Product Updates
Check out what's new in CommCare, from new features to the latest resources to support you.
For a full list of all updates to the CommCare platform, please visit the CommCare GitHub repository. In addition to features listed here, clients working with Dimagi’s professional services teams may have access to other features that are not yet available in the general CommCare platform.
Learn how to stay up to date with CommCare here!
July - September 2024
We are excited to announce some big updates to CommCare HQ and CommCare Mobile this past quarter. These updates range from stability and security improvements to CommCare Mobile, brand new APIs on our Enterprise Console, further integrating the Data Dictionary and Case Exports, and more!
Product Updates ✨
Below is a list of our newest product releases in CommCare from this past quarter.
A More Stable and Secure CommCare Mobile with Version 2.54.0
Available to users on all software plans
We have released a new mobile version for CommCare (version 2.54.0). There are some exciting updates included in this version, such as:
Support for Android 13
Added support for fullscreen mode for a better video viewing experience when playing inline videos
Added background sync capabilities
Enhanced audio recording widget to handle situations when users need to record audio recordings between different applications in the same session
Enhanced security measures to protect sensitive data collected in CommCare in line with CommCare’s industry-leading secure mobile application practices
Fixed various rendering issues for large images and grids
… and much more!
We recommend following the steps outlined here to update your CommCare application version.
Enterprise Console Updates for Better Visibility and Reporting
Available to users on the Enterprise software plan
For those users on an Enterprise software plan, we’ve made some great updates to the Enterprise Console to help give you a high-level overview of all of your connected project spaces.
Connected OData Feeds
You are now able to access reports on the Enterprise Console as OData feeds, allowing you to connect them directly into your PowerBI dashboards with a click of a button! Each report now has their own API and can be accessed via the browser or any tool that can consume OData feeds. You can find a comprehensive guide on our brand new Enterprise Console OData feeds here.
Flexible Date Ranges
We released an update which allows you to configure the date ranges you’d like to pull data for in the Mobile Submissions Report on the Enterprise Console. You can find more information about this here.
Data Dictionary Improvements to Manage Case Properties More Easily
Available to users on the Advanced and Enterprise software plans.
The Data Dictionary is now even more useful! Case Exports now respect the case property groups and the ordering of case properties as defined by you in the Data Dictionary. This allows you to organize large groups of case properties in a standardized way across all your users and makes finding case properties that much easier!
For more information on the Data Dictionary feature, please see our guide here. For more information on Case Exports, please view our guide here.
API Upgrades for Flexible Location Assignment
Available to users on Pro, Advanced, Enterprise software plans
We have improved our Create and Edit Mobile User APIs to allow for the programmatic changing of mobile user location assignments. This enables our customers who rely on more complex, API-based workflows with frequently changing location assignments to update locations without having to go into the CommCare HQ user interface.
For more information, please refer to the detailed API guides here and here.
And more….
To view all other bugs, performance enhancements, and updates made to CommCare, please visit our Github repository here.
Tell us what you think! 📫
We’re excited to be putting out these product release notes as a way to keep CommCare users better informed.
If you’re interested in receiving a demo on any of the product updates, please feel free to email info@dimagi.com
If you have any feedback on the above features, please feel free to leave it on the CommCare Forum.
April - June 2024
We are thrilled to announce key updates to CommCare released this past quarter. These updates encompass a range of improvements, including significant enhancements to our Single Sign On feature, a streamlined process to renew annual plans, upgrades to our powerful Data Export Tool, and the ability to incrementally refresh CommCare data in Power BI.
We look forward to hearing your feedback!
Product Updates ✨
Below is a list of our newest product releases in CommCare from this past quarter.
Single Sign On (SSO) Improvements
Available to users on Enterprise software plans
We are excited to announce the latest enhancements to our Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities. These updates are designed to not only bolster the security of SSO but also streamline the integration process with other systems, making it more efficient and user-friendly.
Manage Users Remotely: Now, users can effortlessly control their list of users in CommCare HQ via Entra ID. This feature enables seamless management of user access, ensuring a smooth and secure experience. Learn more about how to leverage this functionality here.
Control API Key Settings: Enhance your user management capabilities by allowing multiple views of your users' API keys. This empowers administrators to efficiently monitor and manage API access, promoting better control and security. Dive deeper into this feature here.
Enforce API Key Expiration: With this new feature, users can enforce API key expiration, adding an extra layer of security to their systems. By setting expiration dates for API keys, organizations can mitigate risks and ensure data protection. Learn more about this functionality here.
Enhancements to CommCare Data Pipelines
Available to users on Pro, Advanced, Enterprise software plans
For our data users, the CommCare Data Export Tool (DET) has been given some love with some new features to make running sophisticated data exports even easier.
Executable File for Windows: The DET now offers an executable file for Windows, making it more accessible for users. You can download the DET executable here.
Log Files for DET Runs: All DET runs now generate log files, providing users with detailed information to review and analyze their data export processes effectively.
Enhanced Error Messaging: We have significantly improved the error messaging in DET. Users can now benefit from clearer and more informative error messages, helping them troubleshoot and resolve issues more efficiently.
For more information and to stay updated on the latest enhancements, visit our GitHub repository.
Faster Loading Time with PowerBI
Available to users on Advanced, Enterprise software plans
Many organizations use OData feeds to connect data from CommCare to data visualization systems for important analysis and visualization. For our Power BI users, OData feeds from CommCare can now be incrementally refreshed on Power BI! This ensures that Power BI reports remain up-to-date with the latest information from CommCare by only refreshing the data that has changed since the last update. Users can experience faster data loading times - ensuring up-to-date information and optimizing decision-making processes for users.
For more information, please refer to the detailed guide here.
Self-Service Subscription Renewal
Available to users on all software plans.
Annual renewals are now self-service! Say goodbye to complex renewal procedures. Now you can update your plan in just a few clicks. If you are currently on an annual plan, renewing your subscription is now as simple as if you were on a monthly plan.
For more detailed information on how to renew your subscription, check out our Renewing Your Subscription Guide.
And more….
To view all other bugs, performance enhancements, and updates made to CommCare, please visit our Github repository here.
What else is new? 🔍
In addition to product updates, we’ve also been hard at work at making improvements in resources that can help our users. See a few updates below!
Power Automate, Twilio Studio, and Azure Data Factory Integrations
Available to users on Pro, Advanced, Enterprise software plans
In addition to the product updates listed above, we’ve also been hard at work in improving guidance for how to integrate CommCare with third-party tools. Below is some new documentation we’ve put together about integrating with Power Automate, Twilio Studio, and Azure Data Factory.
Power Automate Integration: CommCare now has a fluid integration with Power Automate, enhancing workflow efficiency and automation capabilities. With Power Automate, automated workflows can be created to connect CommCare with various applications and services, ensuring smooth information exchange and personalized automation solutions.
Twilio Studio Integration: Twilio Studio enables the creation of messaging workflows, such as SMS surveys and IVR surveys. By integrating Twilio Studio with CommCare using Power Automate, you can trigger Twilio Studio flows directly from CommCare. Once the flow is executed in Twilio, the resulting data can be seamlessly copied back into CommCare, creating an efficient and automated process.
Azure Data Factory Integration: We have developed a guide which provides a comprehensive overview of establishing a robust data pipeline to extract, transform, and load (ETL) data from CommCare into the Azure ecosystem. This setup leverages various Azure services to ensure seamless data integration, transformation, and storage for enhanced data management and analytics.
Revamped CommCare Documentation
Available to everyone!
Our team has been hard at work at updating the CommCare Help Site, our main source for CommCare Technical documentation. In addition to a revamped Home Page, we’ve reorganized information to make it more intuitive for people to find what they are looking for.
Next up, we’re looking into ways that we can translate the Help Site into multiple languages. Stay tuned!
Tell us what you think! 📫
We’re excited to be putting out these product release notes as a way to keep CommCare users better informed.
If you’re interested in receiving a demo on any of the product updates, please feel free to email info@dimagi.com
If you have any feedback on the above features, please feel free to leave it on the CommCare Forum.
January - March 2024
Our biggest highlight of this quarter is our new Case Deduplication tool, saving our users' significant time in managing their workloads and data.
Product Updates ✨
We are very excited to announce some new features in CommCare, including the ability to automatically deduplicate cases,
Case Deduplication
Available to users on Advanced, Enterprise software plans
We heard loud and clear from our users that the process of cleaning data for duplicates takes a lot, lot of time. That’s why we built Case Deduplication, a new feature in CommCare designed to help you quickly identify and address duplicate cases. Having a clean data pipeline empowers you to make more informed decisions with greater confidence.
General Improvements
[Advanced Plan Only] When a user adds, updates, or deletes a case property in the Data Dictionary, the updated case properties will be displayed on the Case List Explorer
Implemented bulk create and update functionality in the Location API, maintaining the existing data format used for individual location create/update. This enhancement enables users to create and update multiple locations through the Locations API.
The deprecate and restore icons in the Data Dictionary have been replaced with buttons to align better with the overall UI. Additionally, the confirmation modal for deleting a case property has been adjusted to make it clearer that the property is only being marked for deletion, not immediately removed upon confirmation.
The delete case property button has been redesigned to be more distinguishable from the deprecate action. This change aims to reduce confusion and help users differentiate between the two actions more easily.
We've updated the UI in several areas (Mobile Worker edit using info view, pop-up when clicking the re-verify button, help button next to the verify numbers button, and after clicking "publish" on a build) to include a notification about SMS charges when verifying phone numbers.
And More….
To view all other bugs, performance enhancements, and updates made to CommCare, please visit our Github repository here.
What else is new? 🔍
New Playbook for Monitoring & Evaluation Professionals
For Monitoring & Evaluation professionals, establishing a centralized digital tool across an entire organization can feel daunting.
That’s why we created the M&E playbook; a 4-step process and change management guide curated by industry leaders who've successfully made the transition to a centralized approach. Their feedback? While it required a significant effort, the cost savings, improved quality, increased efficiencies and tighter security made the shift well worth it. Discover practical strategies and valuable insights into how to accomplish an undertaking of this magnitude.
Spotlight on the API Explorer
Available to users on Pro, Advanced, Enterprise software plans
We are excited to spotlight the API Explorer tool, designed to simplify the process of interacting with our APIs. Here's why the API Explorer is a beneficial tool for developers:
Effortless API Interaction: With the API Explorer, developers can easily explore and interact with our APIs in a user-friendly interface, reducing the learning curve and accelerating development.
Real-time Testing: Developers can test API endpoints in real-time, allowing for quick validation of requests and responses without the need for external tools.
Try it out by reviewing our documentation here and enjoy the power of API exploration!
Tell us what you think! 📫
We’re excited to be putting out these product release notes as a way to keep CommCare users better informed.
If you’re interested in receiving a demo on any of the product updates, please feel free to email info@dimagi.com
If you have any feedback on the above features, please feel free to leave it on the CommCare Forum.