Tablet interface

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated July 20, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Tablet interface

    ServiceNow enables access to your instance via tablet devices either through a native app or a browser. The native tablet app provides a user experience similar to the mobile app, displaying favorited applications or modules as tiles on the home screen. The tablet web UI closely mimics the desktop Core UI experience, as the dedicated tablet interface ($tablet.do) has been disabled to unify desktop and tablet access.

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    Key Features

    • Access Methods: Use either the native tablet app or a browser on the tablet for accessing ServiceNow instances.
    • Favorites Sync: Applications/modules favorited on desktop appear as tiles in the tablet app.
    • Core UI Experience: The tablet web UI replicates the desktop Core UI for familiarity and consistency.
    • Video and Image Attachments: Supported for upload on iOS 9 and Android tablets.
    • Read-Only Graphics Tools: Dependency views, schema maps, graphical workflow editor, Gantt charts, and visual dispatch tools are viewable but not editable on tablets.

    Limitations and Unsupported Features

    • List Editing: You cannot edit field values directly in list views; edits must be done through record forms.
    • Calendars: Calendar reports are accessible, but scrolling navigation is not supported as on desktop.
    • File Attachments: Only videos and images can be uploaded; other file types are restricted.
    • Administrative Tools: Field Watcher and JavaScript debugger require desktop access.
    • Language Picker: Does not appear in the tablet UI toolbar; language preferences set on desktop apply to tablets.
    • Domain Picker: Domain selection for personalized domains is not available on tablets; use desktop for this.
    • Slushbucket Feature: Unsupported on tablets; only available on desktop.
    • Navigation Filter Suffixes: Shortcuts like .list, .do, or .form function only on desktop.
    • Support Chat: Chat requests and responses are disabled on tablets; available only on desktop.
    • Printer Friendly View: Not available from tablet interfaces.
    • Timeline Features: Timeline sliders and timeline metrics UI actions, such as workflow timelines and Gantt charts, are not supported on tablets.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    When accessing ServiceNow via tablets, expect an experience aligned with the desktop UI but with some editing and advanced administrative limitations. Use the tablet interface primarily for viewing and light interaction rather than complex edits or administrative tasks. For features like debugging, domain switching, chat support, and certain interactive graphics or timeline tools, use the desktop interface to ensure full functionality. This approach ensures consistent productivity while accommodating mobility.

    Use a tablet to access your instance either app or from a browser.

    Use the native tablet app for an experience similar to the native mobile app. Applications or modules that you have favorited in a desktop instance appear as tiles on your mobile app homescreen.

    The tablet web UI mimics the desktop experience in Core UI. $tablet.do has been disabled in Core UI because the tablet interface is the same as the desktop.

    Connect to an instance using the browser on your tablet for an experience similar to the standard desktop user interface.

    Tablet features with limited support

    • Editing lists: You cannot edit field values in a record from the list view. Access the record form to modify any field values.
    • Dependency Views map, schema map, graphical Workflow Editor, Gantt chart, and visual dispatch tool: Graphics-based tools can be viewed but not modified from the tablet interface. Data presented by these tools is read-only when accessed through the tablet interface.
    • Calendars: You can access calendar reports but scrolling around the calendar as you would on the desktop interface is not supported.
    • Video and image attachment upload: Attach videos and images with both iOS 9 and Android. Other file type attachments are not allowed.

    Unsupported tablet features

    • Field watcher: Administrators must use the desktop version to access the Field Watcher.
    • JavaScript debugger: Administrators must use the desktop version to access the JavaScript debug window.
    • Language picker: Even if the internationalization plugin is enabled, the language picker does not appear in the tablet UI toolbar. Language selected through the desktop interface applies to the tablet UI.
    • Domain picker: Tablet users cannot select any other domains that administrators configure for domain-specific personalizations. To select a new domain, use the desktop interface.
    • Slushbucket feature: Any lists, fields, or filters that use the slushbucket feature are unsupported on a tablet device. Slushbuckets are only supported in the desktop interface.
    • Suffix in the navigation filter: You can use the .list, .do, or .form shortcuts to access a list of records in a table or a new form from the desktop version only.
    • Support chat: End users cannot request a chat session nor can support technicians respond to chat requests when using the tablet interface. Help desk chat is only supported in the desktop interface.
    • Printer friendly view: This view, which shows the current screen in a pop-up window without frames and the application navigator, is not available from the tablet.
    • Timeline sliders and the Timeline Metrics UI actions: Features that use timelines, such as the workflow timeline and the Gantt chart are not supported from the tablet.