SAP Fiori Client
SAP Fiori Client is a retired native mobile container app that opened an organization's SAP Fiori Launchpad and added asset caching, push notifications and device access such as the camera and barcode scanner. The end of SAP Fiori Client concerns only this wrapper app; SAP Fiori apps and the launchpad continue in browsers.
Quick facts
- Type
- Native mobile container app (hybrid runtime for SAP Fiori apps)
- Layer
- Entry point & experience
- Variants
- App store version; custom clients built with the SDK or the cloud build service
- Managed with
- SAP Mobile Platform or SAP Mobile Services (optional registration)
- Status
- Retired; withdrawn from the public app stores
- Successors
- Mobile browser; Joule Work mobile app (formerly SAP Mobile Start); custom native apps
- Applies to
- SAP S/4HANA on-premise and Private Edition; SAP Business Suite launchpads
Layer: Entry point & experienceWhere it sits ▾
Layer: Entry point & experience
Open the architecture map →What did the SAP Fiori Client do?
SAP Fiori Client was a native shell around a web page. A user installed the app, entered the SAP Fiori Launchpad URL once, and the app then rendered the launchpad and its apps as a browser would, online only. SAP documented three additions on top of a browser:
- Device capabilities: apps running inside the client could use the camera, barcode scanner, geolocation and push notifications through plugins.
- Caching: the client managed the local cache of SAP Fiori assets so that new app versions from the front-end server replaced old ones reliably.
- Supportability: an attachment viewer, logs and a configuration screen for administrators.
The client was not a separate UI technology. It ran the same SAPUI5 apps that the front-end server delivered to desktop browsers. SAP Fiori Client was therefore a delivery container for the launchpad, not a different kind of SAP Fiori app.
Which variants of the SAP Fiori Client existed?
SAP documented three variants:
| Variant | How it reached devices | Typical reason |
|---|---|---|
| App store client | Downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play | Quick start, no build effort |
| Custom client built with the SDK | Built by developers with a script from the SAP Mobile Platform SDK | Own branding, custom authentication, extra plugins |
| Custom client built with the cloud build service | Configured and signed in SAP Mobile Services, distributed by QR code or URL | Pre-configured connection, branding, enterprise distribution |
Any variant could register with SAP Mobile Platform or SAP Mobile Services, controlled by the property fioriURLIsSMP; registered clients gained central management and push, unregistered ones simply opened the URL. The custom variants relied on the hybrid SDK of SAP Mobile Platform 3.x, often called Kapsel. Which variant an organization used decides how much work its exit from SAP Fiori Client involves.
Why was the SAP Fiori Client retired?
SAP moved the native mobile entry point from a generic web container to a purpose-built app. Three developments made the container less necessary:
- Mobile browsers gained the capabilities that once required plugins, such as camera access for scanning.
- SAP introduced SAP Mobile Start as its native entry point to launchpad apps, tasks and notifications. In May 2026 SAP Mobile Start evolved into the Joule Work mobile app.
- Organizations that needed device features beyond the browser were directed to custom apps built with SAP Mobile Services rather than to a shared container.
SAP announced the removal of the app store client from the public stores; check the SAP Notes on SAP Fiori Client for the official dates of removal and end of maintenance. SAP Fiori, SAPUI5 and the SAP Fiori Launchpad remain SAP's current user experience, so the retirement of SAP Fiori Client is a change of delivery channel, not of UI strategy.
What replaces the SAP Fiori Client?
Three paths replace SAP Fiori Client, and they fit different needs:
| Path | Fits when | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile browser | Users only need launchpad apps online | A supported browser; launchpad URL bookmarked or pushed by mobile device management |
| Joule Work mobile app (formerly SAP Mobile Start) | Users want a native start screen with apps, to-dos and notifications | SAP Build Work Zone or SAP Start on SAP BTP; Cloud Connector with principal propagation for on-premise and Private Edition |
| Custom native app | Offline work, scanning-heavy processes or deep device integration | SAP Mobile Services and a development team |
The decisive criterion is offline need: if users must work without a connection, neither the browser nor the Joule Work mobile app covers it, and a custom app is the realistic choice. Replacing SAP Fiori Client starts with deciding which of the three needs each user group actually has.
What should you check if users still run the SAP Fiori Client?
A short check sequence avoids surprises:
- Inventory. Ask the mobile device management team which client variant is installed and on how many devices.
- Plugin dependencies. Search custom SAPUI5 apps for calls to container plugins such as barcode scanning or attachment handling. These calls fail in a plain browser and need a browser-based alternative or a native app.
- Authentication. Custom clients sometimes carried their own authentication flow; confirm that the identity provider works in the browser or in the successor app.
- Deep links and notifications. Push notifications sent through SAP Mobile Services to the client stop when the client goes away; plan their replacement.
A common mistake is to treat the exit as a pure distribution change. The real work in leaving SAP Fiori Client sits in custom apps that silently depended on its plugins.
What changes between SAP S/4HANA deployment options?
- On-premise and Private Edition: SAP Fiori Client pointed to the launchpad on the front-end server; leftover clients are most often found here.
- SAP Business Suite: SAP ERP launchpads used SAP Fiori Client too. The Joule Work mobile app lists SAP S/4HANA 1809 or later and SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2108 or later as content prerequisites, so SAP ERP users usually move to the browser or a custom app.
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition: users reach the launchpad through browsers or the Joule Work mobile app.
The successor depends on the back end: SAP S/4HANA systems have a native SAP option, while SAP ERP systems mostly rely on the browser after SAP Fiori Client.
SAP Fiori Client vs. SAP Mobile Start: what is the difference?
| SAP Fiori Client | SAP Mobile Start (now Joule Work mobile app) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hybrid container that renders the launchpad web page | Native app with its own start screen, to-dos, notifications and Joule |
| Content source | One SAP Fiori Launchpad URL | SAP Build Work Zone or SAP Start sites on SAP BTP, which federate SAP S/4HANA content |
| Back-end prerequisite | Any reachable launchpad, including SAP Business Suite | SAP S/4HANA 1809 or later, SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2108 or later, via SAP BTP |
| Status | Retired | Current; renamed Joule Work mobile app in May 2026 |
SAP Fiori Client wrapped one launchpad, while SAP Mobile Start and its successor provide a native entry point fed by SAP BTP sites.
FAQ
Does the end of SAP Fiori Client mean SAP Fiori is discontinued?
No. SAP Fiori Client was only a mobile container app around the SAP Fiori Launchpad. SAP Fiori apps, SAPUI5 and the launchpad remain SAP's current user experience and run in mobile and desktop browsers, and SAP offers the Joule Work mobile app, formerly SAP Mobile Start, as its native mobile entry point.
Can I still use a custom SAP Fiori Client?
A self-built custom SAP Fiori Client may keep running for a while, but it depends on SAP Mobile Platform SDK components and on operating system updates outside the organization's control. Treat it as a migration candidate and check its support status with SAP.
Does SAP Mobile Start work with SAP ECC?
The documented content prerequisites of the Joule Work mobile app, formerly SAP Mobile Start, are SAP S/4HANA 1809 or later and SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2108 or later, connected through SAP BTP. SAP ERP launchpads are not listed, so SAP ERP users typically use a browser instead.
Why did my SAPUI5 app lose barcode scanning after leaving SAP Fiori Client?
The app probably called a scanning plugin that only existed inside SAP Fiori Client. A plain browser does not provide that plugin, so the call fails. Replace it with a browser-based scanning approach, such as the SAPUI5 barcode scanner control where your version supports it, or move the scenario to a native app.
Sources
- SAP Help Portal: SAP Fiori Client — features (SAP Mobile Services)
- SAP Help Portal: SAP Fiori Client overview and client types (SAP Mobile Services)
- SAP Help Portal: Joule Work mobile app (formerly SAP Mobile Start) — release notes
- SAP Help Portal: Joule Work mobile app — system prerequisites
- Applies to
- SAP S/4HANA on-premise · SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition
- Last reviewed