Create white-label Retool Mobile apps
Eligible Retool organizations can request White-label Apps: a custom-branded version of the Retool Mobile app. Retool can manage the distribution of White-label Apps to users in your organization through the iOS App Store and Google Play, or you can self-manage this process.
To create a White-label App, you provide Retool with the necessary provisioning resources. Retool then generates a custom version of the mobile app for you and uploads it to the iOS App Store or Google Play.
Eligibility
White-label Apps are only available to Retool Cloud or Self-hosted Retool organizations on Enterprise plans. The requirements depend on whether you use Retool-managed or self-managed distribution, and if you will distribute apps to iOS or Android devices.
If you’re an existing Enterprise customer, reach out to your deployed engineer to get started. If you are looking to upgrade to the Enterprise plan, complete this form.
Distribution options
Depending on your use case, Retool can manage the distribution of White-label Apps (Retool-managed) or you can manage them directly (self-managed).
- Retool-managed distribution: Retool manages the end-to-end process for publishing and distributing White-label Apps. Your organization uses an MDM or EMM solution to manage devices on which White-label Apps are installed.
- Self-managed distribution: Your organization is responsible for publishing and distributing White-label Apps. Retool uploads app binaries to the iOS App Store or Google Play, after which you submit apps for review.
In most cases, use Retool-managed distribution unless you must handle app distribution directly.
Provision a White-label App from Retool
You can request a White-label App by completing either the Retool-managed or self-managed provisioning form. You must provide the following provisioning resources when submitting the request.
| Resource | Description | Required for Retool-managed apps | Required for self-managed apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | The app icon. Must be a PNG image with a minimum resolution of 1024x1024. Width-to-height ratio must be 1:1. | ✅ | ✅ |
| Full-size logo | The image displayed in various places, such as the iOS launch screen. Must be a PNG image with a minimum resolution of 320x80. Width-to-height ratio must be 4:1. | ✅ | ✅ |
| Compact logo | The image displayed in various places where the full-size logo cannot be used, such as the Android splash screen. This can be the same as the app icon. Must be a PNG image with a minimum resolution of 1024x1024. Width-to-height ratio must be 1:1. | ✅ | ✅ |
| Splash screen color | The splash screen background color. Must be a hex color value. | ✅ | ✅ |
| Login logo | The image displayed on login the screen. Must be a PNG image with a minimum resolution of 320x80. Width-to-height ratio must be 4:1. | ✅ | ✅ |
| App display name | The name of the app (e.g., My Custom App). | ✅ | ✅ |
| App’s Store name | The name to display in the store listing for the iOS App Store or Google Play. This name must be unique across all apps on the store. If your app name is not unique, combine it with your company name (e.g., My Custom App by ACME). | ✅ | ✅ |
| Instance URL | The URL of your company’s Retool instance (e.g., example.retool.com). | ✅ | ✅ |
| Primary app’s UUID (Single-app only) | The UUID to use for the White-label App (optional). | ✅ | ✅ |
| Apple Organization ID | The Apple Organization ID to publish apps to the iOS App Store on your behalf. | ✅ | ❌ |
| Managed Play Organization Id | The Google Organization ID to publish apps to Google Play on your behalf. | ✅ | ❌ |
| Apple Developer Account Credentials | Account credentials with Developer access for your Apple Developer Account. | ❌ | ✅ |
| Play Store Developer Account Credentials | Account credentials with Developer access for your Google Developer Account. | ❌ | ✅ |
| Apple Service Key | The Service Key for App Store Connect. | ❌ | ✅ |
| Google Service Key | The Service Key for Google Play Console. | ❌ | ✅ |
Retool will notify you when your White-label App is ready. It is not automatically published.
Use Retool-managed distribution
Retool can manage the distribution of your White-label Apps if your organization:
- Manages mobile devices using an enterprise mobility management (EMM) or MDM (mobile device management) solution.
- Only distributes apps to internal employees.
Retool publishes White-label Apps on your behalf to the iOS App Store or Google Play. These apps are visible only to users in your organization. Retool also manages updates and store reviews, and you have control over the release schedule.
Retool-managed distribution requirements
You must meet the following requirements for Retool-managed distribution of your White-label Apps.
- iOS
- Enrolled in Apple Business Manager.
- Use a third-party MDM solution.
- Android
- Enrolled in Managed Play Store.
- Use a third-party EMM solution.
Distribute Retool-managed apps
To distribute Retool-managed White-label Apps to devices, complete the following steps for either iOS or Android.
iOS
- Link your MDM solution to Apple Business Manager.
- Add your devices from Apple Configurator to Apple Business Manager. Refer to Apple's documentation for instructions.
- Assign devices to your MDM server. You can either assign devices manually or configure automatic assignment.
- Enroll your devices in your MDM solution. Management policies are applied to enrolled devices and will add them to Apple Business Manager.
- Refer to your MDM solution's documentation to install White-label Apps onto managed devices.
Android
Enroll your devices into your EMM solution. Once enrolled, users can install the White-label App onto their managed devices.
Use self-managed distribution
If your organization doesn't meet the requirements for Retool-managed distribution or has a use case that requires publishing White-label Apps directly to the iOS App Store or Google Play, use self-managed distribution. Instead of publishing White-label Apps on your behalf, Retool uploads app binaries to your Apple or Google Developer account.
Self-managed distribution requires you to set up Apple or Google developer accounts, manage updates, and handle store reviews.
Self-managed distribution requirements
You must meet the following requirements for self-managed distribution of White-label Apps.
-
iOS
- Enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.
- Provide login credentials to Retool for a Developer Access level role.
- Provide a service key to Retool for interacting with the App Store APIs.
-
Android
- Enrolled in the Google Android Developer Program.
- Provide login credentials to Retool for a Developer Access level role.
- Provide a service key to Retool for interacting with the Play Store APIs.
Distribute self-managed apps
You are responsible for publishing self-managed White-label Apps to the iOS App Store or Google Play. Once Retool notifies you that the app binaries have been uploaded, you can submit the app for review. After publishing, your users can install the app.
Manage app updates
Your White-label App functions in the same way as the Retool Mobile app. You can continue to make incremental changes to your mobile app (e.g., adding new components or editing queries) without needing to publish an update.
You must publish a new version of your White-label App to the iOS App Store or Google Play if you need to:
- Make use of new functionality in Retool Mobile.
- Change your app's name, image assets, or icon.