Salesforce Dictionary - Free Salesforce GlossarySalesforce Dictionary
Full App Menu entry
How-to guide

Configuring the App Menu equivalent in Lightning Experience

Configuring the App Menu equivalent in Lightning means using App Manager: create Lightning Apps, set per-profile visibility, configure default apps per profile, and curate the Connected App list. The work is incremental and most useful when new user populations are onboarded.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 16, 2026

Configuring the App Menu equivalent in Lightning means using App Manager: create Lightning Apps, set per-profile visibility, configure default apps per profile, and curate the Connected App list. The work is incremental and most useful when new user populations are onboarded.

  1. Open App Manager

    Setup, Quick Find App Manager, click the link. The page lists every Lightning App and Classic App in the org, with their visibility and last modified date.

  2. Review app visibility per profile

    For each Lightning App, click the dropdown, Edit. Review the User Profiles section. Confirm trial, community, partner profiles do not see admin apps.

  3. Set Default App per profile

    Setup, Profiles, edit each profile. App Settings, Default App. Pick the app that should open after login for that profile. Save.

  4. Configure Connected App visibility

    Setup, Connected Apps OAuth Usage. For each Connected App that should appear in the App Launcher, configure the Start URL and the Visibility (profiles or permission sets).

  5. Curate the navigation per app

    For each Lightning App, the Navigation Items list controls which tabs appear in the navigation bar. Edit per app to keep the navigation focused.

  6. Test the App Launcher experience per profile

    Log in as a representative user from each profile, open the App Launcher, confirm the right apps appear in the right order. Make adjustments based on the experience.

App Managerremember

The modern Lightning-era configuration page that replaced the Classic Apps page. Single source of truth for Lightning App configuration.

Visible to Profilesremember

Per-app setting that controls which profiles see the app. Permission sets can extend.

Default Appremember

Per-profile setting for which app opens after login. Saves a click per session.

Connected App visibilityremember

Per-Connected-App configuration that includes the OAuth-based external app in the App Launcher.

Mobile App Menuremember

The mobile-specific menu accessed through the hamburger icon in the Salesforce Mobile App.

Gotchas
  • The term App Menu is mostly historical in Lightning Experience. New admins encountering it in documentation should map it to App Manager and App Launcher.
  • Classic Apps still exist in some orgs. App Manager exposes both Classic and Lightning Apps in one list, which can be confusing during migration.
  • The Default App setting per profile applies on login only. Users who switch apps during their session do not return to the Default App on the next page load.
  • App visibility is the union of profile and permission set grants. A user might see an app you granted through a permission set you forgot about.
  • Connected App visibility requires the Start URL to be configured for the app to launch correctly from the App Launcher.

See the full App Menu entry

App Menu includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.