How the SharePoint 2013 Newsfeed app works on your iOS device

Note: This article has done its job, and will be retiring soon. To prevent "Page not found" woes, we're removing links we know about. If you've created links to this page, please remove them, and together we'll keep the web connected.

Use of information about your device

SharePoint Newsfeed includes several features that use the Internet to give you additional information or the ability to share data with others. These features are available any time you have an active connection to the Internet. Each of these features is explained in more detail below.

Cookies

SharePoint Newsfeed features use cookies. The features that do so are described in detail later in this article.

A cookie is a small text file placed on your device by an Internet server. Cookies contain information that can later be read by an Internet server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the main purposes of cookies is to save you time. For example, SharePoint Newsfeed uses an authentication cookie that allows you to remain logged in without having to enter your credentials each time you open SharePoint Newsfeed.

Whenever SharePoint Newsfeed contacts a SharePoint server, it can potentially save or access cookies.

Authentication

SharePoint Newsfeed requires you to sign in by submitting over the Internet the username and password you use to access a SharePoint site, and the URL for the SharePoint site you want to access. Depending on whether you are accessing SharePoint Online or a SharePoint server on your company's premises, the next steps in the authentication process will vary as explained below.

SharePoint Online:    When you log in to SharePoint Online, your username and password information is transmitted once to the SharePoint server, and the server returns an authentication token, which contains personal information about your permissions to access content on the SharePoint server. The authentication token will become invalid if your password is changed or has expired. This token along with your username (but not your password) is stored on your device in the iOS keychain and is potentially shared with other online services; see the Keychain sharing section below. The token is transmitted from the SharePoint Newsfeed application to your SharePoint server, and once the server validates your access based on the information contained in the token, the server sends back an authentication cookie to the SharePoint Newsfeed application. The authentication cookie is attached to every request the application makes to your SharePoint server. The period during which this cookie remains valid is set by your SharePoint admin. Once the cookie expires, the SharePoint Newsfeed application automatically resubmits the authentication token back to your SharePoint server, and the server returns a renewed authentication cookie which is again valid for the period set by your SharePoint admin. The authentication cookie is not shared with other online applications that are installed on your device.

SharePoint on premises:    When you log in to a SharePoint server on your organization's premises, the SharePoint Newsfeed application will use the method of authentication configured by your SharePoint admin. Both your username and password are stored on your device in the shared keychain (see the Keychain sharing section below) and may be shared with other Microsoft applications installed on your mobile device. Every request that is submitted from your mobile device to your the SharePoint servers as a result of your use of the SharePoint Newsfeed application will include your username and password for authentication purposes.

Choice/control:    If you wish to sign out of SharePoint Newsfeed and delete all authentication information from your mobile device, you can do so by completing the following steps:

1. Launch the app.

2. Tap the ≡ icon to reveal the left-navigation menu.

3. Go to Settings.

4. Tap Sign out.

5. Tap the Sign out and reset option.

If you choose Sign out and do not use the Sign out and reset option, then your credentials will remain in the shared keychain so that other online services can use them. However, your credentials will not be available when you attempt to login to SharePoint Newsfeed again and you will be required to re-enter your credentials, even if they are the same.

Uninstalling the SharePoint Newsfeed application or signing out without using the Sign out and reset option will not remove your credentials that are stored on the device. The keychain is separate from the application itself and can only be cleared by using the sign out and reset functionality included in the application.

Keychain sharing

The keychain is a data storage area used by the Apple iOS operating system platform, and it is made available to every application installed on the iOS device. All applications are required to use the keychain to store certain information such as credentials, passwords, and other sensitive login data. All data stored in the keychain is encrypted.

The primary goal of keychain sharing is to enable a single sign-on experience for a user with access to multiple online services installed on a single iOS device. Participating applications can access and use the existing set of credentials in the keychain to authenticate, without having to prompt you for that information.

Choice/control:    Keychain sharing is automatically used when you sign in to SharePoint Newsfeed. If you do not wish your credentials to be shared, you have two options: (1) sign out of the SharePoint Newsfeed application using the steps below, or (2) do not install any other online services that may use the keychain.

In order to remove credentials from the shared keychain permanently, you must use the Sign out and reset functionality that is available under Settings using the following steps:

1. Launch the app.

2. Tap the ≡ icon to reveal the left-navigation menu.

3. Go to Settings.

4. Tap Sign out.

5. Choose the Sign out and reset option.

If you choose Sign out and do not use the Sign out and reset option, then your credentials will remain in the shared keychain so that other online services can use them. However, your credentials will not be available when you attempt to login to SharePoint Newsfeed again and you will be required to re-enter your credentials, even if they are the same.

Uninstalling the SharePoint Newsfeed application or signing out without using the Sign out and reset option will not remove your credentials that are stored on the device. The keychain is separate from the application itself, and can only be cleared by using the sign out and reset functionality included in the application.

Cached information

Certain information is stored in the local memory on your mobile device (the "cache") when you use SharePoint Newsfeed. The information that is stored in the cache includes newsfeed content and metadata or attachments associated with the content (such as number of people who liked a post, or a picture that is attached to a post), URLs of SharePoint sites, people profile information, contact information, profile pictures, people lists, documents lists, and the last time your newsfeed was refreshed.

Choice/Control:    To delete information that has been cached on your device, use the steps in the next section, Deleting cached information.

Deleting cached information

What This Feature Does: You can delete information that has been cached locally on your device as described above in the Cached information section by using the steps below. The steps below will not remove authentication and credential information that is stored on your device in the keychain. For information on how to delete the authentication and credential information, please see the Keychain sharing section, above.

Choice/Control:    To delete information that has been cached on your device, use one of the following methods:

Uninstall the application:

1. On the home screen, long-press on the SharePoint icon.

2. Tap on the X icon that appears.

3. Confirm uninstallation.

Sign out of the application:

1. Launch the application.

2. Tap the ≡ icon to reveal the left-navigation menu.

3. Go to Settings.

4. Tap Sign out.

5. Tap Sign out again.

Accessing SharePoint Sites

When you enter a username and password to access a SharePoint site, authentication information is stored on your device in order to permit you to access the SharePoint site again without having to re-enter your username and password. See the Authentication section above, for information on how the authentication information is stored and how to delete the information.