Mobile Strategy

Mobile architecture on the Salesforce platform involves choosing from a spectrum of options — from zero-code native mobile app configuration to fully custom SDK-built applications. The right choice depends on user personas, offline requirements, branding needs, and the complexity of mobile workflows.

Mobile Solution Spectrum

flowchart LR
    A[Less Custom<br/>Lower Cost] --> B[Salesforce<br/>Mobile App]
    B --> C[Mobile<br/>Publisher]
    C --> D[PWA on<br/>Experience Cloud]
    D --> E[Mobile SDK<br/>Hybrid]
    E --> F[Mobile SDK<br/>Native]
    F --> G[More Custom<br/>Higher Cost]

    style A fill:#2d6a4f,color:#fff
    style G fill:#9d0208,color:#fff

Mobile Architecture Comparison

The following diagram shows how each mobile option relates to the Salesforce platform and what architectural layers are involved.

flowchart TD
    subgraph SF["Salesforce Platform"]
        API["REST / SOAP APIs"]
        DATA["Salesforce Data"]
        AUTH["OAuth 2.0"]
    end

    subgraph SMA["Salesforce Mobile App"]
        SMA1["Pre-built UI"]
        SMA2["Briefcase<br/>(Offline)"]
    end

    subgraph PUB["Mobile Publisher"]
        PUB1["Custom Branding<br/>(Icon, Splash, Colors)"]
        PUB2["Same functionality<br/>as SF Mobile"]
    end

    subgraph PWA2["PWA (Experience Cloud)"]
        PWA1["Browser-based"]
        PWA2A["Service Worker<br/>(Caching)"]
    end

    subgraph SDK["Mobile SDK"]
        SDK1["Custom Native UI<br/>(Swift / Kotlin)"]
        SDK2["SmartStore<br/>(Encrypted SQLite)"]
        SDK3["MobileSync<br/>(Bidirectional Sync)"]
    end

    SMA1 --> AUTH
    SMA2 --> DATA
    PUB1 --> SMA1
    PWA1 --> API
    SDK1 --> AUTH
    SDK2 --> SDK3
    SDK3 --> API

    style SF fill:#264653,color:#fff
    style SMA fill:#2d6a4f,color:#fff
    style PUB fill:#457b9d,color:#fff
    style PWA2 fill:#457b9d,color:#fff
    style SDK fill:#9d0208,color:#fff

Salesforce Mobile App

The standard Salesforce mobile app (available on iOS and Android) provides access to most Salesforce functionality with zero custom development.

Capabilities

Feature	Support Level
Standard objects (Accounts, Cases, etc.)	Full
Custom objects	Full
Lightning pages	Full (mobile-optimized)
Global Actions	Full
In-app notifications	Full
Approval workflows	Full
Reports & Dashboards	Limited (basic support)
Flows (screen flows)	Full
Einstein features	Limited
Offline access	Limited (Briefcase)
Chatter	Full

Limitations

• Cannot customize the app icon, splash screen, or branding
• Limited offline capabilities (Briefcase is relatively new and has constraints)
• No custom native device integration (camera beyond standard, Bluetooth, NFC)
• App store presence is Salesforce’s, not the customer’s
• Tab bar and navigation are configurable but within constraints

When the standard app is enough

For internal users who primarily create/view records, run approvals, and collaborate via Chatter, the standard Salesforce Mobile App is almost always sufficient. Do not over-engineer a mobile strategy when the free option meets requirements.

Mobile Publisher

Mobile Publisher allows organizations to create a branded version of the Salesforce Mobile App or Experience Cloud site, published under the organization’s name in app stores.

What Mobile Publisher Provides

Feature	Salesforce Mobile Publisher	Experience Cloud Publisher
Custom branding	App icon, splash screen, colors	Full site branding
App store presence	Organization’s own listing	Organization’s own listing
Push notifications	Yes	Yes
Biometric login	Yes	Yes
Deep linking	Yes	Yes
Offline	Same as Salesforce Mobile	PWA caching only
Custom native code	No	No

When to Choose Mobile Publisher

• The organization requires its own branded presence in app stores
• Standard Salesforce Mobile functionality is sufficient
• No need for custom native device integration
• Want to avoid the cost and maintenance of a custom mobile app

Mobile Publisher misconception

Mobile Publisher does not add functionality to the Salesforce Mobile App. It wraps the same experience with custom branding. If the standard app cannot do something, Mobile Publisher cannot either. It is a branding solution, not a functionality solution.

Progressive Web App (PWA)

Experience Cloud sites can function as PWAs, providing app-like experiences through the browser with some offline capability.

PWA Characteristics

Aspect	PWA Capability
Installation	Add to home screen (no app store)
Offline	Service worker caching (limited)
Push notifications	Yes (browser-based)
Device APIs	Limited (camera, geolocation via browser)
Update mechanism	Automatic (no app store review)
Cost	Included with Experience Cloud license
Performance	Depends on browser and network

When PWA Makes Sense

• External users who should not install a native app
• Rapid deployment needs (no app store review cycle)
• Content-heavy portals where offline is nice-to-have but not critical
• Budget constraints that prevent custom mobile development

When PWA Falls Short

• Complex offline workflows with data sync
• Heavy native device integration (Bluetooth, NFC, ARKit)
• Performance-critical applications (complex animations, real-time data)
• iOS limitations (Apple restricts some PWA capabilities)

Mobile SDK

The Salesforce Mobile SDK provides native iOS (Swift/Objective-C) and Android (Kotlin/Java) frameworks, plus hybrid (React Native, Cordova) options for building fully custom mobile apps that connect to Salesforce.

SDK Options

SDK Type	Language	Use Case
iOS Native	Swift / Objective-C	Full native iOS experience
Android Native	Kotlin / Java	Full native Android experience
React Native	JavaScript / TypeScript	Cross-platform with native feel
Hybrid (Cordova)	HTML / JavaScript	Web skills, deployed as native

What Mobile SDK Enables

• Complete UI/UX control (no Salesforce chrome)
• Full native device integration (camera, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, sensors)
• Complex offline with SmartStore (encrypted local SQLite database)
• MobileSync (formerly SmartSync) for bidirectional data synchronization
• Custom authentication flows
• Background processing and services

Mobile SDK Architecture

flowchart TD
    A[Custom Mobile App] --> B[Mobile SDK Layer]
    B --> C[OAuth 2.0<br/>Authentication]
    B --> D[SmartStore<br/>Local Storage]
    B --> E[MobileSync<br/>Data Sync]
    B --> F[REST/SOAP<br/>API Layer]

    C --> G[Salesforce Platform]
    E --> G
    F --> G

    D -->|"Offline queue"| E

    subgraph Device
        A
        B
        C
        D
        E
        F
    end

    subgraph Cloud
        G
    end

SDK cost and complexity

Mobile SDK means you are building and maintaining a custom mobile application. This requires mobile developers, QA testing on multiple devices and OS versions, app store submissions, ongoing maintenance for OS updates, and a separate release cycle. Budget 2-4x the initial development cost for ongoing maintenance over 3 years.

Mobile Decision Flowchart

flowchart TD
    A[Mobile Requirement] --> B{Who are<br/>the users?}

    B -->|Internal employees| C{Need custom<br/>branding?}
    B -->|External customers/partners| D{Need native<br/>app capabilities?}

    C -->|No| E{Standard SF<br/>mobile sufficient?}
    C -->|Yes| F[Mobile Publisher<br/>for Salesforce]

    E -->|Yes| G[Salesforce Mobile App]
    E -->|No| H{What is missing?}

    H -->|Offline with sync| I[Mobile SDK]
    H -->|Custom device integration| I
    H -->|Complete UI control| I

    D -->|No| J{Need app<br/>store presence?}
    D -->|Yes| K{Complex offline<br/>or device access?}

    J -->|No| L[PWA on<br/>Experience Cloud]
    J -->|Yes| M[Mobile Publisher<br/>for Experience Cloud]

    K -->|Yes| I
    K -->|No, just branding| M

    style G fill:#2d6a4f,color:#fff
    style F fill:#457b9d,color:#fff
    style L fill:#457b9d,color:#fff
    style M fill:#457b9d,color:#fff
    style I fill:#9d0208,color:#fff

Offline Capabilities

Offline access is often the deciding factor in mobile strategy selection. Salesforce offers different levels of offline support across its mobile options.

Briefcase Configuration (Salesforce Mobile App)

Briefcase is a declarative offline feature for the Salesforce Mobile App that allows admins to define which records are available offline.

Aspect	Detail
Configuration	Declarative (Setup > Briefcase Builder)
Record selection	Filter-based rules per object
Record limit	Up to 2,000 records per object rule; 50,000 records total per org across all briefcases
Supported actions	View, create, edit records offline
Sync behavior	Automatic sync when connectivity resumes
Conflict resolution	Last-write-wins (server wins)
Relationships	Primes related records based on rules

Briefcase maturity

Briefcase is still evolving. As of recent releases, it supports basic CRUD offline but may not support complex workflows, approvals, or cross-object automation offline. Always validate current capabilities against the specific offline requirements.

SmartStore (Mobile SDK)

SmartStore is an encrypted SQLite-based local database available through the Mobile SDK.

Aspect	Detail
Storage	Encrypted SQLite on device
Capacity	Device storage limited
Querying	SmartSQL (SQL-like syntax)
Data model	Flexible “soups” (like collections)
Encryption	AES-256 by default
Sync	MobileSync framework for bidirectional sync
Conflict resolution	Configurable (last-write-wins, merge, or custom)

Offline Architecture — Briefcase vs SmartStore

flowchart TD
    subgraph BC["Briefcase (Salesforce Mobile App)"]
        direction TB
        BC1["Admin defines<br/>Briefcase rules<br/>(declarative)"]
        BC2["Record filter<br/>criteria<br/>(up to 50K records)"]
        BC3["Platform-managed<br/>offline cache"]
        BC4["Auto-sync on<br/>reconnect<br/>(server wins)"]

        BC1 --> BC2 --> BC3 --> BC4
    end

    subgraph SS["SmartStore + MobileSync (Mobile SDK)"]
        direction TB
        SS1["Developer defines<br/>soups (tables)<br/>(code-based)"]
        SS2["Custom queries<br/>via SmartSQL<br/>(device storage limit)"]
        SS3["AES-256 encrypted<br/>SQLite database"]
        SS4["Configurable sync<br/>+ conflict resolution<br/>(custom merge logic)"]

        SS1 --> SS2 --> SS3 --> SS4
    end

    BC4 --> SFP["Salesforce Platform"]
    SS4 --> SFP

    style BC fill:#2d6a4f,color:#fff
    style SS fill:#9d0208,color:#fff
    style SFP fill:#264653,color:#fff

Offline Comparison

Capability	Briefcase	SmartStore + MobileSync
Setup complexity	Low (declarative)	High (custom development)
Conflict resolution	Basic (server wins)	Configurable (last-write-wins, merge, or custom)
Custom logic offline	No	Yes (native code runs on device)
Record limits	50K per briefcase	Limited by device storage
Encryption	Platform encryption	AES-256 (SqlCipher)
Data model	Salesforce objects and fields	Custom soups (flexible schema)
Query capability	Limited (what Briefcase primes)	Full SmartSQL (SQL-like syntax)
Maintenance	Low (admin-managed)	High (requires mobile dev team)

MDM Integration

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is relevant when devices are corporate-managed.

Key MDM Considerations

• App distribution: Enterprise app distribution bypasses public app stores (relevant for Mobile SDK and Mobile Publisher apps)
• VPN and network: MDM can enforce VPN for Salesforce API calls, adding latency
• App configuration: MDM-managed configurations can pre-populate login URLs and settings
• Data loss prevention: MDM policies may restrict copy/paste, screenshots, or data sharing between apps
• Compliance: MDM ensures device encryption, passcode policies, and remote wipe capability

CTA exam relevance

On the CTA exam, MDM is typically mentioned in scenarios involving regulated industries (healthcare, financial services) or government. When you see “corporate-managed devices” or “BYOD policy,” include MDM considerations in your mobile architecture.

Field Service Mobile

Salesforce Field Service has its own mobile app with unique capabilities designed for technicians and field workers.

Field Service Mobile Features

Feature	Detail
Offline work orders	Full offline CRUD for work orders and service appointments
Knowledge offline	Access knowledge articles without connectivity
Inventory management	Track parts and van stock
Signature capture	Collect customer signatures on device
Geolocation	GPS tracking and route optimization
Push notifications	Dispatch alerts and schedule changes
Custom flows	Screen flows embedded in mobile experience
Barcode scanning	Asset and inventory scanning

Field Service vs standard mobile

Field Service Mobile is a separate app from the Salesforce Mobile App. It is purpose-built for field technicians and has significantly better offline capabilities than Briefcase. If the scenario involves field workers, always consider Field Service Mobile rather than trying to build offline into the standard mobile app.

Push Notifications

Method	Supported On	Configuration
In-app notifications	Salesforce Mobile App	Custom notifications (Flow, Apex)
Push (FCM/APNs)	Mobile Publisher, Mobile SDK	Connected App + notification service
SMS	Any device	Salesforce SMS via Messaging
Email-to-mobile	Any device	Standard email with mobile-optimized templates

Mobile UX Considerations

Design Principles

• Mobile-first pages: Use Dynamic Forms and mobile-optimized page layouts
• Compact layouts: Configure compact layouts for record highlights on mobile
• Global actions: Use global quick actions for common mobile tasks (log a call, create a task)
• Object-specific actions: Surface the most common actions prominently
• Navigation: Limit the mobile navigation menu to essential items (unlike desktop, mobile users have less patience for browsing)
• Search: Optimize global search configuration for mobile use cases

Performance Considerations

• Lightning page load: Complex Lightning pages with many components load slowly on mobile
• API calls: Mobile apps on cellular networks have higher latency — minimize API round-trips
• Image optimization: Compress images displayed on mobile (Salesforce Files can serve different sizes)
• Data volume: Avoid list views or related lists with thousands of records on mobile

Related Topics

• Decision Guides — Mobile strategy decision flowcharts
• Trade-Offs — Native vs hybrid vs PWA trade-off analysis
• Licensing — Mobile solutions may require additional licenses
• Platform Capabilities — Governor limits affecting mobile API usage
• Security — Mobile security, authentication, and MDM integration

Sources

• Salesforce Help: Salesforce Mobile App
• Salesforce Help: Mobile Publisher
• Salesforce Help: Briefcase Builder
• Salesforce Developers: Mobile SDK
• Salesforce Help: Field Service Mobile
• Salesforce Architects: Mobile Architecture
• Salesforce Developers: SmartStore and MobileSync