# Designing for the Salesforce mobile app

*Platform User Experience Designer Study Guide · UX Fundamentals · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer/ux-fundamentals/designing-for-the-salesforce-mobile-app*

Mobile design starts from mobile use cases: streamline what phone users see with navigation order, compact layouts and phone-specific Lightning pages, use App pages instead of desktop-only Home pages, pick the right Mobile Publisher, and test on real devices from a sandbox.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform User Experience Designer
- Exam section: UX Fundamentals
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/user-experience-designer

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe mobile UX design fundamentals.

## What the exam expects

- Start mobile design from mobile use cases found by talking to and shadowing users, and streamline instead of copying desktop.
- Configure what phone users reach first: Lightning apps enabled for desktop and phone, navigation order, tabs for Visualforce and Lightning pages.
- Choose compact layouts, phone-specific record pages and App pages for the mobile requirement, knowing custom Home pages are desktop-only.
- Recommend Mobile Publisher for the Salesforce App or for Experience Cloud, and the assets and preparation each needs.
- Validate mobile designs on real devices in a sandbox, not only in a desktop preview.

Key terms: **mobile use case** (a common task users must do quickly away from their desk); **navigation bar** (the thumb-friendly bar at the bottom of the screen showing the first four menu items); **compact layout** (fields in a record's highlights area); **form factor** (the device a Lightning page is assigned to, such as desktop or phone); **Mobile Publisher** (low-code way to publish a branded app to the app stores).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation bar | First four menu items | [Customize Navigation](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_navigation) |
| App on mobile | App Manager, App Options: Desktop and phone | [Customize Navigation](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_navigation) |
| Menu per user type | Not possible; one menu per app | [Customize Navigation](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_navigation) |
| Compact layout fields | Up to 10 including Name; no long or rich text areas, no multi-select picklists | [Customize Compact Layouts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_compact_layouts) |
| Compact layout assignment | One primary for all users; overrides only by record type | [Compact Layouts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.compact_layout_overview.htm&type=5) |
| Custom Home pages | Lightning Experience only | [Get Started with the Lightning App Builder](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lightning_app_builder/lightning_app_builder_intro) |
| Record page activation | Org, app, app plus record type plus profile, form factor | [Build a Custom Record Page](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lightning_app_builder/lightning_app_builder_recordpage) |
| Mobile Publisher for Salesforce App | Licence; production only; Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited | [Mobile Publisher for Salesforce App](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.s1_branded_apps.htm&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why shouldn't the mobile app replicate a 100-field desktop layout?
- When does a custom Lightning app fail to appear in the mobile App Launcher?
- Why can't two profiles see different compact layouts on one record type?
- Which Mobile Publisher builds a customer app with push notifications from a site?

## Sources

- [Get Started with the Salesforce Mobile App](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_intro)
- [Customize Navigation](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_navigation)
- [Customize a Lightning App Navigation Menu](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.salesforce_app_customize_lex_app.htm&type=5)
- [Customize Compact Layouts](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_mobile_app/salesforce1_mobile_app_compact_layouts)
- [Compact Layouts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=platform.compact_layout_overview.htm&type=5)
- [Get Started with the Lightning App Builder](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lightning_app_builder/lightning_app_builder_intro)
- [Build a Custom Record Page](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lightning_app_builder/lightning_app_builder_recordpage)
- [Add Visibility Rules for Dynamic Pages](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/lightning_app_builder/add-visibility-rules-for-dynamic-pages-lab)
- [Get Started with Mobile Publisher](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_branded_apps/salesforce1_branded_apps_intro)
- [Prepare to Create Your Branded App](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/salesforce1_branded_apps/salesforce1_branded_apps_create)
- [Mobile Publisher for Salesforce App](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.s1_branded_apps.htm&type=5)
- [Requirements for Mobile Publisher for Salesforce App](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=xcloud.s1_branded_apps_requirements.htm&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 11 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform User Experience Designer pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams