Retirement of the old Data Entry App and the Tracker Capture app in V42

Implementation - Implémentation App Transition and Version Upgrades
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To ensure the long-term performance, security, and sustainability of DHIS2, we have been working over several years to modernize core functionality—culminating in the development of the new Data Entry app and the Capture app. With the release of DHIS2 version 42, technical upgrades make it no longer feasible to support the old Data Entry and Tracker Capture apps.

As a result, these legacy apps will be officially retired and will not be available in version 42 and beyond.

Follow along in our series of announcements

This announcement kicks off a series of updates and resources we’ll be sharing in the lead-up to, during, and after the DHIS2 version 42 release in May 2025. Our goal is to help you navigate these transitions with clarity and confidence by helping you:

  • Understand the reasons behind these shifts

  • Know what to expect and what actions may be needed

  • Learn from the experiences of others who’ve already made the move

Why This Change Is Happening

This isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic step forward for the entire DHIS2 ecosystem:

  • Built for the Future
    The new apps are powered by a modern backend framework, to make sure DHIS2 core is able to keep up with new challenges related to performance, scalability, and security.

  • Continuous Delivery
    The new apps are on a continuous release cycle, meaning you get new features, improvements, and bug fixes more often—without waiting for a major DHIS2 version. Unlike the legacy apps, which only received updates with core releases [ Continuous Application Delivery - DAC2021 ]

  • Designed Around You
    These apps were built using community feedback and usability testing to ensure a cleaner, more intuitive experience for all users. [ Functional-design, Usability-testing]

This change allows us to invest fully in the tools that best support your workflows—today and into the future.

What This Means for You

If you’re still using the legacy apps, now is the time to plan your transition to the new apps. The new apps are packed with powerful features and recent updates to better support your workflows. Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll gain:

Capture App

  • Consolidated Data Collection – The Capture app brings together Tracker and Event Capture in one streamlined tool, reducing complexity and making data collection more efficient and maintainable. [Tracker to Capture Transition Kit]

  • Extend with Plugins – Plugins let you add custom features directly into DHIS2 apps, without needing to modify or fork the core code. They work like built-in components, making it easy to tailor the system to your needs. [Plugins with Capture app]

  • Utilizing Tracker API – The Capture app uses the new Tracker API (introduced in v2.36), offering improved performance and new capabilities. The legacy API will be removed in v42, so upgrading ensures continued compatibility. [New Tracker API]

  • Unified Rule Engine Across Web & Android – Program rules now run on the same engine across platforms, meaning users get consistent behavior whether on web or mobile. This improves the user experience, reduces duplicated development, and ensures predictable, reliable program logic. [ Expression-parser, Rule-Engine ]

  • Streamlined Workflow Features -The Capture app includes powerful features like configurable and shareable working lists at both tracked entity and program stage levels, as well as bulk actions for completing or deleting enrollments and events—streamlining day-to-day tasks. [ Working Lists, Bulk Actions ]

Data Entry App

  • Reliable Offline Data Entry – Improved offline-capable with a refreshed design, the new Data Entry app ensures smooth performance in an environment with unstable connections. [ Offline Data Entry (Beta) App]

  • Evolving Custom Form Support – Custom forms now support HTML and CSS, while JavaScript is no longer supported—a change that improves security and stability. Many common customizations are now available natively. We encourage you to review your forms ahead of v42, and a detailed guide will be shared soon to help you adapt. [ Feature spotlight webinar pptx.]

We’re Here to Support You

We know transitions take time. Over the coming months, we’ll be rolling out materials to support your move, including:

  • Training & Resources – Step-by-step guides and videos to guide your transition.

  • Community Support – Share experiences and get help from others in our new app-focused discussion space

  • User Stories – Learn from others’ experiences and best practices and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ´s) (coming soon)

  • Quality Metrics & Testing Insights – We’ll share insights from testing on country instances, results from Quality Assurance (QA) processes, and performance data to give you visibility into app stability and improvements. (Coming soon).

Final note

By focusing on the apps that support innovation and scalability, we’re building a stronger DHIS2 platform for everyone.

Let’s move forward—together.

—
The DHIS2 Core Team

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sad

Sibonakaliso Vilakati reacted to your message:
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Thanks for all the amazing work on getting these new apps out. Sadly, for many DHIS2 instances, custom forms including JS are the only way to achieve the required behaviour for our users. Will most DHIS2 instances that use JS custom aggregate data entry forms be required to stay on 2.41 for the foreseeable future? I had been hoping like with the capture app, before depreciating the old app there would be some type of plugin support so there is something to transition to.

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We saw your crying face, and we’d love to hear more about what’s on your mind. Is there something specific you’re concerned about with the transition? Your feedback helps us understand how to best support you.
We know change like this can be challenging—whether it’s retraining users, getting stakeholder buy-in, aligning functionality with your workflows, or managing the technical work of upgrading.
We’re here to help the community through the transition—with training, guides, transition kits, and community support. Let us know what would be most helpful for you right now.

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This will have Major Impact in programs. We should share experiences as we navigate this transitions.

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This will affect a lot of DHIS2 instances which use long custom forms there is need for the transition to be done smoothly

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Thank you to the DHIS2 core team for all the incredible work modernizing the platform. In EyeSeeTeaIwe fully appreciate the need to ensure long-term sustainability, security, and performance.

That said, I would like to join others here in expressing our deep concern about the retirement of JavaScript support in custom forms without providing an equivalent alternative—such as a plugin system for the Data Entry app, similar to what has been offered in the Capture app.

For many implementations, especially in the aggregate domain, JavaScript-enabled custom forms have been the only way to deliver essential usability and validation requirements that are not yet natively supported by DHIS2. These range from dynamic validation and conditional field logic to advanced user interface improvements that are critical for large and complex data collection forms. The removal of JS support could seriously compromise user experience and data quality for these long-standing instances.

While we fully support the principles of security and maintainability, we also believe that removing key extensibility features without providing an upgrade path risks fragmenting the community. Many implementations may have no choice but to freeze on v41 or invest heavily in custom app development—options that may be unfeasible for low-resource settings.

Just as the Capture app has embraced a plugin architecture to balance core modernization with local customization needs, we would strongly advocate for a similar extensibility model for the new Data Entry app. This would allow the community to continue innovating without compromising platform integrity.

We encourage the core team to consider:

  1. A phased approach to JS deprecation, ideally maintaining support while a plugin model matures.
  2. A community consultation process to gather concrete use cases where JavaScript remains essential.
  3. Clear timelines and guidance for how existing functionality can be replicated or replaced in the new app ecosystem.

DHIS2 has always thrived because of the balance between a robust core and the flexibility to meet diverse local needs. We hope we can find a solution that preserves this spirit as we move forward.

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Thank you @ifoche for this message!

Just to crosspost this thread here as well, so people are aware that the team is looking into plugin solutions for Data Entry app as well.

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