Overview
Play lets you view and interact with your prototypes across iOS, iPad, and macOS, each offering unique strengths. On iPhone and iPad, you can experience prototypes directly on the physical devices—perfect for testing interactions in their native environment. The macOS Simulator provides a fast way to preview, customize device sizes, and run multiple prototypes side-by-side, all from your desktop.
Whether you're using the macOS Simulator or experiencing prototypes on you iPhone or iPad, Play makes it easy to test, reset, and refine your prototypes in the environments where they’ll actually live.
Experience Prototypes on Your iPhone
Play's iOS app lets you view and interact with your iOS prototypes in their native environment: your iPhone! Play's iOS app also allows you to design UI in context, but you'll need to design interactions on Play's macOS app.
If you don't have the Play iOS app installed, you can click here or scan the QR code below to download it.
Connect to macOS
If you have a project open on the macOS app, you'll see a green tool tip in the iOS Lobby that says "Connect to macOS." Tapping this button will take you into Play Mode for the object or page that is selected on macOS. Play Mode is how we refer to the prototype view, where you experience your prototype as if it were a live app.
Changing the selection on macOS will change what is shown in iOS Play Mode.
Play from the iOS Lobby
From the iOS app's lobby, you can open any project in Play Mode. Just tap on the play button icon under the name of project you'd like to open.
When Play Mode is opened this way, changes to the project in macOS will not be updated on iOS until the prototype is reopened.
Play from the iOS Editor
You can also connect from within a project on iOS. If there is a connection with macOS found, you’ll see a “Connect to macOS” tool tip in the top right corner of your phone’s screen. This tool tip is pointing at the green laptop+phone icon. Tapping this icon will open Play Mode with a connection to macOS, where anything you select on macOS will appear, ready to test, on iOS.
You can also long press on the icon to open a drop-down that lets you enter Play Mode on any page in your project. Any updates made on macOS will still be reflected in this Play Mode option, but your phone’s display will not change based on what is selected on macOS.
If there is no connection found, the icon in the top right corner will instead be a Play icon. Tapping it will open the current page in Play Mode, and long pressing it will give you the same options as before.
When Play Mode is opened this way, changes to the project in macOS will not be updated on iOS until the prototype is reopened.
Refresh Interactions on iOS
To restart your prototype, you can double tap with two fingers. This will reset all interactions, allowing you to repeatedly test your prototype.
Exit Play Mode on iOS
To exit Play Mode on iOS and return to the lobby or iOS editor, swipe down with three fingers.
Experience Prototypes on Your iPad
Play's iPad app lets you view and interact with iPad prototypes in their native environment: your iPad! Our iPad app is currently just a viewer app, so you can't edit a project.
If you don't have the Play iPad app installed, you can click here (same link as iOS) or scan the QR code below to download it.
Connect to macOS
Similar to iOS, if you have a project open on Play's macOS app, you'll see a green tool tip in the iPad Lobby that says "Connect to macOS."
Tapping this button will take you into Play Mode for the object or page that is selected on macOS. Changing the selection on macOS will change what is shown on your iPad.
Play from the iPad Lobby
From the iPad app's lobby, you can open any project in Play Mode. Just tap on the play button icon under the name of project you'd like to open.
When Play Mode is opened this way, changes to the project in macOS will not be updated on iPad until the prototype is reopened.
Refresh Interactions on iPad
To restart your prototype, you can double tap with two fingers. This will reset all interactions, allowing you to repeatedly test your prototype.
Exit Play Mode on iPad
To exit Play Mode on iPad and return to the lobby, swipe down with three fingers.
Experience Prototypes on Your Desktop macOS Simulator
Play’s Simulator lets you view and interact with your prototypes on your desktop. While we believe it’s important to experience prototypes in their native environment, we know that some users find it more efficient to initially test prototypes on their desktop where they’re designing.
Play's Mac Simulator is only available on Sequoia 15+ and above.
Opening the Simulator
To open the Simulator, click the green play button and add a new Simulator window. You can also open a new Simulator window from the Simulator menu or use the keyboard shortcut Shift + O.
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Customizing the Simulator
Changing the Simulator’s Device Size
The Simulator can be the size of any iPhone. Select the iPhone model from the Simulator’s menu. We also allow you to create custom Simulator sizes to view a prototype for any platform—iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, or custom, like for a automotive screen or an airplane’s seat back entertainment.
Refresh Interactions on the Simulator
Click the back arrow button to refresh the interactions and retest your prototype.
Change the Simulator's UI Appearance
Click the circle appearance button to change the UI Appearance (light, dark, auto) of the Simulator.
Adding or Removing Bezel
You can show or hide a bezel around the Simulator from the Simulator’s menu.
Opening Multiple Simulator Windows
One of the benefits of Play’s Simulator is that you can open multiple windows at once. This allows you to see/experience your prototype across multiple iPhone sizes at the same time. From the Simulator’s menu, you can select "New Simulator." The shortcut CMD + N will also open a new Simulator window.
Change the Prototype Displayed by the Simulator
When you open a new project in Play, the Simulator will display the same “Switch Project” button as on iOS. Clicking this button will switch which prototype the Simulator displays. If no projects are open on macOS, the Simulator will stay open but display a loader until a new project is opened.
Recording the Simulator
From the Simulator's menu, you can record the Simulator's content. Click on the stop recording button to save it for easy sharing.
Considerations for the Simulator
Because the Simulator is on your Mac, there are some differences in your prototype to keep in mind.
The Simulator cannot access iOS device hardware. This means interactions with features like Camera, Gyroscope, or Haptics won’t work. The Simulator will show an alert in these situations.
The Simulator handles Scroll triggers differently. Scrolling with the trackpad simulates native scroll behavior pretty well, as does dragging with the mouse. Scrolling with the mouse wheel works but doesn’t simulate velocity based scroll behavior.
The Simulator handles Open URL actions differently. When linking to another App Clip link using an Open URL action, the Simulator will show an alert. When linking to a regular URL using an Open URL action, the Simulator will open the URL in a Mac browser.
The Simulator handles Open Sheet actions differently. Sheets (modals) will open to full screen in the Simulator, rather than scaling down the previous page behind the sheet. We’re working on a workaround that will better match the iOS behavior.
The Simulator doesn’t always recognize Edge Pan gestures. We’re working on a workaround that will register Edge Pan gestures when started on the Bezel.
The Simulator doesn’t register multi-finger interactions, when they’re created in a prototype or the Play specific interactions like two-finger double-tap to reset or three-finger swipe to exit. We’re working on a workaround.
If you run into any of these situations, we recommend testing on the iOS app where the considerations are not relevant.
Coming Soon: Prototype Sharing with the Simulator
In the future, you’ll be able to share a prototype file that testers can view on their Macs. This will be an alternative for App Clips when sharing prototypes with users who don’t have an iPhone accessible.