- In Microsoft Dynamics 365 (online & on-premises) or later, you can preview how forms look on tablets and phones when you customize them in the web app.
- Forms in Dynamics 365 for phones use the Main form type.
- Entity behavior and business processes in Dynamics 365 for phones forms function similarly to forms in the web application, but with a flow tailored for a phone.
For more on this topic read our post: 10 Techy Tips Your Team Will Want to Know About Dynamics 365 Mobile Application for Phones & Tablets
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By Ryan Plourde, ForgeXRM,
Hi,
I have an query
Xrm.Page.data.process.getActiveStage()
Xrm.Page.data.process.getSelectedStage()
The above code is working fine in web client but not in mobile client.
Can you please help out why it is not and what change of code need to be done?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the comment. This post was more focused on usability rather than development. This would be a good question for your Dynamics 365 support team. Or perhaps in a more technical forum.
Hi guys, thanks or such detailed post.
A question: are u sure about the follow statement?
"But be aware, they are displayed in alphabetical order and the order can NOT be changed!"
According to my little experience and the follow article the order is set based on the site map but no groups and duplication.
Can u double check on this?
Thank you for the comment. It is correct that the nav bar follows the order in the site map. Right in line with Microsoft’s develop once and deploy across devices….finally!