Make an app

You are an urban planner in Portland, Oregon, tasked with presenting an urban tree management plan. You have created a 3D scene that shows the buildings and trees in Portland and information on heat severity data. You want to provide a way for others to view the scene without giving them access to change the scene configurations.

ArcGIS Instant Apps allows you to configure an app that allows your audience to engage with your maps and data.

As you work through the steps in this tutorial, you'll learn the following skills:

• Create an app from an existing web scene.
• Choose an Instant Apps template.
• Configure the app.
• Publish and share the app.

Note:

This tutorial is part of a series about creating maps and apps with an ArcGIS public account.

This tutorial was last tested on June 12, 2025.

View final result

Requirements

• Free ArcGIS public account or a User or higher member role in an ArcGIS organization (see options for software access)

Make an app

Make an app from an existing scene

In this tutorial, you will open an existing web scene in Scene Viewer and create an app.

1. Sign in to ArcGIS Online.

   Note:

   If you don't have an ArcGIS organizational account, you can sign up for a free public account.

2. On the ribbon, click Content.

   

3. Locate your Tree planting opportunities in 3D scene. Click the name of the scene.

   Note:

   If you did not complete the tutorial Make a scene, go to the item page for Tree planting opportunities in 3D (Final) and sign in to continue the tutorial.

   

   The item page for the scene appears.

4. On the item page, click Create Web App and choose Instant Apps.

   

   ArcGIS Instant Apps provides a collection of app templates to create purpose-driven apps for interacting with maps and data. Each app template has a specific purpose, such as viewing a map or scene, comparing content, getting directions, exploring a gallery of content, and finding something nearby.

5. In the Instant Apps gallery, for Basic, click Preview.

   

   A preview of the scene in the template appears. The Basic template displays a map or scene with standard options such as a legend and bookmarks. You want a template that can display the slides you compiled in the scene so they can be viewed one after the other. You will choose a different template.

6. Close the preview by clicking the close button at the top of the preview or clicking the Back button.
7. For Exhibit, click Preview.

   The Exhibit template creates a linear, interactive presentation by authoring a collection of slides to show different views of a map or scene. You can import bookmarks from the scene to create slides.

8. Click Choose.

   

9. In the Create app - Exhibit window, for Give your app a title, type Tree planting opportunities app. Click Create app.

   

   The configuration window appears. Next, you will configure the app.

Configure the app

The configuration window provides several app settings and an interactive preview of your app, including options to view how the app will appear on a mobile device.

Note:

As you make changes, a draft is saved automatically and the app preview refreshes so you can test the app before publishing. You can also preview how the app will appear on a tablet or mobile device by using the Views menu.

1. If necessary, close the Express window.
2. In the Express pane, click Step 1. Map.

   

3. In the Map pane, confirm that the scene used in this app is Tree planting opportunities in 3D.
4. At the top of the pane, click Next.

   

   The Exhibit pane appears. Here you can choose to create slides from the scene slides.

5. Under Manage slides, click Import bookmarks.

   

6. Click Next.

   In the About pane, the Header is already enabled. You will also turn on the Introduction window so you can provide instructions on how to use the app.

7. Turn on Introduction window.

   

8. Under Introduction window content, click Edit.
9. In the text editor that appears, copy and paste the following text:

   Tip:

   To paste text without formatting, press Ctrl+Shift+V.

   Welcome to the Tree planting opportunities app.

   Use the zoom tools to explore the map. To view key areas that would benefit from trees, click the Play button or use forward and back arrows to navigate slides. You can also search for a specific location in the city.

10. Close the text editor.
11. Click Next.

    The Interactivity pane include tools for exploring the map. You'll add a tool to play through the slides and a tool to search for a particular location in the city.

12. In the Interactivity pane, turn on the Play button, Home button, and Search tools.

    

13. Click Next.

    In the Theme & Layout pane, you can choose your app's mode, theme color, and adjust where you want the app tools to appear.

    Since your app is about trees, you will choose the Forest theme.

14. For Select a preset theme, choose Forest.
15. Under Manage widget positions, click the handle for the Control panel widget and drag it to the top of the list under Top left.

    

16. Drag Search under the Top right section.

    You have completed reordering the widgets for your app.

    

    You have completed configuring the app.

    Next, you will preview your app.

17. In the app preview, on the introduction window, click Explore.
18. On the control panel toolbar, click the Play slides button

    

    The scene automatically moves through the slides, changing the scene extent to each location specified in the slides.

    Note:

    The slides will change at the default speed of about 5 seconds per slide.

The app is ready to publish.

Publish and share the app

You will publish the app and set the share settings so anyone can view your app.

1. At the bottom of the Theme & Layout pane, click Publish.

   

2. In the Publish window, click Confirm.

   Your app is published. Next, you will set the share settings so anyone can view the app.

3. In the Share window, click the Change share settings link.

   

4. In the Share window, click Everyone (public) and click Save.

   The app is now accessible to anyone.

5. On the toolbar, click Share.

   

   The Share window appears again.

6. In the Share window, click Launch.

   Your published app appears in a new browser tab or window.

In this tutorial, you created an app using the Instant Apps template Exhibit. It provided an interactive and accessible way for your viewers to interact with and explore your recommendations for additional street trees to address severe heat in your city. You chose an app template that best fit the information you wanted to communicate, you configured the app with the messages and widgets your viewers needed to use the app effectively, and you saved and published the app so anyone can access the app.

With an ArcGIS public account, you have limited access to a few apps, including Instant Apps and ArcGIS StoryMaps. With an ArcGIS organizational account, you have expanded access to both those apps and many other interactive apps, including ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Survey123, ArcGIS QuickCapture, and more.

Note:

For additional capabilities, including private sharing, publishing data, performing analysis, and more, make ArcGIS Online part of your GIS toolset by purchasing an ArcGIS organizational subscription. Subscriptions can include a variety of user types which makes it easy to match you and your team members with the necessary tools for your work. If you have an ArcGIS public account, you can convert your public account to an organizational account.

Acknowledgements

• The Heat Severity - USA 2024 layer contains the relative heat severity for every pixel for every city in the contiguous United States. Trust for Public Land (TPL), United States Geological Society (USGS), and Descartes Labs
• OpenStreetMap 3D Trees (Thematic) is a 3D scene layer that presents OpenStreetMap (OSM) trees data, and OpenStreetMap 3D Buildings is a 3D scene layer that presents OpenStreetMap (OSM) buildings data. Both are hosted by Esri. Esri created buildings and trees scene layers from the OSM Daylight map distribution.
• Card image created using an image from Unsplash by Alex Knight.