---
sourceDocument: Australia Mobile Configuration and Navigation
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/mobile
Release :
- australia
ft:locale :
- en-US
ft:publication_title :
- Australia Mobile Configuration and Navigation
ft:clusterId :
- mobile
bundleId :
- mobile
workflow :
- Development, Data and Analytics
---
# Mobile properties
# Mobile properties {#ariaid-title1}
Release version: Australia
Updated March 12, 2026
 2 minutes to read
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## Summary of Mobile properties
Mobile properties in ServiceNow enable administrators to toggle features in mobile apps without needing to upgrade the entire ServiceNow instance.
These properties act as key/value flags configured in thesyssgpropertiestable, controlling feature availability on mobile client apps.
The ServiceNow server sends these properties to mobile apps after user authentication.
Mobile properties have been available since the San Diego release and support feature management across app updates delivered monthly through app stores.
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## Application Scope and Precedence
When creating a mobile property, you assign it to a specific application scope. The system resolves conflicts when multiple properties with the same name exist by applying precedence rules:
* **Global application scope** properties always take precedence over scoped properties.
* If no global scope property exists, the **most recently updated property** among application scopes is used.
This ensures predictable behavior in how feature flags apply across different app modules.
## Key Mobile Properties and Their Uses
* **clientRefresh:** Enables or disables automatic refreshing of mobile apps and can adjust the refresh scope.
* **sncexternal role attachments:** Allows external users assigned this role to view, upload, and download attachments.
* **ShowDateTimeInUTC:** Controls whether date/time fields show in the user's device time zone (default) or UTC.
* **useDeviceSettingsForDateTimeFormats:** Configures mobile apps to match the device's date/time format.
* **mobileCardsShowSeconds, recordScreenDetailsShowSeconds, activityStreamShowSeconds:** Hide seconds in date/time fields across various app views.
* **Extend embedded web sessions:** Keeps mobile users logged in until OAuth token expiration.
* **EnableCameraFocusEnhancement, EnableMaxCameraResolution:** Enhance barcode scanning on Android devices.
* **externalScanEnabled:** Allows barcode scanning with external scanners alongside device camera usage.
* **Role-based attachment capabilities:** Configure different sharing, downloading, or viewing permissions on Android devices based on user roles.
* **preventAppKillOnAuth:** Prevents Android devices from killing the app during authentication, improving login experience.
* **Zero Trust Access banner:** Option to disable the banner displayed when Zero Trust Access is enabled.
* **PINIdleTimeout:** Defines PIN timeout durations to enhance security by requiring re-entry after inactivity.
* **AsyncAttachmentsUploadEnabled:** Enables asynchronous (background) attachment uploads for smoother user experience.
* **ottoOnboardingModalEnabled:** Toggles the Otto onboarding modal on or off in the mobile app.
* **Voice to form:** Enables or disables voice-to-form input functionality in the mobile app.
## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
By leveraging mobile properties, ServiceNow customers can flexibly manage mobile app features without waiting for instance upgrades. This enables rapid deployment of new capabilities or fixes, improved user experience through customization (such as date/time display preferences and enhanced barcode scanning), and better security controls like PIN timeout settings. Role-based attachment management and extended session handling further ensure secure and tailored mobile interactions. Overall, mobile properties empower administrators to efficiently control and optimize mobile app behavior aligned with business needs.
Mobile properties enable admins to turn on or turn off features in ServiceNow apps without upgrading the ServiceNow
instance.
The ServiceNow Platform server controls the features that are available
on your mobile app. The server instance is released with new features for every family release.
New versions of the mobile apps are released to the Apple Store and the Google Play Store every month. These monthly releases of mobile apps usually contain
bug fixes but can also contain new features. These new features can be turned on or off with
mobile properties.
Mobile properties can be configured to set flags on your ServiceNow
instance. These "flags" are records structured as key/value pairs in the sys_sg_properties table.
They can turn on or turn off features on your mobile client apps. The ServiceNow instance sends the mobile property to mobile client apps after
authentication.
Mobile properties are available starting with the San Diego release.
## Application scope and mobile properties {#mobile-properties__section_oq2_m4g_vrb}
When you create a mobile property, you select the application scope for which the property is
available in the Mobile Properties New record form. To change the list of available application
scopes, select the globe icon (![Globe icon.]()) on the instance banner and then select Application scope:application_scope.
## Application scope precedence {#mobile-properties__section_bvq_w4g_vrb}
When multiple mobile properties of the same name are defined for multiple application scopes,
the system applies precedence rules to select a mobile property to use. The following scenarios
use the clientRefresh mobile property as an example to show how the
precedence rules work.
Scenario 1: Global application scope always takes precedence
: If a mobile property is defined for multiple application scopes and one of those is the
global application scope, then the property defined for global application scope always takes
precedence. In this case, the following actions occur:
1. The system calls for the clientRefresh property on an instance.
2. The system finds three clientRefresh properties defined for this instance:{#mobile-properties__table_yb5_4yn_vrb__entry__3}
| Property name | Application scope | Updated (date and time) |
|-|-|-|
| clientRefresh | Global | 2021-12-06 10:41:00 |
| clientRefresh | Now Mobile | 2021-12-06 10:38:41 |
| clientRefresh | Agent Workspace | 2021-12-06 10:42:06 |
[ ]
{#mobile-properties__table_yb5_4yn_vrb}
3. The system chooses the clientRefresh property defined for the global application scope.
{#mobile-properties__ol_xb5_4yn_vrb}
In scenario 1, the clientRefresh property defined for the
global application scope takes precedence.
Scenario 2: If the mobile property isn't defined for global application scope, then the
most recently updated property takes precedence
: If a mobile property is defined for multiple application scopes but if there is no property
with global application scope, then the system uses the most recently updated property. In
this case, the following actions occur:
1. The system calls for the clientRefresh property on an instance.
2. The system finds three clientRefresh properties defined for this instance:{#mobile-properties__table_d3y_5yn_vrb__entry__3}
| Property name | Application scope | Updated (date and time) |
|-|-|-|
| clientRefresh | Now Mobile | 2021-12-06 10:38:41 |
| clientRefresh | Asset Management for mobile | 2021-12-06 10:42:06 |
| clientRefresh | Agent Workspace | 2021-12-06 12:06:20 |
[ ]
{#mobile-properties__table_d3y_5yn_vrb}
3. The system chooses the clientRefresh property that was most recently updated.
{#mobile-properties__ol_c3y_5yn_vrb}
In scenario 2, the clientRefresh property defined for the agent
workspace application scope was the most recently updated. All three mobile properties were
updated on 2021-12-06. The property defined for the agent workspace application scope was
updated at 12:06:20. That time is almost one and a half hours after the other two. The system
chooses the clientRefresh property defined for the agent workspace
application scope because it's the most recently updated clientRefresh
property.
* **[Turn on or turn off automatic app refresh](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Hx4alHjzqSyfL6q3SGd40g)**
Use the clientRefresh mobile property on your ServiceNow instance to turn on or turn off automatically refreshing your mobile apps. You can also use the clientRefresh property to adjust the scope of refresh on your mobile app.
* **[Enable external users to access attachments](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/xMNGFi3Lh1ZU1s82J7k2bw)**
Enable users who have been assigned the snc_external role to be able to view, upload, and download attachments on their ServiceNow mobile app.
* **[Switch the date/time fields between device time zone and UTC](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0xq2Ft~I1nvpKruTCtRyag)**
Use the ShowDateTimeInUTC mobile property to determine whether the date/time field values in the Now Mobile app are displayed in the time zone of the user's device (default) or are converted to UTC.
* **[Configure mobile apps to use the date/time format of mobile devices](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/b5whRdSMWSg9NK4NXwGQyg)**
Set the useDeviceSettingsForDateTimeFormats mobile property to True to configure the date/time fields in mobile apps to use the date/time format that is used on the mobile device.
* **[Hide seconds in date/time fields on mobile cards, record screen details pages, or activity streams](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/s1PiOl_qwo6nJBZ_404VLA)**
Set the mobileCardsShowSeconds, recordScreenDetailsShowSeconds, or the activityStreamShowSeconds mobile properties to False to hide the display of seconds in date/time fields.
* **[Extend embedded web sessions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/PJQ3DdCvs567nt6PXVK_5A)**
Extend embedded web sessions to keep mobile users logged in until the mobile OAuth token expires.
* **[Enable enhanced barcode scanning](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OXaDuNSlRllhe68sI1Waiw)**
Add the EnableCameraFocusEnhancement and the EnableMaxCameraResolution mobile properties to enhance barcode scanning for Android devices.
* **[Enable barcode scanning with an external scanner](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nqUYMbgRDTP3qqqUbnX3zA)**
Set the externalScanEnabled mobile property to True to enable barcode scanning with an external scanner while the device camera is available in other parts of the mobile app.
* **[Configure different mobile attachment capabilities on Android devices based on user roles](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/u2aqEgkhRTt30le~TJ6Gng)**
Use a combination of system properties and mobile properties to enable different users on Android devices to share, download, or view attachments in external applications based on roles.
* **[Keep native apps active during authentication on Android devices](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/z6~thxRDMGmHAdiFy7qZkg)**
Use the preventAppKillOnAuth property on your ServiceNow instance to help prevent Android devices from killing the mobile app when put to background during login. Use this configuration to allow for a smoother authentication experience by keeping the app active until users complete or cancel the login process.
* **[Turn off the Zero Trust Access banner on mobile apps](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Easzkj2jx_50T5j1K2o24g)**
Learn how to turn off the banner on mobile app screens where Zero Trust Access (ZTA) is enabled.
* **[PIN timeout](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dRxgLZb0IWawz5f9_Okv~Q)**
Configure the PINIdleTimeout property to define the PIN timeout for different ServiceNow mobile apps. You can use this property to enhance security by controlling how long users are allowed to remain inactive before being required to reenter their PIN.
* **[Asynchronous attachment uploads](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Vxk96~s546RqRbenmq7Qww)**
Set the `AsyncAttachmentsUploadEnabled` mobile property to true to turn on background file uploads in the ServiceNow mobile app.
* **[Otto onboarding modal](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/gxknL48WgUZ4_bd0QRm7Xg)**
Configure the `ottoOnboardingModalEnabled` mobile property to turn the Otto onboarding modal on or off in the ServiceNow mobile app.
* **[Enable or disable voice to form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/PzmzW_yD_pRmvnZQl02eUA)**
Configure whether voice to form is turned on or off for your mobile instance.