Lightning Platform App Menu
The Salesforce setup area where admins control which apps (standard and custom) appear in the App Launcher for users.
Definition
The Salesforce setup area where admins control which apps (standard and custom) appear in the App Launcher for users. Admins manage app visibility based on profiles and mark apps as visible or hidden.
In plain English
“The Lightning Platform App Menu is the Setup area where admins control which apps appear in the App Launcher for users. You decide which apps are visible or hidden based on profile, so different users see different apps when they click the App Launcher waffle icon.”
Worked example
The admin at Plumeria Hospitality opens the Lightning Platform App Menu in Setup after a Marketing Cloud rollout. The hotel chain has 2,400 employees across operations, sales, and marketing - only the 80-person marketing team needs the new Marketing Cloud app. Using the App Menu's per-profile visibility toggles, she sets the app to visible for the Marketing User profile only and hidden for every other profile. When a hotel ops manager opens her App Launcher next morning, the Marketing Cloud app isn't there; when the marketing director opens his, it sits at the top of his app list. One central setting, granular control.
Why Lightning Platform App Menu matters
The Lightning Platform App Menu is the Salesforce Setup area where admins control which apps (standard and custom) appear in the App Launcher for users. Admins manage app visibility based on profiles, marking apps as visible or hidden for each profile. This determines what users see when they click the App Launcher (the waffle icon in the top-left of Lightning Experience), giving each user persona a curated list of relevant apps.
Managing the App Menu thoughtfully matters for user experience because the App Launcher is one of the primary navigation tools in Lightning Experience. A cluttered App Launcher with apps users don't need creates noise; a curated one focuses users on what matters for their work. Mature orgs configure app visibility per profile so each user sees only the apps relevant to their role. This is part of broader UX hygiene around making Lightning Experience feel tailored rather than generic.
How organizations use Lightning Platform App Menu
Configures App Menu visibility per profile so sales reps see Sales Cloud apps, service agents see Service Cloud apps, and marketers see Marketing Cloud apps.
Audits App Menu configuration quarterly to ensure new apps are properly assigned and old apps are hidden from profiles that no longer need them.
Treats App Menu curation as part of their Lightning Experience UX work, keeping the App Launcher focused for each user persona.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What does the Lightning Platform App Menu control?
Q2. Why is App Menu configuration important?
Q3. How is app visibility managed?
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