Tablet interface

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

    ServiceNow’s tablet interface enables users to access their instance via a native tablet app or a browser. The native tablet app provides a user experience similar to the mobile app, featuring tiles for favorited applications or modules. The tablet web UI closely mimics the desktop Core UI experience, with the $tablet.do functionality disabled since the tablet interface aligns with the desktop UI.

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    Key Features

    • Access and Navigation: Use a tablet’s browser or native app to interact with ServiceNow, leveraging a familiar desktop-like interface.
    • Favorites Display: Favorited applications or modules from the desktop appear as tiles on the tablet app homescreen for quick access.
    • Read-Only Graphics Tools: Visual tools such as Dependency Views map, schema map, graphical Workflow Editor, Gantt chart, and visual dispatch tool can be viewed but not edited on a tablet.
    • Calendar Access: Calendar reports are accessible; however, scrolling within the calendar as on desktop is limited.
    • Media Attachments: Video and image attachments can be uploaded on iOS 9 and Android tablets, though other file types are not supported.

    Limitations and Unsupported Features

    • List Editing: Inline editing of list view fields is not supported; users must open record forms to modify data.
    • Administrative Tools: The Field Watcher and JavaScript debugger require the desktop version for access.
    • Language and Domain Pickers: The language picker is not available on tablet UI; language settings from desktop apply. Domain selection must be done via desktop interface.
    • Slushbucket Feature: Lists, fields, or filters using slushbuckets are unsupported on tablets and require desktop usage.
    • Navigation Shortcuts: Shortcuts like .list, .do, or .form to quickly access lists or forms work only on desktop.
    • Support Chat: Chat sessions cannot be initiated or responded to via tablet; support chat is desktop-only.
    • Printer Friendly View: This view is unavailable on tablet devices.
    • Timeline Features: Timeline sliders and timeline-based UI actions such as workflow timelines and Gantt charts are unsupported for editing or interaction on tablets.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    When using tablets to access ServiceNow, customers can expect a consistent interface similar to desktop for general navigation and viewing. However, editing capabilities, administrative functions, and certain interactive features are limited or unavailable, requiring users to switch to desktop for full functionality. This ensures users can perform most day-to-day tasks on tablets while reserving complex configuration and editing tasks for desktop environments.

    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.