Preview and testing
Three ways to see your app running, what each one proves, and which to reach for when.
There are three ways to run a Mistflow phone app before anyone installs it. They are not redundant: each catches a different class of problem, and the cheap ones cannot catch what the expensive one does.
| What it is | Best for | Cannot catch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-browser preview | Your app rendered in a phone frame in the dashboard | Layout, flow, copy, quick looks | Anything device-specific |
| Expo Go on your phone | The real app on a real device | Everything people will actually experience | Behaviour of an installed release build |
| Installed Android build | A real installed app | Push, deep links, release-only behaviour | iPhone-specific issues |
On top of those, every build goes through automatic verification before you are handed a preview at all.
Which one to use
Just looking? The in-browser preview. It is instant and needs nothing installed.
About to show someone? Your own phone, through Expo Go. Layout in a browser frame is not proof; touch targets, keyboard behaviour, and scrolling all differ on a device.
Testing notifications, deep links, or purchases? An installed Android build. Those paths only fully exist in a real installed app.
What people test too late
A short list, from things that have actually broken:
- The first-run experience. You are always signed in; a new user is not. Sign out, or use a fresh device, and walk through sign-up to first useful screen.
- Empty states. Your account has data. A new one has none. Every list screen needs to be worth looking at when empty.
- A slow or missing network. Turn on airplane mode and use the app. If it has an offline story, this is where it is proven.
- Permission refusals. Say no to the camera or location prompt and keep going. A screen that only works when permission is granted is a screen that breaks for real people.
- Someone else's data. Sign in as a second user and confirm you cannot see the first one's records.
Testing on someone else's phone
You do not need to install anything on their device beyond Expo Go: send them the preview link. For a longer-lived test, send them an Android build, which installs as a real app and does not depend on a preview session staying alive.