Campus Guide Tiles for 3rd Party App

You can create campus guide tiles in Campus Cloud Studio leading to a third-party app.

Manage > Studio > Edit an Experience (or create one to then edit) > + add a tile > select the "3rd Party App" option

Fill in the following four fields:

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Note that the "App" dropdown menu contains a per-list of already known apps, and clicking a pre-listed app allows you to automatically fill the four fields with the correct values for that pre-listed app.

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If you wish to configure a third-party app that is not already pre-listed, then you will need to fill in those four fields yourself. This article explains how to find the correct values to put in those four fields.

 

Android Package Name

The Android package name is a unique identifier for a given app.

To find the package name of an Android app:

  • Open the Play store from your computer in a web browser
  • Use the search functionality to find and navigate to the app you're looking for
  • Copy the URL from the browser address bar and paste it to a text editor
  • From the copied URL, to get the Android package name, take everything between "id=" and "&"

For example, if the copied URL is https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.readyeducation.reuniversity&hl=en, the app package name will be com.readyeducation.reuniversity.

 

Android Package Name Considerations

There are no special considerations for devices running Android versions up to Android 10, and third-party app tiles will work if configured correctly. Starting with Android 11, there are special considerations.

Android 11 introduces privacy features preventing your campus app from launching a third-party app, unless that third-party app's package name is declared at the time of app publishing.

This means that at the time of publishing your campus app, the full list of package names for the supported third-party apps must be declared. If you create a new third-party app tile and that app's package name is not already declared in your campus app, then the campus app will be updated automatically by our system to add support for the new third-party app.

Right after introducing a new third-party app tile with a new package name, the following should happen:

  • Clicking that new third-party app tile from an Android device running up to Android 10 should work as expected
  • Clicking that new third-party app tile from an Android device running Android 11 will not work (the campus app will behave as if the app is not installed)
  • Our system will detect the change automatically and publish an app update
  • Within 24 hours, a new app update for your campus app should become available, and only the updated app will support the new third-party app tile on Android 11

If you are not able to get a new third-party app tile to work on Android 11 after 72 hours, please send a request to our support team, and they will troubleshoot this with you.

 

Android Fallback URL

The Android fallback URL is the backup link that will be opened by the mobile app if unable to open the third-party app for any reason (e.g. not installed).

That link should ideally lead to the app on the Google Play Store so the user can easily install it.

The link to the Google Play Store page of an app is based on the app package name and has the following format: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=<app package name here>

For example, for the app with the package name com.readyeducation.reuniversity, the Google Play Store page link will be: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.readyeducation.reuniversity.

 

iOS or Android Universal URL

A universal URL is a unique link to a specific mobile app. 

If you want to open a specific area of an app, this URL can include a parameter that specifies which part of the app to target. This URL may be the same for both iOS and Android, but this is not always the case. 

The iOS Universal URL field is required. The Android Universal URL field is optional, to be used only when targeting a specific area of the app.

To obtain information about how to find a universal URL to your app (or a specific area of your app), you can:

  • consult the app's documentation
  • search for it on Google or other search engine
  • ask the app developer directly

Important notes

  • The app universal URL typically looks like an HTTPS web link (e.g. https://www.readyeducation.com could be an app's universal URL)
  • Some apps do not have a universal URL
  • Some apps have an app scheme, which you can use in place of the universal URL: it has a different format (e.g. "bbinstructor://") and you will also need to search for it
  • Some apps have neither a universal URL nor an app scheme and cannot be linked from a third-party app tile at all

Testing Whether a Universal URL is Working

You can test whether a universal URL is working by following the steps:

  • Take the candidate universal URL and send it in an email to yourself
  • On your device, ensure you have the candidate app installed
  • From your device, open the received email, and try to click on the link of the universal URL:
    • If the app opens successfully, then the universal URL is correct and is working as expected
    • If the universal URL is opened in your browser instead, then the URL is most likely incorrect

Note: if you're using an app scheme instead of a universal URL, there is no known easy way to test app schemes outside of a developer environment equipped with developer tools.

 

iOS Fallback URL

The iOS fallback URL is the backup link that will be opened by the mobile app if unable to open the third-party app for any reason (e.g. not installed).

That link should ideally lead to the app on the Apple App Store so that the user can easily install it.

The link to the Apple App Store can be found the following way:

  • Open the Apple App Store from your computer in a web browser
  • Use the search functionality to find and navigate to the app you're looking for
  • Once you have navigated to the app page on the Apple App Store, your browser's address bar should have the Apple App Store page link
  • Copy the URL from the browser address bar, and you have the link of the app on the Apple App Store