Finalsite’s Mobile App offers streamlined communication with a single login for all communication at the district, school, and classroom levels. Parents and guardians can easily filter, browse, and engage with the content they care about, customized from the moment they download through a guided setup wizard. Send push notifications from the Finalsite platform to the mobile app. Allow families to customize their own notifications so they can see what they want but not be bombarded with information.
This article provides all the information you need to help you to understand the upgrade process.
In this article
- Which mobile app do I have?
- Why upgrade?
- How does the upgrade work?
- What will happen to our data in the upgrade process?
- I'm ready! How do I get started?
- Side-by-Side Product Features Guide
Which mobile app do I have?
Before you begin, it's important to know which Finalsite mobile app you currently use.
- Did you begin implementation before 2024? If so, you likely have the older version, which we call the 2019 Mobile App.
- You may already have the most current Mobile App if your app deployed recently or within 2024.
Here’s a visual side-by-side comparison. Check out this features guide below for more specifics!
Why upgrade?
There is an easier, more streamlined way to engage your community.
- New features are coming your way fast as lightning!
- One app. One login. One inbox. All your messages and notifications can live in the same place.
- A smooth setup wizard appears for all Mobile App users allowing for preferences to be defined early on.
- Stay connected with the possibility of our new 2-way chat feature to live in your Mobile App toolbar. Future releases include: student chat, admin reporting, statistics, grades, attendance tracking, and so much more!
- Stronger security to keep your community’s data safe.
- Enhanced home screen visibility, allowing users to browse and see more content at a time.
How does the upgrade work?
The process is so seamless you will hardly know it's happening. Our team will guide you through each step to seamlessly transition to your upgraded app!
- The upgrade process begins once you say go. We’ll walk through a few steps with you, including: configuring API key access and obtaining a more accessible header logo. Once these steps are complete, then the deployment of your app will be triggered.
- You’ll find the configuration of the app's content settings to be identical to those you were familiar with in the 2019 version of our mobile app.
What will happen to our data in the upgrade process?
Everything will get moved over and reconnected directly without requiring any steps from you after the initial setup. You will experience no interruption in the way your app's content appears to your community, and there is no need to ask your people to redownload the app.
I'm ready! How do I get started?
We will be reaching out to initiate the upgrade process. If you would like to upgrade sooner, reach out to your Client Success Manager or email clientsuccess@finalsite.com to let them know you're interested in getting started!
Side-by-Side Product Features Guide
This guide provides a clear and direct comparison between the old and new Mobile App, making it easier to see improvements and new features at a glance so that you can feel confident about upgrading to Finalsite's Mobile App!
| Feature | 2019 Mobile App | Mobile App |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity | ||
| Two-way chat | Unavailable | Two-way chat and direct messaging available as an add-on. Coming soon: student chat, admin reporting, statistics, and more. |
| Notifications and messages | Multiple separate areas for notifications and messages. | One app. One login. One inbox. |
| User interface | ||
| Modern, enhanced user interface | Unavailable | Yes — faster transitions with a smoother feel. |
| Security and updates | ||
| Security | Standard | Stronger, with consistently-added enhancements. |
| Future feature updates | None | Grades, attendance, and more coming as the product continues to grow. |
| Content and customization | ||
| Translation | Unavailable | Yes. Chat messages and the app UI translate into 30+ languages. Translation for Composer content (news, calendars) is coming soon. |
| Custom links (lunch menus, etc.) | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic website content from Composer | Yes — posts, resources, calendar, directory, athletics, and push notifications. | Yes — same as before: posts, resources, calendar, directory, athletics, and push notifications. |
| Add events to phone calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Directory information only | Coming soon: grades, attendance, lunch balances, bus schedules. |
| Post push notifications | Yes — push notifications alert the community when a new post is available. | Yes |
| Setup and preferences | ||
| Setup wizard | Unavailable | Yes — a guided setup wizard lets users define preferences at the start rather than reconfiguring later. |
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