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Mobile usage is growing – and so are the demands
More and more users are consuming SAC stories on tablets or smartphones. Simply running standard desktop stories in the app often doesn’t work well. Why? Widgets are not optimized, tables become hard to read, and performance suffers. In this post, we’ll share how to build effective mobile stories – from layout to performance.
1. Mobile First is not just a buzzword
Anyone aiming to make stories available on mobile devices needs to consider this during the planning phase. Many SAC stories are designed primarily for large screens and appear cluttered on smartphones. Retrofitting pages or widgets is often tedious. That’s why it’s wise to decide early on which content is really needed for mobile – and what should remain exclusive to larger displays.
2. Layout with a plan: Responsive or Canvas?
The responsive layout is built for mobile use. It offers lanes, a flexible grid, and automatic scaling – right out of the box. Sounds promising, but it has its limitations. As of Q2 2025, the grid is fixed at 32 columns. Unfortunately, the aspect ratio isn’t consistent across screen sizes, which can lead to distortions. Additionally, small widgets like text boxes or icons may appear oversized because they must occupy a minimum number of grid units. SAP plans to increase the grid to 72 columns – until then, workarounds are needed.
An alternative is the Canvas layout. Once 'Mobile Support for Canvas Page' is activated, it works surprisingly well – especially when combined with the Flow Layout Container. This allows widget sizes to automatically adapt to screen dimensions. For more, see our blog posts on SAC container usage and the comparison between Canvas and Responsive layout design.
We can't give a universal recommendation for one layout over the other. However, the Canvas layout combined with well-planned container widgets tends to produce better results – though it requires more effort.
3. Pull out all the stops – dynamic adjustments
Using the responsive layout or Flow Layout Container alone is rarely enough. Luckily, SAC provides additional tools to enhance the mobile experience.
You can hide or show specific pages when the story is accessed on a mobile device – perfect for skipping table-heavy detail pages.
Hiding pages in mobile view
SAC’s API also enables fine-tuning via scripting:
- Application.isMobile() detects if the user is on a mobile device
- Application.getInnerHeight() and Application.getInnerWidth() return the story’s height and width
These can be used to adjust content dynamically – for example, replacing complex tables with charts or enlarging buttons for improved touch interaction.
Input filters are a special case: In mobile view, they automatically appear in the filter bar. In responsive layout, input filters placed on the page are hidden to avoid duplicates. In canvas layout, however, they remain on the page and are also shown in the filter bar. A perfect workaround doesn’t exist. If a filter is set to 'not visible' in the story, it also disappears from the filter bar. Otherwise, it can only be hidden behind another widget.
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4. Less is more – for better performance
Mobile devices – especially older phones or tablets – quickly reach their limits. With less memory and weaker processors, even simple stories can become sluggish or crash. The SAC Community already features a detailed article about performance and memory optimization.
Key recommendations for better mobile performance:
- Use as few pages as possible
- Avoid complex widgets like geomaps, large tables, or custom widgets
- Keep scripts minimal and simple
One final but crucial point: Proper testing. SAC offers a device preview mode, which helps get a sense of layout sizes – but it doesn’t simulate real-world performance.
SAC device preview for a small smartphone
Modern browsers can simulate mobile devices during runtime, sometimes with memory limits applied. That gets close to the real thing – but it’s no substitute for testing on actual hardware. The user experience in your hand is still different from what browser simulations provide.
5. SAC Mobile App – or stick with the browser?
The SAP Analytics Cloud mobile app seems convenient at first glance: a native UI, central navigation, and push notifications. For many users – especially less tech-savvy ones – that’s a big advantage.
However, the app also has drawbacks. As of Q2 2025, its performance is generally worse than in mobile browsers. On iOS, this is especially noticeable – Apple restricts available memory more aggressively than Android, leading to slowdowns or crashes.
The browser isn’t perfect either. While stories switch into mobile mode correctly, the rest of the SAC interface remains desktop-oriented – home screen, menus, and catalog aren’t mobile-optimized, which hampers navigation.
SAC home screen in a mobile browser
SAP is continuously working to improve the app. Optimizations are planned for 2025, but the roadmap lacks detail. So we can’t assume that the most pressing performance and stability issues will be resolved soon. Whether or not to use the app depends on the use case. If the catalog is needed, the app is essential. If stories are the only focus, the browser is often the better choice.
Our Conclusion: Mobile stories need a mindset of their own
Mobile usage is here to stay. Simply shrinking desktop stories for smaller screens can frustrate users – with poor visuals, long loading times, and clunky navigation.
Success depends on a clear focus: What should really be visible on mobile? How can layouts be adapted without doubling the work? And how do we ensure solid performance and usability?
With the right layout (responsive or Canvas with Flow Layout), thoughtful content selection, resource-efficient design, and an understanding of mobile constraints, it’s possible to create an excellent mobile experience – without user frustration.
In short: Taking mobile stories seriously means not just making them smaller – but making them better.
Do you have questions about SAP Analytics Cloud or other topics? Simply get in touch with us - we look forward to exchanging ideas with you!
