Not able to add work notes in mobile app for custom table

[mansigoel]

Hello,

I have added the "updates" activity stream in mobile app for custom table, but it is showing blank like in this web screen I pasted "Add comment" is visible but not visible in my mobile app.

In the web version for this table we have enabled work notes and not additional comments.

[Abhishek Pal · Accepted solution]

Hi @mansigoel ,

Based on your screenshots, I would check the custom table configuration rather than creating a custom mobile action.

The Mobile Activity Stream supports Work Notes, Additional Comments and attachments, but for custom tables there are a few specific requirements.

1. First check whether your custom table extends Task

If your custom table extends:

Task [task]

do not create separate fields such as:

u_work_notes
u_comments

Use the inherited OOB fields:

work_notes
comments

If the custom table does NOT extend Task, create Journal Input fields for the activity stream.

For Mobile Activity Stream, there is an important known requirement for standalone custom tables:

Work Notes element:
work_notes

Additional Comments element:
comments

Type:
Journal Input

A field named:

u_work_notes

or:

u_comments

may work on the normal web form/activity formatter but may not be recognized correctly by the Mobile Activity Stream component.

There is an accepted ServiceNow Community solution for this exact custom-table/mobile scenario where using:

comments
work_notes

as the actual column names resolved the issue.

2. Correct the Mobile App Builder configuration

Navigate to:

System Mobile
-> Mobile App Builder
-> Customer Service Mobile
-> Your Record Screen
-> Updates / Activity Stream

Verify:

Table:
<your exact custom table>

This is very important.

ServiceNow documentation states that the Table configured on the Activity Stream must match the table configured on the parent Record Screen.

If, for example:

Record Screen table =
x_company_custom_case

but:

Activity Stream table =
task

the Activity Stream can appear blank.

3. Configure only the journal fields you actually use

From your screenshot you currently have:

Show "Work note" button = ON
Show "Additional comment" button = ON
Show "Attachment" button = ON

But you mentioned that your web table uses Work Notes and NOT Additional Comments.

Therefore I would configure:

Show "Work note" button = ON
Show "Additional comment" button = OFF
Show "Attachment" button = ON

Turning on "Additional comment" in Mobile App Builder does NOT create an Additional Comments journal field on the underlying table.

It only controls whether the button is displayed.

4. Verify Application Access on the custom table

Open:

sys_db_object.list
-> Your custom table
-> Application Access

If Customer Service Mobile and your table are in different application scopes, verify:

Accessible from:
All application scopes

Can read:
True

Can update:
True

This is particularly important for Mobile Activity Stream.

There is a ServiceNow Community solution for the same scenario where the normal custom-table form worked, but Mobile Activity Stream failed because the table did not allow cross-scope read/update access.

Do not enable Create/Delete/Web Service access unless your application actually requires it.

5. Verify ACLs

Impersonate the same mobile user and verify that the user can:

Read:
<custom_table>

Write:
<custom_table>

Write:
<custom_table>.work_notes

If your table uses inherited Task Work Notes, also verify the applicable inherited ACLs.

Since you said Work Notes works in the web UI for the same user, ACLs may already be correct, but it is still worth checking after Application Access.

6. Do not focus on Audit first

For this specific issue, I would not make Audit the first fix.

ServiceNow's current documentation confirms that Journal Input fields are stored/displayed as journal activity independently of whether table auditing is enabled.

Audit becomes important when you also expect normal field changes to appear in the Activity Stream.

Your immediate issue is:

Work Notes input
-> Mobile Activity Stream

so first verify:

Correct journal field name
+
Correct Activity Stream table
+
Application Access
+
ACL

7. Save the Mobile App Builder changes

After changing the Activity Stream configuration, make sure you click:

Save

in Mobile App Builder.

Then reopen/refresh the Customer Service Mobile application and test with an existing record.

Recommended troubleshooting order:

Custom table
-> Does it extend Task?

If YES:
-> Use inherited work_notes/comments

If NO:
-> Journal Input field named work_notes
-> comments only if required

Then:

Mobile Record Screen table
=
Activity Stream table

Then:

Application Access
-> Can Read + Can Update

Then:

ACLs
-> table write + work_notes write

Then retest the mobile app.

Based on your screenshot, the first things I would verify are:

1. What is the actual backend name of your Work Notes field?

It should ideally be:

work_notes

not:

u_work_notes

for a standalone custom-table Mobile Activity Stream.

2. Does the Updates Activity Stream "Table" exactly match the parent Record Screen table?

3. Since you do not use Additional Comments, disable:

Show "Additional comment" button

I would not clone or customize the OOB Customer Service Mobile Activity Stream component for this requirement.

Official ServiceNow documentation:

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/mobile/configure-activity-stream.html

ServiceNow Community - custom table Activity Stream solution:

https://www.servicenow.com/community/mobile-apps-platform-forum/how-to-add-the-activity-stream-for-c...

Related accepted ServiceNow Community example:

https://www.servicenow.com/community/mobile-apps-platform-forum/cannot-add-comments-for-activity-str...

Hope this helps!

If this response helped, please mark it as Helpful.
If it resolves your issue, please Accept it as Solution.

Kind Regards,
Abhishek Pal

[mansigoel]

Hello @Abhishek Pal 

Thanks for replying. I found out that the backend names in my tables are - u_additional_comments , worknotes
I think that is the reason it is not able to pick those. What next step should I do in this case?

[Abhishek Pal]

Hi @mansigoel ,

Thanks for checking the backend names. This is an important finding.

You currently have:

Additional Comments:
u_additional_comments

Work Notes:
worknotes

For the OOB Mobile Activity Stream on a standalone custom table, those names are likely the reason the Work Note/Additional Comment controls are not being picked up correctly.

The expected journal field names are:

Additional Comments -> comments
Work Notes          -> work_notes

Both should be Journal Input fields. A matching ServiceNow Community solution specifically confirms that differently named fields are typically not detected by the Mobile Activity Stream.

Next step

First determine whether your custom table extends Task [task].

If your custom table extends Task

Do not create new custom Work Notes/Comments fields.

Use the inherited OOB fields:

work_notes
comments

Your existing fields:

worknotes
u_additional_comments

would then effectively be custom duplicate journal fields and should not be used by the OOB Mobile Activity Stream.

Add/use the inherited work_notes field on the form and retest Mobile.

If your custom table does NOT extend Task

In sub-production, create a new field:

Label: Work notes
Column name: work_notes
Type: Journal Input

Since you mentioned that you do not require Additional Comments, I would initially create only work_notes.

In Mobile App Builder configure:

Show "Work note" button = ON

Show "Additional comment" button = OFF

Show "Attachment" button = ON

ServiceNow's Australia documentation confirms that these switches independently control the Work Note, Additional Comment, and Attachment controls.

Also verify:

Activity Stream Table
=
Parent Record Screen Table

ServiceNow requires these tables to match.

Important if ServiceNow automatically adds u_

If you try to create:

work_notes

but ServiceNow automatically changes it to:

u_work_notes

check the application scope of your custom table.

A matching ServiceNow Community accepted solution found that this occurs with Global-scope custom fields. They resolved the custom-table Activity Stream problem by using a scoped application where the required work_notes/comments field names could be created.

I would not manually manipulate sys_dictionary just to remove the u_ prefix.

Application Access

After creating/using the correct journal field, open:

System Definition
-> Tables
-> <Your Custom Table>
-> Application Access

Verify:

Can read   = true
Can update = true

This was also required in the matching Mobile Activity Stream custom-table solution.

Then verify the mobile user's ACLs:

<custom_table>.read
<custom_table>.write
<custom_table>.work_notes.write

Do not rename the existing field directly in production

I would not simply rename:

worknotes

to:

work_notes

on an existing production field.

Journal entries are existing platform data, so first validate the new work_notes field in sub-production.

Recommended test:

Create/Use work_notes
-> Journal Input
-> Add it to the custom table/form
-> Application Access = Read + Update
-> Work Note button ON in Mobile App Builder
-> Additional Comment button OFF
-> Save
-> Open an existing test record in mobile
-> Add Work Note
-> Verify it appears in Activity Stream

If this works, then you can separately plan what to do with historical entries currently stored against the old worknotes field. I would not directly modify journal records until the supported mobile configuration is confirmed.

So yes, I believe you have now found the main issue:

Current:
worknotes
u_additional_comments

Expected by OOB Activity Stream:
work_notes
comments

Since you only require Work Notes, I would start by fixing/testing work_notes first.

ServiceNow references:

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/mobile/configure-activity-stream.html

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration/table-administration-and-data-management/r...

Related ServiceNow Community solution:

https://www.servicenow.com/community/mobile-apps-platform-forum/how-to-add-the-activity-stream-for-c...

There is also another recent Community implementation confirming that custom Activity Streams work correctly after creating Journal Input fields with the OOB names comments and work_notes.

Hope this helps!

Please test the work_notes field first and let us know the result.

If this response helped, please mark it as Helpful.
If it resolves the issue, please Accept it as Solution.

Kind Regards,
Abhishek Pal

[mansigoel]

Hello,

since i added work_notes and kept my old field too i.e worknotes for reporting purpose now in activity section the work notes is displayed two times, is there any way to configure this?