Mobile App Builder

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Mobile App Builder

    The ServiceNow® Mobile App Builder (MAB) is a configuration tool designed to help you build and manage screens and records that form workflows within ServiceNow mobile applications. It provides an organized, hierarchical layout and intuitive navigation to accelerate and simplify the creation of mobile apps on the ServiceNow platform.

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    Key Features

    • Hierarchical Record Organization: Arrange records in a tree structure for quick access and to visualize relationships between records within your mobile app configuration.
    • Live Component Preview: View how components will appear in the mobile app during the configuration process.
    • Scope Support: Edit mobile applications across all ServiceNow base system scopes.
    • Streamlined Configuration: Edit multiple records on a single screen, guided by contextual relationships to ensure valid configurations and auto-populated fields when linking records.
    • Automatic Installation and Updates: MAB is installed automatically with the base plugin (snmab). From version 22.6 onward, the interface notifies you of available updates with a banner for easy installation.

    How It Works

    The Mobile App Builder workflow is organized into three main screens:

    • Application Scope Selection: Choose the application scope you want to work within.
    • Categories Home Screen: Select the category or specific record to create or edit.
    • Record Screen: Perform detailed configuration by populating fields and defining relationships between records.

    Integration and Additional Capabilities

    • Mobile Publishing Integration: From the Washington DC release onward, MAB integrates with Mobile Publishing, allowing you to open custom branded app cards directly within Mobile Publishing for enhanced branding management.
    • Push Notifications: Also available starting with the Washington DC release, you can add push notifications to your mobile apps directly from MAB by selecting and configuring mobile notifications within the tool.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    Mobile App Builder empowers your organization to quickly and accurately configure mobile applications with clear visualization of record hierarchies and relationships, reducing configuration errors and speeding up app development. Its integration with Mobile Publishing and support for push notifications enable you to deliver branded, interactive mobile experiences to end users efficiently.

    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.