--- sourceDocument: zurich Combined Product Files sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/delta-yokohama-zurich Release : - zurich ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - zurich Combined Product Files ft:clusterId : - delta3zy bundleId : - delta3zy --- # Combined Next Experience release notes for upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich # Combined Next Experience release notes for upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Zurich Updated October 8, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 7 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) 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 Combined Next Experience Release Notes for Upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich This consolidated release notes page helps ServiceNow customers prepare for upgrading the Next Experience from Yokohama to Zurich. It details new features, changes, accessibility improvements, activation guidance, and usability enhancements introduced between these releases. The notes also include important pre- and post-upgrade tasks and clarify browser and localization requirements. Show full answer Show less ## New Features * **Yokohama:** * Fuzzy search filtering in Unified Navigation menus to find relevant results with partial text and adjustable accuracy thresholds. * Customizable keyboard shortcuts for quick task execution, with accessibility considerations. * Activity stream user preference to auto-expand activities within Workspace. * Keyboard shortcuts to open/close the Now Assist panel and enable voice input mode. * **Zurich:** * Workspace lazy loading user preference to improve page load times by dynamically loading content (enabled by default). * Now Assist menu toggle to switch between standard and wide view, reducing scrolling and truncation. * New accessibility preference to keep page alerts visible until manually dismissed. * Usage Analytics utility menu for users with the analyticsviewer role to access application and web page usage data. * Phone icon badge showing the number of active calls in OpenFrame. ## Changes * **Yokohama:** * Updated user preference name from "Enable keyboard focus on truncated text" to "Enable keyboard focus on text that displays a tooltip." * Enhanced keyboard shortcut modal with searchable, categorized shortcuts and better usability. * Streamlined Next Experience preferences panel with search and grouped preference views. * **Zurich:** * ServiceNow Otto® conversational AI platform rebranded and enhanced with agentic and multimodal capabilities for autonomous cross-system workflows. * Introduction of the Coral theme as the new default for portals, web, and mobile with Next Experience or Core UI enabled; includes a dark mode option to improve usability. ## Activation and Requirements * Next Experience and Theme Builder are active by default in both Yokohama and Zurich releases. * If issues arise during upgrade, an opt-out system property can be configured prior to upgrading. * Browser support excludes Internet Explorer 11 and the iOS version of Firefox in both releases. ## Accessibility Enhancements * **Yokohama:** * Customizable keyboard shortcuts organized by categories (Page Action, Navigation, Global Navigation, General). * Keyboard interaction improvements like arrow keys to expand/collapse rows. * Voice input for Now Assist panel enabled via user preference once system administrator activates it. * **Zurich:** * Coral theme's dark mode to reduce eye strain and enhance readability. * New user preference to keep page alerts visible until manually closed. * Workspace preference to disable lazy loading improves screen reader compatibility by loading entire pages at once. ## Usability Improvements * Personalized keyboard shortcuts streamline workflows and boost productivity. * Workspace list filters are tracked in the History menu for easy access and adjustments. * User preference icons now adapt to theme colors. * Improved Now Assist menu visual customization with toggle for wide or standard view. * Direct access to usage analytics via the new utility menu for authorized users. These enhancements provide ServiceNow customers with better performance, accessibility, and customization options within the Next Experience, facilitating smoother upgrades and more efficient user interactions. Consolidated page of all release notes for Next Experience from Yokohama to Zurich. ## How to use this page To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Next Experience release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Yokohama to Zurich. Tip: If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release." ## Important information for upgrading Next Experience to Zurich Before you upgrade to Zurich, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__2} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | No updates for this release. | | Zurich | No updates for this release. | [ ] ## New features Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for Next Experience. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__8} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | [Fuzzy search results returned within the Unified Navigation menus](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=using-the-next-experience-global-header&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Find relevant search results even with shortened text by using the fuzzy results filter, which ranks results based on their similarity to your search query. Adjust the minimum accuracy score to help fine-tune filter behavior. [Customizing the Next Experience keyboard shortcuts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=customize-keyboard-shortcuts&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Assign specific actions to unique key combinations to quickly execute tasks. See the Accessibility information section for details. [Activity stream user preference available](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-workspace-preferences&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Enable the activity stream to automatically expand all activities from within the Workspace user preference group. [Next Experience keyboard shortcuts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-keyboard-shortcuts&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Use a new keyboard shortcut to open and close the Now Assist panel and another keyboard shortcut to enable Now Assist voice input mode. | | Zurich | [Lazy loading of Workspace pages user preference available](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-workspace-preferences&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : Control how your Workspace pages are loaded, either all at once or as needed, by using the new Workspace lazy load user preference. Lazy loading is enabled by default and displays content dynamically, reducing page load times. See the Accessibility information section for additional details. [Use the menu toggle to view the Now Assist menu in wide mode](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=using-the-next-experience-global-header&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : View the Now Assist menu in wide mode to reduce the need for scrolling and truncating content. [Configure accessibility preferences](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-accessibility-preferences&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : Use a new accessibility preference to keep page alerts visible. See the Accessibility information section for additional details. [Usage Analytics utility menu available](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=using-the-next-experience-global-header&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : Obtain usage analytic data for your applications and web pages with the Usage Analytics utility menu. The Usage Analytics menu appears for those users with the analytics_viewer role. [View the number of active calls from the OpenFrame phone icon](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=using-the-next-experience-global-header&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : View the number of active calls from the numbered badge on the OpenFrame phone icon. | [ ] ## Changes Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing Next Experience features. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__14} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | [Enable keyboard focus on truncated text user preference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-accessibility-preferences&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : The "Enable keyboard focus on truncated text" user preference has been updated to "Enable keyboard focus on text that displays a tooltip." [Improved keyboard shortcut modal](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=using-the-next-experience-global-header&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : The keyboard shortcut menu has improved usability in the following ways: * The modal now includes two columns that include the keyboard shortcut and a description with a scrollable list of available shortcuts on the viewed page. * A search field enables you to search for shortcuts that are relevant to the page you're viewing. * A Close button enables you to easily close the modal. [Next Experience preferences](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=set-up-preferences-next-experience&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : The new user preference panel provides a more efficient, streamlined way for you to work. Use the new search bar to locate your preferences. A wider modal displays all preference groups and when you select a group, all the individual preferences that are related to it appear in the same window. | | Zurich | [Now Assist \> ServiceNow Otto® announcement](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=sn-ai-implementation-landing&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : ServiceNow Otto introduced AI on the platform. As that experience has evolved, there's a new name for the experience. ServiceNow Otto® is the conversational AI platform integrated into ServiceNow workflows. It provides agentic capabilities, supports multimodal interactions across web, mobile, and messaging channels, and enables autonomous orchestration for cross-system workflows. Coral theme : Coral is now the default theme for new portal, web, and mobile experiences with Next Experience or Core UI enabled. This theme provides a fresh look and feel, featuring brand-neutral illustrations to enhance your user experience. A dark theme option is available for web and mobile experiences. For existing customers who upgrade to Zurich, use [Theme Builder to publish Coral theme to your instance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=tb-apply-theme&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) or [add Coral theme to the Next Experience UX Parent App Theme table](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=configure-presentation-order-of-themes&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US). Once enabled by a system administrator, Coral is available for [selection in the user's Theme preference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=select-a-theme-in-next-experience&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US). | [ ] ## Removed Between your current release family and Zurich, some Next Experience features or functionality were removed. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__20} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | No updates for this release. | | Zurich | No updates for this release. | [ ] ## Deprecations Between your current release family and Zurich, some Next Experience features or functionality were deprecated. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__26} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | No updates for this release. | | Zurich | No updates for this release. | [ ] ## Activation information Review information on how to activate Next Experience. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__32} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | Activation information : Next Experience is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default when the user loads or upgrades to the Yokohama release. If there are known problems with turning on Next Experience on an instance, an opt-out system property can be created prior to upgrade. Theme Builder comes with the Next Experience and is active by default. | | Zurich | Activation information : Next Experience is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default when the user loads or upgrades to the Zurich release. If there are known problems with turning on Next Experience on an instance, an opt-out system property can be created before upgrade. Theme Builder comes with the Next Experience and is active by default. | [ ] ## Additional requirements If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Next Experience we have noted them here. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__38} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | No updates for this release. | | Zurich | No updates for this release. | [ ] ## Browser requirements If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Next Experience we have noted them here. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__44} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | Browser requirements : The Yokohama release doesn't support Internet Explorer 11. The iOS version of Firefox is also not supported. | | Zurich | Browser requirements : The Zurich release doesn't support Internet Explorer 11. The iOS version of Firefox is also not supported. | [ ] ## Accessibility information Review details on accessibility information for Next Experience, such as specific requirements or compliance levels. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__50} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | Accessibility information : [Customize Next Experience keyboard shortcuts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=customize-keyboard-shortcuts&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Create your own keyboard shortcuts for frequently used actions. [Next Experience keyboard shortcuts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-keyboard-shortcuts&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Keyboard shortcuts categorized: Keyboard shortcuts for each page are now organized into categories: Page Action, Page Navigation, Global Navigation, and General. : New keyboard shortcuts: Two new Next Experience keyboard shortcuts are available, one shortcut to open and close the Now Assist panel and another to enable voice input for Now Assist. : Accessibility improvements for keyboard interactions: Use the right and left arrow keys to expand and collapse rows. [Configure Next Experience accessibility preferences](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-accessibility-preferences&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) : Voice input for Now Assist A new user preference activates voice-to-text input in the Now Assist panel. With this feature, you can use your voice to access Now Assist skills in the Now Assist panel in any supported language. This preference appears only if your system administrator has enabled the voice input for the Now Assist feature for your instance. For more information, see [Enable voice input for the Now Assist panel](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=enable-voice-input-for-now-assist-panel&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US). Once your system administrator has enabled voice input for your instance, the "Enable voice input for the Now Assist panel" user preference is displayed. | | Zurich | Accessibility information : Dark theme : The new Coral theme includes a dark theme option for web and mobile experiences. This option is commonly used to alleviate eye strain and improve readability. [New Accessibility preference added for page alerts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-accessibility-preferences&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : Turn on the Do not auto-dismiss page alerts preference to keep page alerts visible until you manually close them. [New Workspace preference added to enhance screen reader output for your Workspace pages](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-workspace-preferences&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) : A new Workspace preference lets you turn off lazy loading for workspace pages. When you turn off lazy loading, the entire page loads at once. This action improves compatibility with screen readers and provides a more consistent and reliable reading experience. | [ ] ## Localization information If there are specific localization considerations for Next Experience we have noted them here. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__56} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | No updates for this release. | | Zurich | No updates for this release. | [ ] ## Highlight information If there are specific highlight considerations for Next Experience we have noted them here. {#dfrn3-nextexperience-summary__entry__62} | Release | Release notes | |-|-| | Yokohama | * Create personalized keyboard shortcuts to streamline your workflow and boost productivity. * Track the filters that you apply to your Workspace lists within the History menu. Each time you change your filter, the History menu displays a separate entry. * Quickly locate and adjust your user preferences by using the new streamlined search function. * User preference icons now adopt your theme colors. See [Next Experience UI](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-landing-page&family=yokohama&ft:locale=en-US) for more information. | | Zurich | * Customize the visual experience of the Now Assist menu by using the new toggle to switch between standard or wide view. * Manage the visibility of page alerts with a new accessibility user preference. * Access usage analytic data for applications and web pages directly with the new Usage Analytics utility menu. See [Next Experience UI](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=next-experience-landing-page&family=zurich&ft:locale=en-US) for more information. | [ ]