Overview
Play allows you to share your work with teammates, stakeholders, and users in two different ways: the design file or the prototype as an App Clip.
Sharing a design file allows recipients to see your project's editor–including the layers, interactions, assets, and properties–as either an editor or a viewer. Sharing a prototype allows recipients to interact with your design in its native environment (your phone!) They'll see the product but not how it's made.
Sharing Native Prototypes with Apple App Clips
Play's prototypes can be viewed on any iOS device by tapping a prototype link. One of the things that makes Play unique is that anyone can view your native prototype without needing to install anything on their device!
This is made possible by using an App Clip. Apple created App Clips to share a small part of an app that’s discoverable at the moment it’s needed — even before installing the full app. With App Clips, Play has made it possible to share native prototypes to any iPhone with zero friction. Please note: App Clips are only available on iOS 17.
If someone already has Play installed on their device, the interactive prototype will open in the Play app as an App Clip won’t be needed. The link you send will be the same.
Each project (not draft) has one App Clip. If you want to share more than one App Clip, you can upgrade to one of our paid tiers.
Generating an App Clip link on macOS
You'll share your prototype on macOS by clicking "Publish."
On the App Clip side of the pop-up, you can:
Click "Copy Link" to copy the App Clip link and send it to users, teammates, shareholders, etc.
Click "Publish" to update the App Clip based on the newest changes in your Play project.
Add a password for the App Clip that users will need to enter to access the prototype (for paid users only).
Generating an App Clip link on iOS
Share from the iOS Lobby:
Within the iOS share menu, there are several options:
“Share Prototype with App Clip - Copy Link” will copy the App Clip link to your clipboard
“Share Prototype with App Clip - Send with Messages” will pre-fill a text message with the App Clip link
“More” will open the native share modal
“Editor Link - Copy link to Editor” will copy the design file link to your clipboard
Share from the iOS Editor:
Sharing from the iOS editor offers the same options.
Share from the iOS Right Toolbar:
Sharing from the right toolbar or the Layers Panel can only be done by tapping “Share” to open the native share modal.
Share from the iOS Layers Panel:
Opening an App Clip Link
When a user taps an App Clip on their phone, they'll automatically see the prototype, ready to be interacted with. The Play app is not required to view an App Clip link.
Once opened, the App Clip will live on your phone as an app icon until it has been unopened for 10 days, at which point it will be deleted. By tapping the App Clip icon, you’ll see the most recent prototype you viewed. Reopening another App Clip from a link will set that App Clip icon to open the new prototype.
Sharing a Design File Link
To share a design file on macOS and collaborate with your team, click on the "Invite" button.
Click on "Copy Link to Editor" to get the link.
You can share the design file with public viewers and/or allow your project file to be duplicated by flipping the respective switches. This is helpful when the Play team is helping QA or if you're sharing a project on social media, among other purposes.
You can also share the design file from a particular page by clicking the chain icon on the desired page’s tab, which will automatically copy the editor link.
Sharing a Draft Design File Link
You can share your design file drafts with members of the team your drafts are a part of. Those members will only be able to view your drafts. If you would like to work together with members of your team, you'll need to move your draft to the projects list.
You cannot produce an App Clip from a draft. You’ll need to move the draft into your projects to get an App Clip link.