PocketPlatform - Releasing January 2026
There's a new way to edit the colors used in your app, plus improvements to MP eGiving, Group Chat, and more!
Edit App Colors
- In the App Manager, you'll be able to change the colors used in your app without having to recompile or submit a support ticket! Use the Edit App Colors screen to select colors for different types of elements and see an example preview in light mode and dark mode.
- As part of building this new functionality, we overhauled all of the app theme tools. For some customers, there may be slight changes in the way colors display in your app, so we're giving you time to review your colors before this goes into the app stores.
Note: This feature is available to you now in the App Manager. We migrated your current app colors (or as close to your colors as possible). Please review your app colors before January 26, 2026. You can make any necessary changes in the App Manager, and your saved colors will be used in the next release.
Any changes you make between now and January 26th will not take effect until your app is released in stores the week of January 26th. After that, you can use the new screen in the App Manager to update your app colors at any time (without the need for a recompile or support ticket!).
* These dates are subject to change.
MP eGiving
- BIG NEWS! If you use MP eGiving with PocketPlatform and you've set up your MP eGiving account for Apple Pay and/or Google Pay, your app users will be happy about this! People can now click Give in the app and make a donation entirely inside of the app—without being directed to their device's browser. App users who are logged in to PocketPlatform are automatically logged in to MP eGiving and can complete their donation using their stored payment profile, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
Campus/Parish Selector for Giving
- We enhanced the My Pledges and My Statements screens (new with last month's release) to work with the Campus/Parish Selector. If your app uses the selector, users will now see:
- a filtered list of pledges instead of all their pledges.
- a filtered list of statements instead of all their statements.
- The filtered list includes all items associated with the selected campus or parish as well as the global congregation or diocese. For example, if an app user selects Parish A as their active parish then opens the My Pledges screen, they'll see all pledges for the diocese and Parish A. If your app uses the selector but you haven't specified a global congregation, only the records for the selected campus display for an app user.
Dashboard Videos
- They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must be worth a million! Sometimes, the best way to communicate a message to your congregation is with a quick video. While you've always been able to link to a video from the PocketPlatform dashboard, now you can play it right on the dashboard without taking the user to a full-screen video. To do this, contact Support to add the new Video recipe to your dashboard with an optional title below the video. (This recipe will be available for you to add via the App Manager at a later date.)
Group Chat
- We improved the Group Chat feature! Now, it's optimized for reading, which should speed things up for app users, and they can see new messages in real time. In MinistryPlatform, church admins can now see a message log.
Texting Opt-In
- Remember the texting opt-in feature we implemented in the Platform for compliance with Twilio? (See the Platform release notes for a quick refresh.) Now, PocketPlatform follows the same rules as widgets for creating/updating contacts and prompting users to opt in to text messages. So anytime an app user is asked for their phone number, they can select whether to opt in to text messages from your church.
- Want to change the opt-in text that displays on the Create Account and User Profile screens? There are language pack entries for login.createAccount.smsOptIn.label and login.createAccount.smsOptIn.checkbox.
Reminders
- Portal access will end December 31. The Portal has served many churches for years. But now that its functionality is available in newer, modern tools like PocketPlatform, Connect Suite, and Widgets, we are disabling access. For details, see End of Portal Access.
- Are you more of a visual learner? Check out our video library for MinistryPlatform! We are constantly adding and updating new videos, and you can submit video topics that you'd like to see next. Check it out and let us know what you think!
- Support Hours: Support is available Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST/EDT. If you submit a case outside of these hours, including on a holiday, the case will be reviewed at the start of the next business day. If your concern cannot wait, you can call 843-413-8400 and leave a voicemail. We are notified and will work to assist you. Hourly rates may apply for off-hours assistance. For all the details, see Support Hours & Holidays.