Check here for admin-specific info!
This page contains information that is especially relevant to administrators, but may not be applicable to students. For similar information about the instructor app, see What's new for admins in Blackboard Instructor.
Current Support for Apple Pencil and Pencils for Android Devices: Our intention as a progressive and forward thinking IT company is to support the use of the Apple pencil and similar devices for Android, wherever possible: grading, navigation or, for instance, writing essays. Although we intend to support these features, at present we can't guarantee they will always work as we can't possible test all functionalities using these devices.
Ultra landing pages
Depending on your institution’s Blackboard Learn configuration, students' landing page in the app now matches the web experience. Students see either the activity stream or course list based on what your institution selected as the default landing page.
Landing page in the Blackboard app
Administrator info on Ultra default landing page
Blackboard Data
The Blackboard Data integration provides institutions the ability to run reports that catalog usage of the Blackboard and Blackboard Instructor mobile apps. User activity in downloaded offline content is also logged in Blackboard Data.
Windows app end of life
The Windows version of the Blackboard app was removed from the Microsoft Store and no longer supported after December 31, 2019. The iOS and Android versions of the app remain fully supported.
Windows app EOL details (available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese only)
SCORM
We improved support for SCORM content and due dates in the app.
- Supported in Blackboard Learn SaaS 3600.0.0+
- SHMH environments require an upcoming B2 update* for full support of the latest improvements. Prior to the B2 update, SCORM content will behave in these ways:
- Graded SCORM is treated as ungraded SCORM
- SCORM items don't show in Due Dates within individual courses
- SCORM items aren't clickable in the main menu's Due Dates for all courses
Custom logo in app navigation
If your Blackboard system has the Ultra experience, your institution's logo displays in the app's navigation panel. Blackboard Learn system administrators can add a navigation logo in the Administrator Panel.
How to add custom logos
Disable grade color display
By default, the Blackboard app and Blackboard Instructor apps show grade pills in colors that correspond to grade level. Blackboard Learn SaaS administrators can turn off grading colors for all courses from the administrator panel in Blackboard Learn 3700.16.0+. This setting is reflected in both the Blackboard app and Blackboard Instructor app for Original and Ultra courses. Note that grade pills only show for Original courses in the Blackboard Instructor app.
Some managed-hosting and self-hosted clients are on versions of Blackboard Learn that don't have the administrator setting to disable grade pill colors. In this case, the Blackboard support team can manage the grade pill color configuration option for you. Clients can create a support ticket to request the change.
For clients that might have used both of the above methods to configure grade color display, the setting in the Blackboard Learn administrator panel takes precedence.
Users should see the grade pill update after refreshing a screen in their mobile app. If users don't see the grade pill update, they should follow these steps:
- Update to Blackboard app version 4.1+ or Blackboard Instructor version 2.6+
- Log out of app, search for institution again, and log in
Institution terms of use
Schools can provide a link to their institutional terms of use in the app if they are on a version of Blackboard Learn that supports Blackboard Instructor 1.9.1+ and have properly configured a link to their institution’s terms of use. In the app, the link is found in Settings and at the bottom of the Blackboard Terms of Use acceptance policy shown at login.
- Blackboard Learn 9.1: Define a web link to institutional data use and privacy
- Blackboard Learn SaaS 3400.5.0: Define a web link to institutional data use and privacy
Discussion attachments
To attach files to discussion posts, your system requires a scheduled update to the Mobile Building Block that is included in these releases:
- SaaS 3400.5.0 (see SaaS release schedule)
- Q2 2018 CU1 (3400.0.1)
- Q4 2017 CU3 (3300.0.3)
- Q2 2017 CU8 (3200.0.8)
- Q2 2107 CU7 (Mobile B2 94.9.11 upgrade available on BtBb or SU)
Offline content
Students can download course documents and view them later when they’re offline or don’t have internet access. We recommend that your institution install one of the minimum supported versions for the offline content feature.
- Q4 2018
- Q2 2019
- Q4 2019
- Blackboard Learn SaaS
For older versions of Blackboard Learn, check this table for the required minimum B2 version for offline content.
| Blackboard Learn Version | Mobile B2 |
|---|---|
| Prior to Q2 2017 | 94.9.7 or later |
| Q2 2017 | CU3 (3200.0.3) or later |
| SaaS | 3200.10.0 or later |
Learn more about offline content in the Blackboard app.
Edit the username label
One way to help users log in without problems is to change the username label that shows when they log in to the mobile apps. You can match this label to the term used for the login for mobile apps at your school.
App to app launching
Interested in launching the Blackboard app from your school's app or website? It's possible! We provide a simple way to link into the app from other applications. With deep linking, a uniform resource identifier (URI) links to a specific location within a mobile app rather than simply launching the app.
For example, a school can link to an assignment or other area in the Blackboard app from a website or mobile app.
Use the provided schemas to link to specific features in the Blackboard app.
Mobile usage data
Ever wanted to know more about how and when users at your school are using the mobile apps? You can use activity accumulator SQL queries for the Blackboard Learn database to obtain activity information for Blackboard mobile usage on hosted Blackboard Learn systems.
