Mobile App Builder

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Mobile App Builder

    The ServiceNow® Mobile App Builder (MAB) is a configuration tool designed to help ServiceNow customers build and manage screens and records within mobile workflows efficiently. It provides an organized, hierarchical layout and navigation options that streamline the creation of mobile applications, enabling faster and more intuitive app development.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Hierarchical Record Organization: Arrange records in a tree structure for quick access and to visualize relationships within the mobile app configuration.
    • Live Preview: View how components will appear in the mobile app in real time.
    • Scope Support: Edit all ServiceNow base system mobile application scopes.
    • Streamlined Configuration:
      • Edit multiple records on a single screen.
      • Guided selection of appropriate record relationships to prevent invalid configurations.
      • Auto-population of fields when creating relationships between records.
    • Automatic Installation and Updates: The MAB plugin (snmab) is pre-installed; users receive update notifications within the interface starting version 22.6.
    • Mobile Publishing Integration: From the Washington DC release onward, MAB integrates with Mobile Publishing, allowing users to open custom branded app cards directly for branding management.
    • Push Notifications: Also from the Washington DC release, MAB supports adding push notifications by selecting and applying predefined notifications within the app builder.

    How It Works

    Building a mobile application in MAB involves three main screens:

    • Application Scope Selection Screen: Choose the application scope to work within.
    • Categories Home Screen: Select a category or specific record to create or edit.
    • Record Screen: Perform detailed record editing, fill fields, and establish relationships between records.

    This workflow ensures a structured approach to mobile app creation, guiding users through scope selection to detailed record management.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Faster and more intuitive mobile app development with hierarchical navigation and live previews.
    • Reduced configuration errors via guided relationships and auto-population features.
    • Seamless integration with Mobile Publishing for branded app distribution.
    • Ability to enhance mobile apps with push notifications for improved user engagement.
    • Continuous improvements delivered through easy plugin updates within the platform.

    The ServiceNow® Mobile App Builder (MAB) is a configuration tool to build and manage screens and records that make up workflows within ServiceNow mobile apps. The organizational layout and navigation options in the Mobile App Builder facilitate a faster and more intuitive creation of ServiceNow mobile applications.

    Benefits and uses of the Mobile App Builder include the following:
    • Organize records in a hierarchical layout for quick access and reference.
    • Support hierarchical tree navigation, enabling users to visualize how records relate to each other and tie into the overall mobile app configuration.
    • View a live preview of how certain components will appear in the mobile app.
    • Support the editing of all ServiceNow base system mobile application scopes.
    • Streamline mobile configurations by doing the following:
      • Enable the editing of multiple records in a single screen.
      • Guide users to appropriate record relationships.
      • Prevent invalid configuration choices.
      • Auto-populate fields when creating relationships between records.
    Note:

    Mobile App Builder (MAB) is automatically installed on your instance with the base system plugin sn_mab. Starting in version 22.6, when there is a new version of the plugin, a banner appears at the top of the MAB screen indicating a new version is available. Select Update in the banner to install the new version.

    For more information about the MAB plugin and its associated plugins for the Mobile App Builder API and Mobile Card Builder, see Mobile plugins.

    Mobile App Builder workflow

    The building of mobile applications takes place within three screens:
    • The Mobile App Builder application scope selection screen: Select the scope to work on.
    • The Mobile App Builder categories home screen: Select the record to work on.
    • The Mobile App Builder record screen: Work on your records.

    In the Mobile App Builder application scope selection screen, you select the application scope to work in. After choosing your application scope, select a category or specific record to create or edit in the Mobile App Builder categories home screen. The record you select then opens in the Mobile App Builder record screen. In this screen, you perform most of your work, by populating record fields and creating relationships between different records.

    The following video shows you how to configure records in Mobile App Builder and provides a demonstration of a practical use case.

    Mobile Publishing integration

    In the Washington DC family release and later, Mobile App Builder is now integrated with Mobile Publishing:

    Mobile Publishing sidebar on the Mobile App Builder main page

    Select a custom branded app card in the Manage your branding side panel to open it in Mobile Publishing. For more information about Mobile Publishing, see Publish mobile apps with custom branding.

    Add push notifications to mobile apps with Mobile App Builder

    In the Washington DC family release and later, you can now add push notifications to your mobile apps with Mobile App Builder:

    Mobile App Builder menu showing push notifications

    Select Mobile notifications in the menu and then select the push notification you want to use. For more information about push notifications, see Mobile push notifications.