When you start a session from Devices, VibeView shows you the devices you can run on. Identically-configured simulators are pooled together so you pick a kind of device, not a particular machine.
One entry per device group
The device list on the Devices page lists one entry per device group — a group is a unique combination of model, OS version, and platform (for example, Pixel 8 (Android 14 (API 34))). If several identical simulators are available, they appear as that single entry, not as a long list of near-duplicates. You choose the device you want; VibeView decides which underlying machine serves your session.
Start or queue
You can pick any device group in the list that your app can run on; a group whose OS is too old for the app is shown greyed out with what it needs. When you start a session:
- If a device in that group is free, your session starts on it immediately.
- If every device in that group is currently in use, you are queued automatically. The page shows your position in line, and your session starts on its own the moment any device in that group frees up — no need to retry or refresh.
You do not see how many devices are free or busy, and you do not need to. Selecting a group and getting either an immediate start or a place in the queue is the whole flow.
Apps that need a newer OS
When you start a session with an app attached, VibeView only uses devices whose OS can install that build. Each build’s minimum OS is read when you upload it. If you leave the device choice open, older devices are simply skipped. If you pick a device group or a specific device that is too old, the session is refused right away with a message naming the version the app needs, so you can pick a newer group instead of waiting for an install that would fail.
When a group disappears
If every device in a group goes offline, that group is temporarily hidden from the list — there is nothing available to serve it. It reappears on its own, within a few seconds, as soon as a device in that group comes back online. If you were already queued for a group when its devices briefly went offline, you keep your place in line and resume automatically when a device returns.
A note on Android device names
For Android simulators, each group is labeled by its clean model name (for example, Pixel 8) regardless of the internal handle the platform uses to store the simulator on disk. You always see the device you actually picked.
See also: Devices for interacting with a session once it starts.