Support Policy: Accessing Salesforce Desktop User Interface (UI) on Mobile Phone and Tablet Browsers

1. Mobile Phones (iPhone and Android)

Support Status: Not Supported

While you may technically be able to log in to the full desktop User Interface (UI) using a web browser on an Apple iPhone or Android smartphone, Salesforce does not actively support, guarantee functionality, or provide troubleshooting assistance for this configuration.

The desktop UI is not optimized for small touchscreens. If you force your mobile browser to load the desktop site, many critical elements will fail to render or function correctly. Commonly broken features include:

• Calendars

• Reports and Dashboards

• Forecasting

• Data Imports

• Content Delivery

Recommended Action: For the best experience on a smartphone, you must download the official Salesforce Mobile App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

(Before downloading, please verify your device meets the current OS standards in our Requirements for the Salesforce Mobile App guide).

2. Tablets (Apple iPad vs. Android Tablets)

Support Status: Conditionally Supported (Apple iPad Only)

Apple iPads (Safari Browser)

Because Apple treats modern iPad Operating Systems (iPadOS) as desktop-class environments, the Safari browser on an iPad defaults to requesting desktop websites. Salesforce supports accessing the Lightning Experience desktop UI via Safari on iPads running modern iPadOS versions (iPadOS 15 and later).

If you encounter bugs, rendering issues, or errors while using Lightning Experience on iPad Safari, you may contact Salesforce Support. These cases are treated identically to standard desktop browser issues.

(To understand specific touchscreen behavioral differences, such as how hover menus work on an iPad, review Lightning Experience on iPad Safari Considerations).

Note: Using the legacy Salesforce Classic UI on an iPad browser remains entirely unsupported.

Android Tablets (Chrome/Other Browsers)

Support Status: Not Supported Unlike iPads, Android tablets generally default to mobile web user agents. Accessing the desktop UI via a browser on an Android tablet is unsupported. Android tablet users should utilize the official Salesforce Mobile App.

(For limitations and feature parity on tablet screens, review Salesforce Mobile App Considerations for Tablets).

3. Feature Differences & Emulation

Next, learn about the limits and differences between Salesforce for Android & iOS and the desktop Salesforce website.

Note for Administrators & Developers: If you have been using Chrome Developer Tools via a desktop browser to emulate or test the mobile web experience, this will now show the Classic UI due to the Salesforce Mobile Web Experience Retirement. Salesforce recommends testing on an actual mobile device instead.

4. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: I am able to load the desktop Lightning Experience on my iPhone's Safari browser. If I find a bug, will Salesforce Support help me fix it? A: No. Because the configuration is officially unsupported, Salesforce Support cannot log bugs or provide troubleshooting steps for desktop UI issues occurring on a smartphone browser. You will be advised to replicate the issue on a desktop computer or use the Salesforce Mobile App.

Q: Can I use Google Chrome on my iPad to access the desktop UI? A: Salesforce officially supports Apple Safari for desktop Lightning Experience access on iPads. While Google Chrome for iOS/iPadOS may work, Safari is the documented and tested standard for Apple tablet hardware.

Q: Are there limitations to using Lightning Experience on an iPad Safari browser? A: Yes. The interface relies heavily on hover states (which do not natively exist on touchscreens) and is optimized for landscape orientation. You may need to rely on alternative tap gestures to reveal standard desktop menus.