Explorer Post-Retirement Functionality

[bobwright]

We have been using Explorer paired with Survey123 for field data collection during fall and winter. I understand that Explorer will be retired in December of this year, but will it still function after this? We need to get through one more data collection season (Nov '21-Feb '22) before we can update our mobile device fleet and transition to Field Maps. Thanks.

[BrentPierce]

Hi @bobwright ,

Explorer will continue to work after December 31st 2021, however the listing will be removed from the app stores as well as it will no longer will be officially supported. I definitely encourage you to start to move your field operations over to the Field Maps app as that is where our engineering effort is being focused now. It has all the capabilities of ArcGIS Explorer as well as the capabilities available in the Collector and Tracker applications. Here is a migration guide we wrote to help with this transition: https://www.esri.com/content/dam/esrisites/en-us/media/pdf/implementation-guides/field-maps-migratio...

Hope this helps,

-Brent

[DataOfficer]

Hi @BrentPierce,

That's all well and good but the FieldMaps app is not supported on many older devices. Therefore organisations such as ours cannot move to FieldMaps as we have both organisational and community users with incompatible devices (whereas they can use Explorer). Is there any way of retaining Explorer in the app stores, or providing an alternative method for download to allow us to continue its use (and download for new users) beyond deprecation?

[PeterTQFES]

Hi @BrentPierce ,

What is going to happen to ArcGIS Explorer for Windows?  There doesn't appear to be a plan to replace it.

[BrentPierce]

@PeterTQFES Good questions, Explorer Windows is not being retired at the end of 2021, it will continue to live on and remain supported as there is not replacement in the form of Field Maps on the WIndows platform.