What’s new for the SharePoint mobile app

[Mark Kashman]

When you have that moment, that precious one that arises and lasts mere minutes in the in-between, when you need to engage, get in and get out – the SharePoint mobile app has you covered. It is your intranet in your pocket, and we’re consistently improving the capabilities and experiences based on use and feedback.

The most current set of updates gives you access to modern technology (like SharePoint hub sites), refines the experience of team sites, keeps you informed – now on comments from news articles you’ve published – and more to keep you informed and productive on the go.

Install before you read any more, and then let’s dive into the details – maybe even try it out as you read.

Navigate SharePoint hub sites and its associated sites and content

SharePoint hub sites began release on March 21^st, and now the SharePoint app has been updated to give you full access to the hub site and all its associated sites. You now get the full cross-site navigation, along with visibility across aggregated activities, news, files and lists, and more. Hub sites help you organize. The SharePoint mobile app keeps you connected. Together, you’ll be an organized, connected mobile machine!

Clean access to the cross-site navigation of a SharePoint hub site (on the left), and after you select "Benefits" from under "Departments" to go to the Benefits site (on the right).

Enhanced access to the team site homepages

The main home page of your group-connected team site now comes through as you designed as the default landing experience. All the content, web parts, layout choices reflow now like any page or news when viewed on smaller devices. Also, in the SharePoint mobile app for Android, your activity, news, files and lists are now accessible from within a new team site navigation menu. You’ll will experience consistency between the Web and mobile, and the more fluid nature makes your content and information easier to find and work with.

A SharePoint team site home page now more closely mirrors how it appears on the Web, with news articles, Planner tasks and navigation as examples above.

Get notified when someone leaves a comment on your news article

Put your message out there and keep connected to the activity and discussion that follows in comments on your post – where the real value of engagement often happens. If you are a page or news author, you will receive a SharePoint mobile push notification when someone posts a comment or comment reply on your page. If you comment on a page, you will receive a SharePoint mobile push notification when someone posts a comment reply to you. There, too, is a new in-app setting toggle if you wish to turn off comment notifications for your device. We understand if you want to plead the 5^th – no comment(s).

You receive notifications when people you know publish news articles, and when others comment on your news, or reply to your comments.

New tab Layout for the SharePoint mobile app for Android

We heard you ‘droids, no more stretching of the thumb to tab around the SharePoint app. The Android app has a new tab layout! Find your personalized News, Sites, Links, People and Me tabs at the bottom of the screen. Easier access, fewer thumb cramps!

The tab layout for the SharePoint mobile app for Android is now at the bottom of the screen for easier access.

Quick summary of other recent SharePoint mobile app updates

The above items are the most recent additions to the SharePoint mobile apps. If you’ve been tracking release notes and new experiences through app updates, you’ll see that the team has been consistently refining user experiences and adding new capabilities.

Some of the most recent updates, by design, keep you connected to your work and your colleagues to keep everyone engaged and productive. Here is a roll up, quick-hits list across previous updates:

• Likes for news posts | You can now Like a news post or modern page from your mobile device.
• View your files fast | Open and preview your office documents quickly without leaving the SharePoint mobile app experience.
• Updated People Card on Android | Get more information on people, more quickly, including organization structure, files and emails you’ve exchanged with them.
• New calendar month view | See your SharePoint calendar list in a calendar month view. Select a day and see the list of events!
• Important stability improvements and fixes
  • Modern page scrolling is more responsive and smoother.
  • Improved search to support unlimited paging of results.
  • When a list column is deleted on the web, it's now properly reflected in the app.

BIG EVENT | SharePoint Conference North America (#SPC18) - This is a premier opportunity to hear experts from Microsoft and around the world share their experience and knowledge about a variety of topics such as cloud services, best practices & real-world project insights. We’ll be sharing some new announcements specific to SharePoint mobile app, plus a key “how to” session that covers the SharePoint mobile app experience and capabilities end-to-end. Join in: 100+ Microsoft & MVP speakers, 160+ sessions, 1 big keynote with Jeff Teper (CVP) and 1 giant SharePint.

• WHEN | May 21-23 – Las Vegas, NV
• REGISTER TODAY. [this link saves you $50 at time of registration]

We are always open to feedback via UserVoice and continued dialog in the SharePoint community in the Microsoft Tech Community —and we always have an eye on tweets to @SharePoint. Let us know.

—Mark Kashman, senior product manager for the SharePoint team

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When can I expect the new and updated SharePoint mobile app updates to reach the corresponding app stores?

A: We are targeting late-April 2018 to complete the release all the above-mentioned updates. Go to update today and update regularly.

And if you’re new to SharePoint mobile app, install it today: https://aka.ms/getspmobile; go to this page, enter your email or phone number and you are off and running.

Q: Are there updated resources on the Web that I can use to learn more about the SharePoint mobile apps?

A: Yes. Our support team regularly updates the various SharePoint mobile app pages, along with a recent webinar. All are linked here:

• SharePoint mobile app for iOS
• SharePoint mobile app for Android
• SharePoint app for Windows Mobile
• VIDEO: Stay connected with the SharePoint mobile app
• WEBINAR: SharePoint mobile app end-to-end presentation + demos
• POWERPOINT: SharePoint mobile app end-to-end

And if you made it this far, small user tip if you like to keep up with what’s new for the SharePoint mobile app – a nice in-app list of what’s new – for you. :):

• Android: from the home screen, tap the three vertical dots, click Settings, scroll down and click What’s new in the About section.
• iOS: from the home screen, tap on the Me Then, in the upper right, tap the gear icon, and select What’s new.

Stay up-to-date with what's new for your SharePoint mobile app, right within the app itself. Above shows the experience in Android.

[Steven Collier]

Great update! Any news on when we will be able to control the color selected for the Teams header, it's a complete blocker for rollout of this great app when a company homepage gains a shocking pink header for no reason.

[Benoit Fournier]

Saw @Steven Collier comment; Looked at Uservoice to see if this was logged; Found it and voted for it.

Please go vote for it because pink is not one of our brand's color either.

I also struggle with the way links are opened because of our Intune setup but I need to spend more time documenting that. In app vs Safari vs managed browser.

[René Henriksen]

Cool update! Really would like to be able to define a standard page (our own new intranet frontpage) as the site that opens up when a user clicks on the SharePoint app (and not the SharePoint Home). 

Our users look at us in disbelief when we tell them that they first reach the SharePoint Home, then they can click on intranet...

[Rob Bowman]

@Mark Kashman Great update! Currently clicking "Conversations" Opens the "Groups" app which we were told via the Office 365 Message Center was going away? Is that going to change also with this update?

[Joe McGowan]

Should Likes on a news article be available now in mobile?  I don't see the option and we are first release.  Thanks.

UPDATE: Nevermind, I'm now seeing the Like option in the SharePoint app.

[Mike Brunet]

Wondering if anyone else have (using Android SP APP) noticed that SP page (forms webpart) results in a colored block with link on mobile device. The same scenario on the SP App for iOS renders the MS form content natively showing the MS form in detail.

Thanks.

[Mark Kashman]

Hi @Benoit Fournier & @Steven Collier. The team is actively working on this one - to ensure that we load the intended theme/logo consistently across Web and mobile. Cc: @Nate Clinton. Thanks, Mark.

[Mark Kashman]

Good feedback, @René Henriksen. We'll have more to share in this space at Ignite later this year. :)

[Mark Kashman]

Hi @Rob Bowman. The Groups app is going away, and if you delete it from your device, it would default back to launching the mobile web experience for the group email inbox. Future deep linking to the right app if we again support group email from an app pov in another form.

[Mike Brunet]

Anyone have this issue on Sharepoint mobile for Android?

1)A MS forms link is embedded on a Sharepoint site but the Form image is not presented, instead there is a square solid blue image that says (Microsoft Forms followed by "Fill out the form".

This does not happen on IOS version.

2) Perhaps this is an android thing but my credentials which I say yes to many times are not kept so when you hit the MS forms link you always have to re-authenticate. Quite frustrating and not a good user experience.

Thanks.

Mike.

[Engelina Perment]

I am looking to download files from the mobile app. I can't seem to do that from iPhone.

[David Mehmed]

I'm having a major issue with the SharePoint Mobile App.  Our company has Document Libraries that use filtered views to ensure each user can only see documents under their own name.  Unfortunately, opening this library through the SharePoint app redirects to the OneDrive app, and none of those views work.  All documents are available to everyone.  This is a pretty big security risk, and I can see I'm not the only one having this problem.  Any suggestions, please?

[Karsten Mottlau]

@Steven Collierand @Benoit Fournier go check out the SharePoint app: site header is now respecting web site theme. 

[Benoit Fournier]

Thank you @Karsten Mottlau for the news. It is effective on my sites. They look much better in the color they were built for.

Keep up the good work @Mark Kashman and the team!

[Vanessa Nattrass]

We’re currently using SharePoint 2013 on-premise whilst also now developing new content in SharePoint Online.  As part of this I have developed a new Intranet homepage in SharePoint Online, we are also using hybrid search to ensure content both on-premise and online content is searchable.  Our homepage contains links that go to the following:

• SharePoint Online sites
• SharePoint 2013 on-premise sites
• External facing University website pages
• Other external sites e.g. research sites external to the organisation

When using the SharePoint App logged in with my Office 365 credentials, it would appear that only links within our SharePoint Online tenancy open successfully.  All other (external) links go to a blank page, where you can then via the menu select 'open in browser'.

I know you can log in to the App with your Office 365 credentials or on-premise credentials, but it seems that whilst logged in with your Office 365 credentials you can only open SP Online pages.

Any advice much appreciated.

Many thanks

Vanessa