Set up POS hybrid app on Android and iOS

This article shows how to build and run the Retail point of sale (POS) hybrid app on Android and iOS devices.

The Retail hybrid app is a shell that was built by using Xamarin. Inside the shell is a Web view controller that loads Cloud POS (CPOS), which is based on the Commerce Scale Unit URL that is specified in the settings of this app. The Retail hybrid app shell is for Android and iOS, which will internally load CPOS. For more information, see Cloud POS.

The Store Commerce apps for Microsoft Windows and mobile platforms are the next generation of POS applications for Dynamics 365 Commerce. Modern POS (MPOS) and the Retail hybrid app will be deprecated in October 2023. Microsoft recommends that you use Store Commerce or CPOS for all new deployments. Existing customers should plan to migrate MPOS and the Retail hybrid app to Store Commerce.

Development tools

The Retail hybrid app supports the Android and iOS phone platforms. The app is built by using Xamarin, which means that you must install Xamarin on your development computer. To build the iOS app, you must have a Mac that has Xamarin installed. Although you can do development for both Android and iOS on a computer that runs Microsoft Windows, you must use a Mac to complete the build for the iOS platform. If your Mac is a shared team resource, you might want to use a Mac just for the build process. You must copy the Retail software development kit (Retail SDK) on all the computers that you use for development. The Retail SDK is available in all developer VMs that are provisioned for using Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services (LCS).

For more information about Xamarin, see the Xamarin documentation.

Set up and install Xamarin on Windows

To set up and install Xamarin on Windows, go to Windows Installation.

Update Xamarin

After you've installed Xamarin, you must update it to the latest stable version (Xamarin.Android SDK version must be < 10.0).

• Windows: In Microsoft Visual Studio, select Tools > Options > Environment > Xamarin > Other.
• Mac: In Xamarin Studio, select Check for Updates > Update channel. For more information about this step, see Change the Updates Channel.

Build the Android Retail hybrid app

To build the Android Retail hybrid app, follow these steps.

1. When installation is completed, open Visual Studio, and sign in by using your Microsoft account (the same account that you use with Windows). Check for Xamarin updates by selecting Tools > Options > Xamarin or Tools > Options > Xamarin > Other. You will find a Check Now link. If you don't see an option for Xamarin at Tools > Options, review your installation, or try to close and reopen Visual Studio. You can also search for Xamarin in the Options dialog box. Download and install the latest version as needed.

2. In the Retail SDK folder, open SampleExtensions\HybridApp\Android\Sample.HybridApp.Android.sln. Build and deploy using the emulator and verify that everything appears as it should.

   Note

   If you want to add a custom Microsoft Entra host URL for activation, in the solution edit the PosActivity.cs file, search for the string array variable named AadHostUrls, and then add your custom Microsoft Entra host URL to the array.

3. Using the Visual Studio Emulator for Android or any emulator for Android, launch the POS hybrid app and enter the Commerce Scale Unit URL and save.

4. You should be able to sign in and activate the device.

Build the iOS Retail hybrid app

Connect to a Mac

If you're developing on Windows and using a Mac just to build the iOS app, you must connect the computer that runs Windows with the Mac. For instructions, see Connecting to the Mac.

Set up and install Xamarin on iOS

To set up and install Xamarin on iOS, follow these steps.

1. Download and install Xcode from https://developer.apple.com/xcode/. Add your Apple ID by following the instructions in Adding your account to Xcode (apple.com).
2. Download and install Xamarin by following the instructions in Installing and configuring Xamarin.iOS (xamarin.com).
3. When you've finished installing Xamarin on both the Windows computer and the Mac, follow the instructions in Connecting to the Mac (xamarin.com). After you've connected to the Mac, you can work with iOS and Mac from Visual Studio on the Windows computer.

For more detailed information about how to install Xamarin on iOS, see Xamarin.iOS installation.

Build the iOS Retail hybrid app

1. In the Retail SDK folder, open SampleExtensions\HybridApp\iOS\solution. After you've connected to the Mac and built the application in Visual Studio, select the iOS device type, and deploy the app on the selected device.

   

2. In the Emulator, go to Settings > Retail Modern Pos, and enter the Commerce Scale Unit URL.

   

   

3. Open the MPOS app. You should now be able to sign in and activate the device.

Hybrid app signing and distribution

To sign and distribute the Android and iOS app, refer to the following options:

Android

• Signing the Android Application Package
• Android app distribution

iOS

• iOS Code Signing
• iOS app distribution

Dedicated hardware station support for the hybrid Android app

Starting in release 8.1.3, dedicated hardware station support has been added to the hybrid Android app. In the same way that the Retail Modern POS has built-in support for peripheral devices, the Android app can also use the dedicated hardware station to connect to peripherals without needing to deploy an IIS-based hardware station. Out of the box, the hybrid Android app supports using payment terminals and receipt printers over network connections. Communicating with devices over a network typically requires adherence to a proprietary communication protocol specified by the manufacturer. For the hybrid Android app, out-of-the- box integrations are provided for the Dynamics 365 Payment Connector for Adyen and Epson receipt printers.

Out-of-the-box supported devices

Support for other payment processors and peripheral devices can be implemented by ISVs through the Payments and Hardware SDKs.

Set up peripherals to work with the hybrid Android app

To enable direct hardware support for the hybrid Android app, set up a dedicated hardware station in the same way it would be set up for MPOS. Instructions for setting up the dedicated, or IPC, hardware station can be found in Retail peripherals

To set up the payment connector, follow the standard setup steps noted in the Dynamics 365 Payment Connector for Adyen. Skip the section labeled "Update the Modern POS or IIS Hardware Station configuration."

For details on setting up network connected peripherals the docs Support for network peripherals.

Additional resources

Payments FAQ