Mobile Preview

Open the Mobile panel

The device preview lives in the right activity bar, below My Activity.

1. Click Mobile in the right activity bar. You can start an emulator before opening a project.
2. Choose Devices in the header. Expand Favorites, Physical devices, or Virtual devices.
3. Choose Use for a running target or Start for a powered-off virtual device. Wait for it to boot and the preview to connect.
4. Star a device to keep it in Favorites. Use Refresh devices after connecting a phone or changing your SDK setup.

Set up Android

Use an Android emulator or a physical Android device authorized on this computer.

1. Install Android Studio or the Android SDK command-line tools, including platform-tools and the emulator. If needed, set ANDROID_HOME to the SDK folder and restart Flame.
2. For a virtual device, choose Devices → Virtual devices → Add. Search the model catalog, select a model, and follow the SDK and system-image setup checks.
3. For a physical phone, enable developer options and USB debugging, connect it, and accept the computer's debugging authorization on the phone.
4. Refresh devices, select the target, and wait for its preview. A device that is still booting is not ready for app interaction.

Set up an iOS simulator

iOS simulator discovery and live preview require macOS and Xcode.

1. Install Xcode, select its command-line tools, and install an iOS simulator runtime.
2. Choose Devices, then select an iOS virtual device or open Add for simulator setup.
3. Start or use the simulator. Flame connects to the selected simulator without requiring a separate Simulator window.

Run your app and inspect output

Keep your SDK, project dependencies, and signing configured on the host.

1. Open the app's project and select a device. In Mobile options → App, use Run for a supported detected framework.
2. For Flutter, use the run and hot reload controls. The status bar device picker also exposes a running preview under Mobile Preview.
3. Expo and React Native use their CLI commands. Native Android uses Gradle installDebug by default; open the installed app on the device afterward.
4. For native iOS or a custom launch recipe, run your project-specific command in an integrated terminal. Inspect the project terminal and device logs when a launch fails.

Bring the device into AI chat

A screenshot gives the agent a concrete view of the problem.

1. Select an online device and click Ask AI. Choose Take screenshot and ask to capture a fresh image, with recent device logs if useful.
2. Alternatively, choose Add context → Add mobile preview in the chat composer, then select the device and attachments.
3. Review the staged image, logs, and question, then send. Opening the chat alone does not send a prompt or interact with the device.

Disconnect or shut down

End a preview session or stop the virtual device when you are finished.

1. Choose Mobile options → Device → Disconnect device to stop preview streaming and clear the selected device. The app and device keep running.
2. Choose Shut down emulator or Shut down simulator to stop a virtual device as well.
3. Use the separate app Stop action to end the project run. Select a device again whenever you want to reconnect.

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