Warning: Native mobile only. Most actions on this page are no-ops on web. They only function inside native mobile apps built with UnifyApps. Web app builders won't see them in the action picker.

Actions at a Glance

controlDevicePermissions — Control Device Permissions

Checks or requests an OS-level permission on a native mobile device. The result is written to user context under user.permissions.<type>.allowed — read it via a binding, not a return value.

Parameters

Output — User Context Keys

Tip: Pattern: Request a permission first, then bind the dependent feature's visibility to the result in user context. The action fires a dependency change so bindings re-evaluate immediately.

Examples

Request camera permission before scanning

{ "actionType": "controlDevicePermissions", "payload": { "operation": "request", "permissionType": "CAMERA" } } // Then bind the scanner's visibility: // visibility conditions → {{ user.permissions.camera.allowed }} EQUAL true

Check location permission silently

{ "actionType": "controlDevicePermissions", "payload": { "operation": "check", "permissionType": "LOCATION" } }

controlPushNotifications — Control Push Notifications

Registers the current native device for push notifications: requests OS notification permission, obtains the device's push token, and saves it to the backend so the device can receive server-sent pushes.

Parameters

Warning: Silent no-op conditions:

Register for push after the user opts in

{ "actionType": "controlPushNotifications", "payload": { "operation": "registerPushNotifications" } }

updateGeolocation — Update Geolocation

Reads the device's current GPS coordinates once and writes them to the user context under context.geography. Works on both web (browser location API) and native mobile. Requires location tracking to be enabled in the interface's advanced settings.

Parameters

This action takes no configurable inputs. It is configured as Control User Location → Update Geolocation in the builder.

Output — User Context

Warning: Fails when location tracking is disabled. The action checks the interface's location tracking setting first. If disabled, it fails with "Location tracking is not enabled" without reading any position. Also fails if permission is denied — but still writes the denied status to user context before failing.

Capture location for a nearby search

// Action: Control User Location → Update Geolocation // (no payload fields needed) // Then bind to the coordinates: {{ user.context.geography.coordinates.latitude }}, {{ user.context.geography.coordinates.longitude }}

manageBiometrics — Manage Biometrics

Enrolls, revokes, or verifies biometric (fingerprint/face) login for the current user on a native mobile device. Throws an error in a plain web browser — this action is mobile-only.

Parameters

Examples

Enable Face ID / fingerprint login

{ "actionType": "manageBiometrics", "payload": { "method": "enroll" } }

Verify biometrics on login

{ "actionType": "manageBiometrics", "payload": { "method": "verify" } }

mobileUtils — Mobile Utils (Preload Media)

Preloads a list of image URLs into the device's cache so the next screens render instantly without visible loading delays. Only available in mobile apps.

Parameters

Note: Use case: Fire this on onPageLoad of a landing or list screen, passing the image URLs of the next screen's hero images. Navigation to that screen will then render images immediately.

Preload hero images for the next screen

{ "actionType": "mobileUtils", "payload": { "operation": "preloadMedia", "urls": "{{ ds_products['data'].map(p => p.imageUrl) }}" } }

sendMQTTEvent — Send MQTT Event

Publishes a message to an MQTT broker topic. Use it to push real-time commands or data updates to connected devices, other app sessions listening to the same topic, or IoT systems.

Parameters

Publish a sensor command to a device topic

{ "actionType": "sendMQTTEvent", "payload": { "topic": "devices/{{ row.deviceId }}/commands", "message": { "command": "restart", "timestamp": "{{ Date.now() }}" }, "qos": 1 } }

Common Patterns

Permission Gate Pattern

The canonical pattern for permission-gated features:

1. Request the permission: Wire controlDevicePermissions with operation: "request" to a button click event.

2. Read the result from user context: Bind the feature's visibility to {{ user.permissions.camera.allowed }} (or the relevant key). The action fires a dependency change so the binding re-evaluates automatically.

3. Handle the denied case: Add a visibility condition for the "permission denied" message bound to {{ user.permissions.camera.allowed }} EQUAL false.