Features for the branded mobile app

Introduction

Some app features are only available to those having created and implemented their branded app, as most of the exclusive functionalities have very specific traits that do not increase the value of a general-purpose app. On the other hand, they can be particularly suitable for specific use cases and extremely useful if you use a branded version of the Go.Learn mobile app.

These features belong to the following categories:

• Brand enhancement
• Customization of specific app features
• Increased security and privacy
• Analytics and marketing opportunities

Brand enhancement

Customizing app icon and name

The owner of a branded mobile app can choose the name of the app and the icon that users will see on their devices. You can set the name of your app in the Properties tab (App Details section) of the Branded Mobile App Publisher menu, and you can upload your app’s icon in the App Images section in the iOS/Android tab.

Customizing info in the app stores

All the highlighted texts and images shown on your branded app’s page in the app stores can be customized (in iTunes Connect for iOS App Store and in the Google Play Developer Console for Android Google Play store).

You can also choose the selling price. You are not obliged to make the app available for free, potentially you can also earn some money from the app.

App icon and name in the redirect window

The name and the icon of your branded app will also appear in the redirect window that you as a Superadmin can enable on mobile browsers. By viewing the customized name and icon, downloading and installing the app you created for your users will be perfectly straightforward for them. Additional info on the redirect window.

App features customization

Embedding your platform URL

Many users find it difficult or even annoying to type platform URLs. Docebo has implemented automatic corrections and address prediction strategies to help users, but with your branded app you can just skip this step on the pre-login page and start the app directly on the login page.

Hiding the offline mode options

You may want to hide, on your branded app, all of the options, actions and pages related to the offline mode, because you don’t want to give your users the ability to download confidential documents or training material. In order to do so, you as the Superadmin need to contact Docebo (via the Help Center, or through your Account Manager if your plan includes this option) and ask to hide all of the offline mode options. However, please note that when content is downloaded for offline viewing, it is stored securely in a protected memory area.

Offline mode allows your users to log into the app while offline, to download training material and full courses while offline, and then to find and play them from the Offline Content page of the app. If you want to know more about what you can do in offline mode, you can read the section dedicated to offline content in the Go.Learn KB article. If you decide to hide the offline mode for your branded app, your users won’t be able to perform any of these actions while they are offline.

Customizing filters

On your branded mobile app, you may have the need to customize the filters shown in the filters panel on the My Channel, All Channels, My Courses and Learning Plans and Course Catalog pages, so that your users can only see the filters that are relevant to them, and in the order that is most suitable to them, making it easier for users to navigate their branded mobile app. In order to do so, you as the Superadmin need to contact Docebo (via the Help Center, or through your Account Manager if your plan includes this option) and ask to customize filters.

More specifically, you can ask to show some filters or to remove them, to change the order in which they are shown and also to customize the number of checkbox options displayed in each filter (long lists of options can be collapsed/expanded and set to show by default the number of items that best meets your needs), in order to create the most useful experience for your users.

Custom push notifications

Push notifications in your branded mobile app are generated by Google Firebase:

• Google Firebase. You as a Superadmin can configure push notifications in Firebase. Please note that it’s your responsibility to generate a project in Firebase and then configure custom push notifications, and this activity cannot be controlled nor managed by Docebo. In this chapter, we’ll go through notifications created in Firebase.

Firebase custom push notifications are sent to users when the app is not open and can be associated with a specific page or content in the app that opens when the user taps on the notification. Through notifications you can send your users targeted and contextual messages that encourage them to use the key features of your branded app and to interact with content in the app.

For example, you could send a push notification to get users to enroll into a course, watch a video, complete a survey, or discover a new functionality.

You can customize notifications by adding an image or a button, and then you can define the target audience who will receive them and set a schedule so that they appear on the device of the user exactly when they are most useful to them.

Tip: When adding buttons, if you want your users to navigate to a specific page or content, remember to use deep links.

Thanks to custom push notifications, you as a Superadmin can communicate with your mobile app users in a direct and personalized way and can engage them through targeted campaigns. Also, push notifications are helpful to re-engage users who haven’t visited the platform for a while.

To configure custom push notifications for your branded mobile app, you need to integrate your app with Firebase. Find out more on how to create a Firebase project and add Firebase to your Android or iOS app.

Then, you need to enable push notifications in the Push Notifications section in the Properties tab of the Navigation menu > Customization (shapes icon) > Branded Mobile App Publisher of your Docebo platform.

Once you have added your app to Firebase and enabled push notifications in Docebo platform, open the Cloud Messaging menu in the sidebar on the left of the Firebase page to start creating the custom push notifications that will be sent to your users.

First of all, click on the New notification button to begin the process. Then, follow the steps from 1 to 3 to configure the notification name and other info, define the target and schedule when it is sent to users.

You can skip step 4, but pay attention to step 5 Additional options. Here, you need to add two Custom data fields as follows:

1. Key: type, Value: deeplink
2. Key: url, Value: insert the deep link of the page of content you want the app to navigate to when a user taps on the notification

Further details on how to configure your custom push notifications in Firebase (opens in a new tab).

No action nor activation is needed from your users — they will just receive on their mobile device the push notifications that you configured, even if they’re not using the app. With custom notifications, your users will easily interact with the content or features that you suggested to them.

Please note that users are always able to disable push notifications in their device’s settings, and therefore relying on this type of notification to send them important communications is not recommended.

Background audio playback

This feature allows you to continue to play your audio or video files even when the app is sent to the background, when you lock or turn off the screen or when you switch to another app, creating a podcast-like experience on your branded mobile app. Learn more about how to enable the background audio playback in your branded mobile app.

Hiding navigation buttons in course player and course progress on course page

You may want to hide, on your branded app, the Previous and the Next navigation buttons shown in the course player that are used to navigate through the different training material included in a course. By hiding these buttons, you’ll leave more space to long titles and more freedom to course navigation. In addition, you will also hide the progress (percentage and number of training material completed) shown in the Content tab of the course page, in case you don’t want your users to display this bit of information. In order to enable this feature, you as the Superadmin need to contact Docebo via the Help Center or through your Account Manager if your plan includes this option.

Demo mode

The branded mobile app offers a demo mode that allows users to explore its key features even without an account. To access it, from the app sign-in screen a user can tap Demo Sign In instead of entering login credentials. To exit, the user signs out of the demo account in the usual way.

Please note: This functionality is available only for the iOS version of the branded app.

To enable Demo mode, contact Docebo via the Help Center, or through your Customer Success Manager if your plan includes this option.

Using the app demo can help you address the review made by Apple after you submit your app for publication within the App Store. See the App Store Review Guidelines 5.1.1 (v) (opens in a new tab) for further information on Apple requirements on account sign-in and the requirement to let users freely access your app’s features that are not account-based specifically. Refer to Rejection Reason (6) in the dedicated KB article.

Reader app

The Reader app mode allows users to access paid content that was purchased outside of Apple’s ecosystem and not within the app.

Please note: This functionality is only available for iOS.

Learn more about the Reader app mode.

Advanced security

Maximum privacy

Your branded app belongs to you. Docebo is not able to “spy” your traffic, nor can we collect anonymized data for analytic purposes (but you can do it if you want). Nobody but you has the permission to access download reports in the app stores, to retrieve data such as how many downloads were completed, how many users opened the app, which courses they took, which learning plans they are following, or which articles they have read. Don’t worry, the app is under your control!

Certificate pinning

Certificate pinning is a technique used for mobile applications to add an extra layer of protection to secure communications. Certificate pinning restricts which certificates are considered valid for a particular website, limiting risk. Learn more about certificate pinning.

Direct access to iOS and Android app packages

If you plan to deliver the app to the members of your organization using a Mobile Device Management (MDM) System or by distributing the Android Package (APK) directly, you may need the binary app package. When generating the builds using the Branded Mobile App Publisher platform menu, the outputs are the IPA, APK and AAB package formats required by app stores and MDMs to distribute the app to your audience. If you use an MDM to publish your app, having access to the package you generated means having finer control over the versions of the app being used in the company.

Additionally, having your own Android APK package also means that you can envisage a new scenario: the possibility to distribute your app in China. The app can be distributed using an MDM or, as an alternative, you can share a direct download link for the APK package that the users can install by themselves.

Total control over the app version and features

Users generally like to always use the latest version of their apps, but you, as the platform Administrator, may have different needs. As an Admin, you need to have total control over the features and the experience delivered to your users. You also have to consider that some processes need to be certified, this means that unpredictable changes have to be reduced as much as possible. By owning your own branded app, you are in control of the exact version of the app, and therefore of the features, settings and experience provided to the user in that version; this allows you to be able to manage contents, pages, flows and create enablement materials in a more deterministic way.

Biometric login

Your users can enable biometric authentication on their branded mobile app so that they can use their fingerprint or face recognition to log into the app. After the user enters their username and password on the sign in page for the first time, they can allow the app to use biometric credentials, and on the next login they will be able to authenticate with their fingerprint or via face recognition.

In order to enable the biometric login feature for your branded app, you as the Superadmin need to contact Docebo (via the Help Center, or through your Account Manager if your plan includes this option).

The technology used for biometric login depends on the device you are using — the features available for biometric login vary depending on the smartphone model you are using.

Please note: Docebo does not store any biometric data and your branded mobile app does not store fingerprints nor face recognition data. Apple and Google manage this data inside of the Secure Enclave, and data is not shared with any other entities. The access through biometric data is performed via system keychain.

Remember that the biometric login functionality cannot be used in combination with Single Sign-On (SSO).

Blank preview in the multitasking switcher

Protect your content from prying eyes. As you switch between apps, the preview will be hidden, just like your mobile banking app most likely does.

In order to enable the “privacy mode”, you as the Superadmin need to contact Docebo (via the Help Center, or through your Account Manager if your plan includes this option).

Analytics and marketing

Google analytics for firebase

With Google Analytics, you can collect analytical data about the usage of your app, to gather all the data you need in one dashboard. Learn more about Google Analytics for Firebase.

Supporting mobile measurement partner (MMP)

A Mobile Measurement Partner collects, organizes, and standardizes mobile app data to deliver a uniform assessment of campaign performance metrics. Learn more about how to enable the support for Adjust as MMP in your branded mobile app.

In-app messages

Firebase In-App Messaging helps you engage your app's active users by sending them, while they’re using the app, targeted and contextual messages that encourage them to use the key features of your branded app and to interact with content in the app.

For example, you could send an in-app message to get users to enroll into a course, watch a video, complete a survey, or discover a new functionality.

You can customize messages by choosing a layout (card, modal, image only or top banner) and adding an image or a button. Then, you will define the target audience who will receive the message and set a schedule so that messages appear in the app exactly when they are most useful to your users.

Please note: When adding buttons, if you want your users to navigate to a specific page or content, remember to use deep links.

Thanks to in-app messages, you as a Superadmin can communicate with your mobile app users in a direct and personalized way and can engage them through targeted campaigns.

To configure in-app messages for your branded mobile app, you need to integrate your app with Firebase. Find out more on how to create a Firebase project and add Firebase to your Android or iOS app.

Once you have added your app to Firebase, open the In-App Messaging menu in the sidebar on the left of the Firebase page to start creating your campaign and the in-app messages that will be sent to your users. Further details on how to configure your in-app messages in Firebase (opens in a new tab).

No action nor activation is needed from your learners — while they’re using the app, they will just receive the messages that you configured in your campaign, so that they can easily interact with the content or features that you suggested to them.

Feature activation

Please note: Some of these features are not enabled in China, meaning that they are not available to app users physically located in China. Please note that this applies whenever you use the app in China, even if you have installed your app in another country.