Overview
Preview on Device lets you see exactly how a draft layout will look and feel on a real phone before you push it live. Instead of publishing changes and hoping they look right, you can scan a QR code from the App Studio editor and instantly load the draft on your device.
The preview is a snapshot of your draft at the moment you generate the QR code. If you make additional edits after generating the code, those changes won't appear in the preview; just generate a new code to see the latest version.
How to Preview a Draft Layout
From the Dashboard
Open your layout in App Studio and make sure you're viewing a draft (not the live version).
Click Preview in the main navigation (to the left of the Publish button).
A modal will appear with a QR code. Scan it with your phone’s camera to open the preview.
💡 Tip The QR code expires after 10 minutes. If the timer runs out, click Refresh to generate a new code. |
On Your Phone
Scan the QR code with your camera app. The draft will open in your app.
A Draft Preview banner will appear at the top of the screen so you always know you’re viewing a draft, not your live app.
You'll land on the Homepage but you can browse to the draft layout as your customers would - scroll, tap, and navigate between tabs to check the experience.
When you’re done, tap Exit on the banner to return to your live app.
Good to Know
It’s a snapshot, not a live sync. The preview captures your draft as it was when you generated the QR code. To see new edits, generate a new code.
Each code is layout-specific. If you have multiple draft layouts, each QR code is scoped to the layout that was active when it was generated.
Codes expire after 10 minutes. If someone opens an expired link, they’ll see a message prompting you to generate a new one from the dashboard.
Multiple previews can coexist. Generating a new QR code doesn’t invalidate the previous one — both work until they expire.
FAQ
Why don’t I see the Preview button?
The button only appears when you’re viewing a draft layout. If you’re on the live version, switch to a draft to see the option.
I made changes after scanning the QR code. Why don’t they show up?
The preview is a snapshot taken when the QR code was generated. Go back to the dashboard and click Preview again to generate a new code with your latest edits.
What happens if the link expires while I’m still previewing?
If you already loaded the preview, it will continue to work. The expiry only applies to new scans or link opens.