Next Experience theming for mobile

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Next Experience theming for mobile

    Next Experience theming allows you to apply a consistent color scheme across your ServiceNow mobile apps that aligns with your instance’s web experience. This theming uses colors from your existing Next Experience theme to unify branding across platforms. It is available for ServiceNow instances running Utah release and later.

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    This theming approach simplifies presenting your company’s unique identity and supports inheriting colors from your instance’s current web theme.

    Key Features

    • Use of color variables: Administrators can use color variables instead of hard-coded colors to ensure consistent appearance of custom components.
    • Supported components include: UI Rules, navigation sections and icons, map pins, view templates, mobile view buttons, and input description fields.
    • Integration with Mobile Publishing: From Mobile Publishing version 3.2.0 onward, the app integrates Next Experience colors and theming for elements displayed after login. However, app splash screens and pre-login visuals remain based on predefined colors.

    Upgrading and Configuration

    • New customers: Next Experience theming is active by default on Utah and later releases. Polaris is the default theme from Utah to Yokohama releases, and Coral is the default starting with Zurich. These defaults can be changed via system properties.
    • Existing customers without custom themes: Next Experience theming is enabled by default unless previously opted out. If opted out, you can manually enable it.
    • Existing customers with custom themes: Next Experience theming is disabled by default post-upgrade to Utah or later, preserving existing custom themes. Manual enablement is required when ready.
    • Mobile Publishing customers: Visuals before login (app icon, name, splash screen) are managed separately and not converted automatically to Next Experience theming.

    For detailed instructions on activating or changing themes, refer to the configuration guidelines in your ServiceNow instance documentation.

    Use Next Experience theming to give your mobile apps color scheme consistent with your instance web experience.

    Use colors from your existing Next Experience theme

    Important:
    Use Next Experience theming on Utah and later versions of ServiceNow® instances.

    Next Experience theming makes it easier than ever to present your unique company identity across all platforms.

    You can also use your Next Experience theme to inherit theme colors from your instance's existing web theme.

    For more information on Next Experience themes, see Exploring themes in Next Experience.

    		 Unified theme in mobile and web interfaces

    Use color variables to create consistent custom components

    As an admin, you can take advantage of color variables, which replace hard-coded colors. Use these variables to create consistent looking components. Color variables are supported in the following components.
    • UI Rules ​
    • Navigation sections ​
    • Map pins  Navigation​
    • Icons ​
    • View templates ​
    • Mobile View Buttons​
    • Input description field
    		 Unified theme in mobile and web interfaces

    Upgrading to Next Experience theming

    Whether your instance enables Next Experience theming depends on your existing configuration.

    New customers
    For new customers in the Utah and later releases, Next Experience is active by default.
    • For versions Utah to Yokohama, Polaris is the applied default theme.
    • For versions Zurich and above, Coral is the applied default theme.
    These setting can be changed using a system property. For details see Considerations for activating Next Experience
    Existing customers with no theme customizations
    Existing customers upgrading to Utah and later releases have Next Experience active by default unless they have opted-out of Next Experience in a previous release. If you've opted out, you can enable Next Experience theming manually. For details see Considerations for activating Next Experience.
    Note:
    Existing customers upgrading to Zurich who use Polaris as their default Next Experience theme will retain Polaris as their mobile theme unless a different theme is selected. For configuration instruction to change the theme, see Configure Next Experience theming for mobile.
    Existing customers with custom themes
    Existing customers upgrading to Utah and later releases have Next Experience disable by default after the upgrade. Your custom themes from the last release remain unchanged. You can manually enable Next Experience themes when you're ready to implement the new features. For details see Considerations for activating Next Experience.
    Existing customers using the Mobile Publishing application
    Mobile Publishing customers who upgrade to Next Experience in Utah should take note of the following:
    • Starting from Mobile Publishing version 3.2.0, Mobile Publishing integrates Next Experience colors and theming.
    • The app splash screen displays the existing predefined colors and is not converted into Next Experience themed colors.

    • Mobile Publishing configuration only affects visuals shown before the login page:

      • App icon
      • App name
      • App splash screen

      Elements displayed after login are determined by the theme applied to your instance.