Preview and Publish
Before going live, preview your app in the built-in PWA Simulator and use Try Mode to verify the experience on your own devices. When ready, publish with one click.
PWA Simulator
The PWA Simulator is an in-browser phone mockup that renders a live iframe of your community app. It is available on the Design tab without needing to publish.
Opening the Simulator
- Go to Settings → Mobile App → Design.
- The phone mockup on the left is an always-on inline preview.
- Click Reload Preview to refresh the iframe with the latest draft config.
Full-Screen Simulator
A full-screen simulator dialog is available for a closer look:
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Device selector | Switch between iPhone and Android corner-radius styles |
| Close (X) / Escape | Dismiss the full-screen dialog |
| Iframe | Renders /app/:tenant/feed — live app in your browser |
The Simulator is a visual mockup only. It does not emulate device viewport dimensions. For accurate testing on real devices, use Try Mode.
Try Mode
Try Mode makes the app accessible to all admins at /app/:tenant/* paths before it is published to members.
Entering Try Mode
- Ensure Enable the mobile app is toggled ON (status: Draft).
- Click Try It.
- Status badge changes to Try Mode.
- Open
/app/:tenant/feedin your browser (or on a mobile device) to experience the app as a member would.
Exiting Try Mode
- Click Stop Try to return to Draft without publishing.
- Click Publish to go live immediately from Try Mode (Enterprise only).
Try Mode remains active until you explicitly click Stop Try or Publish — there is no automatic expiry.
Publishing
Publishing the mobile app to members requires the Enterprise plan. On lower plans the Publish button shows an upgrade prompt.
Publish for the First Time
- Complete configuration: branding, navigation tabs, push notifications.
- Optionally click Try It to preview.
- Click Publish.
- Status badge changes to Published.
- Members visiting the community site see the install prompt. Direct them to the member install guide.
Re-publish After Changes
After the app is published, any configuration changes you save create a new draft version. The live app is not updated until you re-publish.
- Edit branding, navigation, or notification settings.
- Click Re-publish.
- Changes go live immediately — no review step required.
Unpublish
Unpublishing removes member access without disabling configuration.
- Click Unpublish.
- Status badge reverts to Draft.
- The manifest endpoint (
/api/pwa/manifest/:tenant) returns 404, preventing new installs. - Members who already installed the app lose access until you re-publish.
Manifest Endpoint
When the app is in Try Mode or Published state, the browser fetches the PWA manifest from:
/api/pwa/manifest/:tenant
The manifest is public (no auth required) and is cached for 5 minutes (Cache-Control: public, max-age=300).
| Condition | Response |
|---|---|
| App disabled | 404 |
| App enabled, not published and not in Try Mode | 404 |
| App enabled, published or Try Mode | 200 JSON manifest |
moduleMobileApp feature not on plan | 404 |
The manifest includes your app name, icons, theme color, splash background color, start URL (/app/:tenant/feed), and scope (/app/:tenant/). These fields are derived from your community settings and branding config — they are not directly editable as free-text in the manifest.
Publish Checklist
Before publishing, verify:
- Enable the mobile app is ON
- App icon uploaded or tenant logo confirmed acceptable (see Branding)
- Splash screen background color matches brand
- Bottom nav shows the correct 5 tabs in the right order (see Navigation Tabs)
- Install banner title and description are set
- Push notification defaults reviewed (see Push Notifications)
- Try It tested on at least one real mobile device
- Enterprise plan confirmed (required to click Publish)
Next Steps
- Overview — Review status badges and the full lifecycle
- Branding — Update icon or splash screen before re-publishing
- Navigation Tabs — Adjust tabs and reorder before re-publishing