Connect Offline cannot be reinstalled. The migration is straightforward but requires reframing the offline use case from laptop to mobile.
- Identify users with leftover Connect Offline installs
Run an endpoint inventory for the Connect Offline executable. Note which users still have local data that has not synced back.
- Force a final sync where possible
For machines that can still reach Salesforce, walk through one last sync to flush any local-only edits to the server. If the local data is irrecoverable, accept the data loss; in 2026, it is mostly stale anyway.
- Uninstall the desktop app
Use the endpoint management tool to remove the app from user laptops.
- Configure the Salesforce mobile app for offline use
From Setup, search for Mobile App, configure the offline cache size, and decide which objects are cacheable. Common picks are Account, Contact, Opportunity, Lead, Task, Event, and the custom objects the field team uses.
- Train users on the mobile offline pattern
The pattern is different from Connect Offline. Mobile offline is implicit (recently viewed records are cached automatically) rather than explicit (the user defines a briefcase). Train users to view records before going offline so the cache contains what they need.
- For Field Service users, configure Field Service offline separately
Field Service has its own offline configuration with more aggressive caching. If you have technicians who go fully offline for hours, set up Field Service offline rather than relying on the standard mobile app.
- Connect Offline data is locked in the local SQLite DB. If a user laptop is wiped before final sync, the data is unrecoverable.
- The mobile app offline cache is much smaller than what Connect Offline supported. Users accustomed to having every Account locally will have to relearn the cache-by-viewing pattern.
- Briefcase configurations from Connect Offline do not migrate. Mobile offline is implicit based on recent view, not on declarative filters.
- Field Service offline is a separate license and a separate configuration. Do not assume mobile app offline is the right answer for technicians; FS offline is significantly deeper.
- Offline edits queue locally on the phone. If the user uninstalls the mobile app before reconnecting, the edits are lost.