Create Device Channels In SharePoint Server 2016

Device channels were one of the newly introduced features in SharePoint 2013. Device channel allows us to map the created device channel to a device, based on its user agent and target custom master pages specifically to the device. Thus, we can have one master page for iPhone, while a different one for Blackberry and so on. We can define a maximum of 10 device channels.

In this blog, let’s see how to define a device channel and associate specific master pages with the device channel. By default, master page settings allows us to define a site and a system master page.

In order to create a device channel, click ‘Device Channels’ from ‘Look and feel’ section.

This will open up the ‘Device Channels’ list. Click new item to create a new device channel.

Specify the name, alias and description for the new device channel.

Mention the user agent, which will be mapped against the device channel. Select ‘Active’ check box to activate the device channel.

Click Save. This will list the new device channel in the Device Channels list.
Heading over to the master page settings page, we will see a warning to disable ‘Mobile Browser View’ feature. Without disabling the mobile view feature, device channels will not work. Thus, go to the site features and disable it.

Once it is disabled, we can see the new device channel in the ‘Site Master Page’ section. Here, we have assigned a specific Bootstrapped master page for use with iPhone. Hence, we have a site, system and a mobile device channel master page set for the site.