Mobile Task Approval

This SharePoint Add-in creates a mobile-friendly approval form for any Task List. Decision makers can approve or reject tasks from any mobile device. THIS APP WILL BE RETIRED ON OCTOBER 30, 2020.

Feature Comparison Frequently Asked Questions Step-by-Step Instructions

Bulletproof Apps are no longer available for download in the Microsoft AppSource store and will be retired permanently on December 1, 2022. Please contact Bulletproof for custom app development services using Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.

Click on any category or help topic to expand.

Getting Started

How do I download the app?

Follow these steps to download Mobile Task Approval from Microsoft AppSource. (We'll do our best to keep the screenshots up to date, your actual steps may vary)

When browsing web pages describing Mobile Task Approval on the Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint site, click the Download from Microsoft AppSource button. Or, go directly to https://appsource.microsoft.com and search for "Bulletproof".

On the Microsoft AppSource page for Mobile Task Approval, click GET IT NOW.

Links to the terms of use and privacy policy are provided. Click Continue.

Select a SharePoint site, and click Continue. This step makes the app available to SharePoint. (Note: to make the app available to all site collections, install the app at the root site collection of your SharePoint tenant.)

A link is provided that describes the required permissions for the app. Click ADD IT.

Click Continue to confirm.

Uncheck the box if you don't want to immediately add Mobile Task Approval to the root site of your site collection. Click Return to site.

To add Mobile Task Approval to a specific site, follow the steps in the next help topic How do I add the app to my SharePoint site.

How do I add the app to my SharePoint site?

After downloading Mobile Task Approval from Microsoft AppSource, you can add the app to a site just like any other list or library. Follow these steps:

Before you add Mobile Task Approval to your SharePoint site, consider the following:

The app must be installed on the same site where your task list(s) exist. The app can be installed on multiple sites.
During the deployment process, one (1) list will be created on the site for app administrators. You may want to apply unique permissions to this list.
The deployment process requires that Site Columns and Content Types be created at the Site Collection level. You must have the appropriate permissions.

Open the gear menu, and select Site Contents.

In the Classic Experience, click add an app.

In the New Experience (the Modern UI), select New > App.

Click the icon for Mobile Task Approval.

If this is the first time you are adding the app to your site, you'll need to grant permissions. Click Trust it. The following permissions are required:

Site Collection. Site Columns and Content Types are created at the root website of your site collection. In addition to being SharePoint best practice, it allows the app to be installed on multiple sites.
Site. Lists are created on the current site to store data for the app. Your data is stored on your site, not with Bulletproof.
Users. The app needs to know information about the current user such as display name and email address.

Information about data and privacy can be found at https://bulletproofapps.azurewebsites.net/Home/Privacy.

When the installation is completed, you should see Mobile Task Approval listed in your Site Contents.

Add the Mobile Task Approval web address to your Trusted Sites list in Internet Explorer

Add https://mobiletaskapproval.azurewebsites.net to your Trusted Sites list, or you may not be able to browse the app. You may only see error messages or timeout messages. This not only applies to the Internet Explorer browser, it could help other browsers as well.

Deploy lists, site columns and content types to your site

One (1) list is created on each site where the app is installed to manage administrators of the Mobile Task Approval app. Follow these steps to complete the deployment.

From the navigation menu, click Deploy.

Under the heading Infrastructure Definitions, you can review a list of all Site Columns, Site Content Types, and Lists that will be deployed to your site. Site Columns and Content Types are deployed to the Site Collection, and Lists are deployed to the site where the app is installed. You must have appropriate permissions to these locations.

Under the heading Deployment Status, click Deploy Now.

Messages will be displayed showing the progress of the deployment. When the deployment is completed, the status indicator will read Deployed.

In the upper left-hand corner of the screen, click the link Go back to [your site name].

Click Site Contents using the gear menu or from the left-hand navigation.

You should see one (1) new list:

Mobile Task Administrators. A custom list that contains all users who are administrators of the Mobile Task Approval app. These users can access all administration pages. The user who installs the app is added automatically.

What permissions should I apply to the new lists?

You can use the built-in permission levels that come with SharePoint. Follow these guidelines:

How do I browse my incomplete tasks on my mobile device?

You simply need the correct web address (URL) which can be generated using the Configuration Options page. Follow these steps:

First, go to the Mobile Task Approval app on your site and click Configure in the navigation menu.

Select the Task List that you want to browse with a mobile device. Click Save.

A URL for Task Browsing is automatically generated.

Click on the link to test it. A new tab will open in your browser. Here are some suggested ways to get this link to other users:

Add the link to a team site or navigation.
If users can access email on their mobile devices, you can email the link. When the user clicks the link, a browser will open on their mobile device.
Manually add the link as a bookmark or favorite on a user's mobile device.

The Mobile Task Form will automatically search for any incomplete tasks you have in the selected task list.

All users who access the Mobile Task Approval Form must be added as Authorized Users in the User Management section of the Configuration Options page.

Why does the app redirect me to "azurewebsites.net"?

Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint use the SharePoint Provider Hosted Add-In Framework. This means that Bulletproof hosts a website in Microsoft Azure cloud services that contains all of the app's web pages and web parts. Every website in Microsoft Azure is assigned a web address like "myapp.azurewebsites.net". When you click on the app in your SharePoint site, you get redirected to this site. All apps are secure and authenticated by your SharePoint site.

Mobile Task Approval - User Guide

How do I approve or reject a task?

Depending on the type of SharePoint Task you are using (standard task, workflow task, etc.), you will be presented with a Completed button or Approve and Reject buttons. Here are more details:

Standard SharePoint Tasks (not associated with a SharePoint workflow) do not require approval. When the Mobile Task Approval Form detects a standard task, simply click the Completed button to complete the task. Comments are optional and will be appended to the Task Description. If you would like to save comments without completing the task, click the Save button.

SharePoint Workflow Tasks must be approved or rejected. When the Mobile Task Approval Form detects a SharePoint workflow task, you will be able to click Approve to approve the task or click Reject to reject the task. Comments are optional and will be appended to the Task Description. If you would like to add comments without approving or rejecting the task, click the Save button.

When approved or rejected, the related SharePoint workflow status will be updated, and the workflow will continue to the next step. This only applies to the following types of workflows:

SharePoint Designer Workflows
SP2010 Workflows
SP2013 Workflows

The following types of workflows are NOT supported by Mobile Task Approval:

Basic "Content Approval" without a workflow (found under List Settings > Advanced Settings)
Microsoft Flow
Third-party Workflow Tools (that use their own workflow engine)

Can I add my own comments to a task?

Yes, your new comments will be appended to the Task Description. Comments will be added when you Save, Complete, Approve, or Reject the task. Unfortunately, Workflow Comments and Version Comments cannot be added using the Mobile Task Approval Form at this time.

Why does the form say that I have no unassigned tasks?

Tasks must be assigned to you (not to a SharePoint security group like 'Approvers'), and tasks must be incomplete (status should not be 'Completed', percent complete should not be 100%). You should be able to see all incomplete tasks assigned to you.

Mobile Task Approval - Administration

Overview of the navigation menu

Most users will only use the Mobile Task Approval Form. However, administrators have an Administrator Dashboard and pages for Deployment Options, Configuration Options, Contact Information, Upgrade Options, and Online Help.

The Administrator Dashboard gives you a quick status update on the following:

Deployment Status - shows if required lists and libraries have been deployed to the site.
Contact Information - shows if contact information and communication preferences have been entered.
Current License - shows your current license level and messaging when upgrades are available.
Payment Status - shows the current payment status and messages when payment is due.

The Deployment Options page is where you deploy Site Columns, Content Types, Lists and Libraries to your site. This creates a list for administrators of the Mobile Task Approval app for the current site. Task data remains on your site, so that you have complete control over your data.

The Configuration Options page allows you to generate links for task browsing and workflows, enable/disable features, and manage user licenses. Subscription levels are based on number of users only, so all features are available with the free version and paid subscriptions.

The Contact Information page is where you enter primary contact information and communication preferences. This person will receive notifications regarding product updates and maintenance.

The Upgrade Options page is where you can purchase a paid subscription and manage upgrades. This page also provides status indicators and messaging regarding Current Version, Current License, and Payment Status.

The Online Help page provides all online help topics and also includes a form to submit a request to Bulletproof Support.

The More SharePoint Add-Ins page lists additional apps you may be interested in. Bulletproof also offers Security as a Service, Managed Services, Professional Services, Educational Services, and more.

Use the Administrator Dashboard to monitor the app

The Administrator Dashboard is the home page for Mobile Task Approval administrators and will display a variety of status messages. See below for a sample of the status messages you may see on the dashboard.

When Mobile Task Approval is first added to any site, the Deployment Status will show as Not Deployed.

After you have completed deployment of Site Columns, Content Types and Lists, the Deployment Status will change to Deployed.

Contact Information will show as Not Verified until you confirm a primary contact and choose communication preferences.

You will start with a Free license as the Current License.

When you purchase a subscription, the Current License will show the license level. You will also see messaging about when your subscription will expire.

When using the Free version, Payment Status will show as No Payment Required.

Once payment is completed and you have an active subscription, Payment Status will show as Paid.

Use Configuration Options to get mobile URLs linked to task lists

Here is a description of the features on the Configuration Options page:

When you Select a Task List and click Save, URLs (web addresses) are generated that allow use of a mobile device to browse incomplete tasks or incorporate links into a workflow.

You must select a task list and click Save to generate URLs for any task list.
Only one (1) task list can be selected at a time, but the URLs generated for multiple task lists can be used by any authorized user at any time (regardless of which task list is currently selected).

The URL for Task Browsing can be used by any authorized user to browse their incomplete tasks on a mobile device.

The URL for Workflows can be used to incorporate a link to individual tasks in a SharePoint workflow.

Open the workflow in your browser or workflow designer tool (SharePoint Designer, Flow).
Copy and paste the URL where appropriate in the workflow process.
Replace "[InsertTaskItemIdHere]" with the token for the current task ID (as appropriate for your workflow designer tool).

Check the box Hide Approve/Reject if you want to always show a Completed button.

This applies to ALL task lists on the current site. At this time it cannot be configured separately for multiple task lists on the same site.
This option is provided because some "Workflow Tasks" (like the Three State Workflow) may not require Approve/Reject buttons.

Can I use more than one task list on a site?

Yes. Use the Configuration Options page to generate URLs for each task list. Only one set of URLs is visible on the page at one time, but all URLs generated can be used.

Can workflows email a link to a mobile-friendly display of a task?

Yes. A URL for Workflows is provided on the Configuration Options page. See the help topic Use Configuration Options to get mobile URLs linked to task lists for more details.

Upgrade to a new version

Minor software patches and bug fixes will be applied automatically. However, when new functionality becomes available, you'll be notified that a new version is available. Follow these steps to upgrade to a new version.

How do I uninstall the app from my site?

You can uninstall the app from the Deployment Options page. Follow these steps:

Manage User Licenses

How do I manage user licenses?

User licenses for Bulletproof Apps are managed on the Configuration Options administration page. Here are some guidelines for managing licenses:

In the top navigation menu for your app, click Configure.

Scroll down to the User Management section.

If your Total Licenses shows Unlimited, then your app can be used by an unlimited number of users. No user management is required. Please note that depending on the app, there may be restrictions on the number of users allowed per site.

Otherwise, Total Licenses will show the maximum number of user licenses available, and additional options will be visible.

Total Licenses. The maximum number of users who can use the app.
Automatically Add Users. When this box is checked, users will be automatically granted a license and added to the Authorized Users list.
Authorized Users. The list of users who are authorized to use the app.

To manually add a new Authorized User, enter their email address in one of the textboxes and click Save.

At first, just the email address will be visible on the Configuration Options page.
When the user first browses the app, their SharePoint display name will be added to the page.
If you have a license level with hundreds of users, this list could be very long. Use your browser's "Find on Page" functionality to search for individual user names (on Microsoft Windows web browsers, this can usually be found by pressing Ctrl-f).

Purchase a Subscription

Is a free trial available?

The Free License comes with all available functionality for one (1) user. A free trial is not necessary. There are a variety of license levels that can be purchased as a subscription which provide additional user licenses.

Pay for a subscription online

To start the payment process, go to the Upgrade Options page and click Pay Now for the desired subscription level. You'll be taken to the Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint website to Verify Your Address and confirm your purchase. Then, you'll be redirected to PayPal to complete the purchase. Follow these steps to purchase a subscription.

From the navigation menu, click Upgrade.

Click Pay Now to start the payment process.

A new browser tab will open, and you will be redirected to the secure Bulletproof Apps for SharePoint website to verify your address. Enter your company address, then click Verify and Save.

Click Buy Now to confirm, and you will be redirected to a secure PayPal site to complete the purchase. A variety of payment methods are available.

After you complete your purchase, PayPal will notify us of the payment. The Payment Status on the Administrator Dashboard and Upgrade Options pages should be immediately updated to Paid. If your payment status is not updated within 24 hours, please contact Bulletproof Support for assistance.

Get Help

Browse the online help

Before contacting Bulletproof Support, please browse the online help topics on this site. We try to provide all of the information you need to install, configure, administer, and use the app.

How do I submit a request to Bulletproof Support?

The app administrator can submit a request by filling out the form on the Online Help page. Follow these steps:

Does Bulletproof offer additional SharePoint support?

Yes, Bulletproof has a team of SharePoint Support staff and offers support contracts as a Managed Service. Bulletproof also has a team of SharePoint Consultants in the Professional Services division who can assist you with planning, architecture, custom development, and general consulting. Go to https://www.bulletproofsi.com for more information.

Does Bulletproof make any other apps?

Yes, please visit the Bulletproof Apps website at https://bulletproofapps.azurewebsites.net for detailed descriptions.