Definition
App Menu is a Setup page where administrators control which apps appear in the App Launcher for users across the org. Admins can reorder apps, hide or show specific apps, and set the default app visibility, determining the lineup of applications that all users see when they open the App Launcher.
Real-World Example
Consider a scenario where an architect at Skyline Consulting is working with App Menu to extend their Salesforce implementation to meet growing business demands. App Menu provides the additional capability they need without requiring a separate third-party system, keeping everything within the trusted Salesforce ecosystem and reducing integration complexity.
Why App Menu Matters
App Menu is a Setup page that gives administrators org-wide control over which apps appear in the App Launcher. From this page, admins can reorder the list of apps (controlling the default order users see), hide specific apps from the App Launcher entirely, and set visibility so that packaged or unused apps don't clutter the navigation for the rest of the org. Changes made here apply globally across all users, though individual users can still rearrange their personal view.
The App Menu interacts with profile and permission set settings: even if an app is visible in the App Menu, individual users will only see it if their profile or a permission set grants them access. Conversely, hiding an app in the App Menu takes it out of the App Launcher for everyone, regardless of permissions. This two-layer model gives admins both a blunt instrument (hide everywhere) and a fine-grained one (control per profile).
How Organizations Use App Menu
- •Skyline Consulting — Used App Menu to hide all of the default Salesforce sample apps ('Community', 'Lightning Usage', and several built-in demos) after rollout. This cleaned up the App Launcher to show only the apps their users actually work with.
- •Vertex Global — Reordered apps in App Menu to put the most-used apps first in the list. Their primary Sales and Service apps moved to the top, which reduced scrolling for end users opening the App Launcher.
- •NovaScale — Audits App Menu quarterly to remove newly installed packages that aren't being used. This audit is part of their regular tech debt cleanup and keeps the App Launcher from growing stale over time.