Creating Branded Client Apps (Enterprise Only)

Overview

ownBrander is an ownCloud build service that is exclusive to Enterprise customers for creating branded Android and iOS ownCloud sync apps, and branded ownCloud desktop sync clients. You build your apps with the ownBrander app on your Customer.owncloud.com accounts, and within 24-48 hours they are loaded into your account.

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Building a Branded iOS App

Building a branded iOS app requires your own artwork, and you must create a P12 certificate and three provisioning profiles for digitally signing your apps. Apple has strict and specific requirements, so it is a lengthy process. See Creating Branded iOS Apps (ES only) for a complete tutorial.

Building an Android App or Desktop Sync Client

To build Android and Desktop sync apps you need to supply your own artwork, and the ownBrander wizard details the required specifications.

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When you have completed the wizard, you will either get messages warning you of any items that need to be corrected, or a success message:

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When your new app is built, which may take up to 48 hours, it will appear in your personal folder on the Files page.

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You can play around with ownBrander and create some apps for testing and learning. The Android and Desktop sync clients are the easiest to use for testing, so we’ll walk through creating an Android app. You need a just a few images, and the wizard tells you their required dimensions. They must be the exact specified dimensions, preferably in PNG format.

First, start on the Common tab and enter your application name and the URL to your ownCloud server. For testing purposes these can be anything. These are your global defaults, and you can change them when you create your apps. When you create production apps, then you must use your real app name, and the URL must point to your real ownCloud server.

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Now go to the Android tab. There is a lot of helpful information on this page. Fill in your Application name, or keep the default set from the Common tab, and the Android package name.

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Next, upload your images. The wizard tells you the exact size they must be, and click the images on the right to see some example screenshots.

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Next, you have the option to display a New Account link on users’ login screens. This is a simple mechanism for users to create new accounts. Then you can have a default root folder name that displays at the top of users’ screens, such as home, your company name, or anything you want.

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The next option is enabling a help URL. This can be a link to documentation on your own site, or to doc.owncloud.org. Then you have options to enable a “Recommend” feature so your users can recommend your app to other users, and a feedback option so they can tell you what they think of your app.

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The Imprint URL option allows you to enter a link to information about your company. The URL to download the app is automatically generated by ownBrander, or you may enter an alternate download link.

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Finally, if you are creating a paid app then check the checkbox for Paid Users and upload an icon.

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Now you are finished. Click the Generate Android App button, and you will either see a success message, or an error message telling you what you need to fix. When all of your options are entered correctly and you click the Generate Android App button, it takes up to 48 hours for your app to appear in your Customer.owncloud.com account.

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