Published Release Notes

Support for multiple custom mobile apps for a Pega Platform application

To enhance the user experience and provide support for native mobile components, you can create multiple custom mobile apps for a Pega Platform™ application. For each custom mobile app, you must create a different mobile channel interface. In addition, you can configure each custom mobile app to run only in a specific portal for an application. The custom mobile app uses this portal regardless of which default portal is defined for the access group.

For more information, see Selecting a portal for a custom mobile app.

Support for large binary data item storage in Pega Mobile Client and offline case attachments in Pega Platform

Pega^® Mobile Client can now store and synchronize large binary data items and their corresponding actions from the action queue on Android and iOS devices. As a result, custom mobile app users can view, attach, and delete data files, whether the device is online or offline. For this function to work, you must enable offline case attachment support, which allows your custom mobile apps to synchronize case attachments between the Pega Platform and the mobile device.

For more information, see Enabling offline case attachments support and Client Store API.

Open cases in a mobile app with push notifications sent from Pega 7 Platform applications

Push notification smart shapes in a workflow of a Pega 7 Platform application can now send push notifications that open a case in a custom mobile app. Users working in the field can use this feature to instantly access priority assignments instead of having to search for changes manually.

For more information, see Configuring the Push Notification shape.

Cannot send mobile push notifications when the Pega 7 Platform is hosted on WebSphere Application Server

Push notifications are not sent to Android or iOS mobile apps when the Pega 7 Platform is hosted on WebSphere Application Server.

Mobile features deprecated in 8.4

Following the introduction of new functionalities for mobile apps, some features are reaching end of life. To avoid additional effort during updates to future releases, do not use deprecated features.

In the 8.4 release, the following features are no longer recommended:

• Mobile Client 7 is now deprecated and planned for removal in 8.5. Use Pega Infinity Mobile Client to meet the mobile needs of your business.
• The Reuse existing web portal functionality is deprecated and planned for removal in 8.5. For improved app performance and more efficient development, use the mobile app builder in the mobile channel. Also, you must convert existing projects to use separate channels for mobile and web portals before upgrading to 8.5.

In addition, the Pega Mobile Express app has been removed from app stores and replaced with the Pega Mobile Preview app.

Pega Client for Windows

Pega Client for Windows is a stand-alone application that serves as a container for Pega 7 Platform applications. The target for this product is Windows 10 laptops and tablet devices. It communicates directly with the Pega 7 Platform server to support online and offline-enabled applications. Pega Client for Windows works on 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) Windows devices.

For more information, see Features and functions of the Pega Client for Windows.

Removal of Pega Mobile Client 7

You can now use a single Pega Mobile Client™ that improves app performance, app development, and meets all your mobile needs. With the introduction of new functionalities for mobile apps, Pega Mobile Client 7 is removed in Pega Platform™ 8.5.

Upgrade impact

After an upgrade to Pega 8.5, you can no longer build mobile apps based on Pega Mobile Client 7, and existing apps based on Pega Mobile Client 7 no longer connect to Pega Platform. App developers can now configure mobile apps with Pega Mobile Client.

What steps are required to update the application to be compatible with this change?

Existing clients that upgrade to Pega 8.5 are automatically switched to Pega Mobile Client.

Pega Mobile Preview app

You can now use Pega Mobile Preview to access multiple mobile channels and preview your Pega Platform™ application, for example, to verify that it is displayed correctly and operates as intended. Pega Mobile Preview is a native application that runs on Android and iOS devices. Compared with Pega Mobile Express, it enables switching between mobile channels and supports enhanced layout configuration options.

You can download Pega Mobile Preview from the Apple App Store or from Google Play.

For more information, see Pega Mobile Express and Pega Mobile Preview.

Fingerprint authentication in Pega Mobile Client

The authentication feature in Pega Mobile Client has been extended to support user credentials that are secured by a fingerprint reader. The FingerprintAuthenticator object and its methods replace the TouchID API. A compatibility layer has been created to support custom mobile apps that use the deprecated API. This functionality is available on iOS and selected Android devices.

For more information, see Authentication API.

Change passwords from Pega Mobile Client

You can now change your Pega^® Platform password from a mobile device. After your password expires and you try to log in to a custom mobile app, Pega Mobile Client lets you define a new password and verifies it against active password policies.

For more information, see Enabling security policies.