MobileSmith FAQs

Design

 I can see my home screen, but when I tap on it nothing happens. Why?

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No, you cannot. However, if you would like your logo across the top, you can choose a navigation method without the Navigation Bar, and create a banner ad with your organization’s name and logo to go across the top of the screen.

Functionality

I changed the spelling of a word on the Home Screen; do I have to create a new build of the app?

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1. It’s not efficient; if a user needs to call 911, they aren’t going to take time to open a separate app
2. If the user is in a bad coverage area and the call to 911 through the app fails, we don’t want to be held responsible for any repercussions from not being able to dial out
3. If the app is opened on a tablet, we don’t want the user to think they can dial 911 from the tablet if needed; tablets cannot make phone calls

Navigation

Can I use a Flyout Menu and Tabs at the same time for Navigation?

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No, you must use the ones we have available in the Platform.

App Blocks

FLEX – List of Locations

I want our app to show users all of our locations, including the user’s proximity to each location. How do I do this?

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When you create your Flex – List of Locations, under Global Configuration, you can set a limit for how many results the user will see, or set a radius limit (i.e. user will only see locations within 10 miles of their current location). Make sure you design the Empty List Canvas, in case there are no locations within the radius of the user. You can simply put a message that says, for example, “There are no locations within X miles of you.”.

FLEX – Basic

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I want to be able to organize the items in my Flex- Basic list into categories; how do I do this?

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Make sure that you assign keywords to your data via the AppOffice or through .csv upload utilizing a "Keywords" column to make the data searchable. If you want users to be able to search by name, enter the name elements into the Keywords column, next to the corresponding entry, separated by a pipe symbol (i.e. to be able to search for Jane Doe, you would enter “Jane|Doe” into the Keywords column). If Jane Doe is, for example, an OB/GYN, you can add keywords, separated by pipe symbols, so she will show up when users search those words as well (i.e. “OB/GYN|pregnancy”). 

Can I make a list view shareable?

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In the Folders screen in the Platform, you can drag and drop your folders to arrange their order. Simply click and hold on the folder you want to move, and drag it until a blue line appears in the spot you want to move it to. If you’re doing a Dynamic Build, you will not need to create a new build to see this change reflected. Simply refresh the app, and you’ll see the changes.

FLEX – Virtual Photo Booth

What’s the difference between the List – Photo Gallery appblock, and the Flex – Virtual Photo Booth?

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The Flex- Virtual Photo Booth functions similarly, however with a few other options. You have the option to keep photos on a user’s phone, so they are only visible to that user; this could be a great option for a pregnancy app, where an expectant mother can take photos of her growing baby bump. The Virtual Photo Booth also gives you the ability to add photo overlays.

Native Plug-In (NPI)

 I created a copy of an app containing an NPI, but the NPI isn’t working. Why is this?

When you build an app from a blueprint (or copy another app) that contains an NPI (Native Plug-In), the NPI code does not copy over. You’ll have to go into the original app and download the iOS and Android codes, as well as copy the configuration details, then go into the NPI appblock in your new app and attach the codes and copy & paste the configuration details. You’ll have to create a new test build for the changes to take effect in the app.

Local Applet

The data from the contraction timer and the diaper tracker is getting crossed in the app; why is that?

When you have both applets in the same app, you need to change the Data Key so the information is being stored in different places. To do this, go into the Configuration for the applet in the Platform, and click on the Customize tab. In the Data Key field (at the bottom), you’ll need to edit the Data Key slightly. It defaults to saying “DEFAULT”, so you can change one to “DEFAULT2”, or customize it however you wish.

Builds

 I’ve sent myself a test build of my app, but can’t install it on my phone. Why?

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You have to update your provisioning profiles (there is an individual one for each app) annually, based on the date you created the app. The global certificate needs to be updated whenever you renew your account.

Content

Can I collect patients’ PHI (personal health information) in my app?

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• Create an input page with REST calls, so the patient’s information is sent to your servers and not stored on ours
• If it must be stored on our server, the first step would be to execute a BAA agreement. You can work with your Client Success Representative to determine what will work best for your needs

Why do I need a privacy policy? Can you guys provide one for us to use?

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