Mobile Publishing

Decision Trees and Guidance

Asset number: 0003577

Overview
The decision trees in this guide are intended to help answer the following questions
around the Mobile Publishing process:

1. Is Mobile Publishing right for me?

2. What accounts do I need to get started with Mobile Publishing for each
distribution method?
3. My Mobile Publishing build is ready! How do I test and distribute my apps?

Mobile Publishing should be purchased by customers who:

• Want to reflect their company’s branding over and above what is available
through Mobile theming

• Want their ServiceNow Mobile app to reflect their custom: icon, app name under
icon, and loading splash screen

• Have a cloud connected production instance that can receive zip attachments

• Have experience with Google Play Store/Google Firebase and Apple Business
Manager/Apple Connect/TestFlight – or are willing to learn these requisite 3rd
party systems

• See the Publishing 3rd party prerequisites

• Understand there is a 2-4 week lead time for initial builds, and are prepared to
request updated builds per each SN release for which the customer wants to
leverage new features

• Have a technologically savvy resource to request, test, approve, and update the
custom builds
• Have determined the distribution method to be used (public vs. private) prior to
form submission
• Understand that Mobile Publishing is a licensed/paid, admin-only tool

Additional resources:

• ServiceNow Community: Mobile Publishing FAQ

• ServiceNow Youtube: Mobile App Academy - Mobile Publishing v3.1 Walkthrough

• ServiceNow Store: Mobile Publishing

• Product Documentation: Request a Branded Mobile App
1. Is Mobile Publishing right for me?

Requirement
for new
mobile app

I want to
customize
the in-app
theme colors
used after
logging into
the app

Mobile Publishing

ServiceNow GA App
OR Mobile Publishing

* Mobile Publishing is
bound by GA features
Yes

Comfortable
managing build,
Private Distribution
How will I test, approval, No
distribute and upgrade
the app? processes of
Mobile Publishing
builds?
Public
Distribution via
App Store

ServiceNow GA App OR
Mobile Publishing
Yes

MDM or MAM via:

I want to
Blackberry, customize app
Which Microsoft Intune, icon, name,
MAM / MDM OR None ServiceNow GA App OR description, and s
vendor will I Mobile Publishing plash screen on
use? the home screen b
efore the app is
opened
Other MDM
provider
No

ServiceNow GA
Mobile Apps
2. What accounts do I need to get started with Mobile
Publishing for each distribution method?

Requirement
for new Mobile
Publishing app

Active No
Google
Firebase
Create account
account?

Yes

Apps
distributed Private iOS Apple No
privately? iOS or Business
Or via Android? * Manager
public app account?
stores?

Public Android Yes

Customer
proficiency No
in publishing Ready for Private
mobile apps Distribution!
to public
app stores?

Yes

Apple No
iOS Connect
iOS or
and Apple
Android? *
Developer
accounts?

Android Yes

Yes
Google Play Ready for Public
account? Distribution!

No

* If both, ensure requirements for both operating systems are satisfied

3. My Mobile Publishing build is ready! How do I test and
distribute my app?
Mobile
Publishing build
completed by
ServiceNow

Files transferred from

Configure Universal
ServiceNow to customer Customer
Links file (AASA) to enable
Approves Build
Deeplinking
Including .p12 file for Private
distribution only

Testing Add app to MDM /

Customer
Build status is Activities Tests Mobile App MAM vendor
"Ready for Testing"
*Checking for correct: Private distribution only
app name, icon, splash
screen, and colors pre-
login

Upload Android files to

Google Play: Distribute your app
Android

Operating Private: APK file (Android

system? Package File)

Public: AAB file

(Android App Bundle)
Upgrade
iOS
Every 6 – 12 months
**Add .p12 file (iOS Push
Private Certificate) to your app
Distribution
type on the
type?
push_applications
table

Public

**Create .p12 file on Apple Upload .ipa file to App

Developer account Center Connect

Download .zip file and

SN provides .zip file
generate .ipa file from
containing XCArchive file
XCArchive file

*Configurations after login screen are done on your instance and are not a requisite part of testing the branding of your app
** If using push notifications to an iOS device