How to share an iOS app preview without TestFlight

Suppose you want feedback on a destination screen in a travel app like Atlas. A screenshot shows the layout, but a running preview lets someone scroll the details and try the next action. A browser link also lets reviewers on Windows or Android participate.

Decide whether a browser preview fits the review

Review task	Appropriate workflow
Check navigation, copy, and layout	A browser simulator preview.
Show a native app to someone without an iPhone	A browser simulator preview.
Try camera capture, Bluetooth, or device performance	A build running on physical hardware.
Distribute an installable beta to iPhone testers	TestFlight.

TestFlight distributes beta apps that testers install on their Apple devices. A VibeView link gives access to a remotely running simulator. You can use both at different stages: a browser review for a proposed screen, then an installed beta for device testing.

1. Prepare a build that runs independently

Upload a simulator .app bundle, either directly or in a supported archive. A signed .ipa built for TestFlight is a device artifact and cannot be used as the simulator upload.

For React Native and Expo, include the JavaScript bundle in the app. A debug app that waits for Metro on your laptop is unsuitable for a link someone may open after you finish work. See the Expo browser-preview walkthrough for a standalone simulator build, or Preparing Your App Build for other frameworks.

Start a sandbox session against the uploaded build and complete the flow you want reviewed. Check that the app can reach its backend and that the review does not depend on your local development server.

2. Create the link

Open the app’s Share tab, then click New Share Link.

Choose Pin to a build for feedback on a specific version. This makes it easier to connect a review comment to the version the reviewer saw. Choose Latest build (auto) for a recurring demo that should follow new uploads.

Select a device model if the review depends on a particular screen size. If you allow visitors to choose devices, select at least two models so they have a choice. Set the default device and OS where needed.

You can also configure:

Max session duration to keep each review within a chosen time window.
Max concurrent sessions to limit how many people can use this link at once.
Expires at for a review with an end date.
Require visitors to log in if recipients should sign in to VibeView before starting.

Click Create, then copy the link from the Share tab. The sharing documentation describes all controls and their behavior.

3. Check what the reviewer sees

Open the copied link in a private browser window. This checks the recipient experience without relying on your existing dashboard login.

Confirm that the expected app and device are shown.
Click Tap to Start and wait for the session to become available.
Run through the requested review flow, including any sign-in required by your app.
Check that the selected build works after your development tools are closed.

If visitor login is required, sign in as a recipient before starting. When devices are busy, a recipient may wait in a queue; the link does not reserve immediate capacity.

4. Give the reviewer a concrete task

Send the link with the build being reviewed and the flow you want checked. For an Atlas-style destination review, the note could be:

Please open the destination details, scroll to the available experiences, and check whether the trip-planning action is easy to find. Include the screen and the steps you took with any feedback.

This produces more actionable feedback than asking someone to browse the whole app. For a layout question, name the device size you want them to use. For navigation, name both the starting screen and the expected destination.

Manage the link after the review

Shared sessions use your organization’s streaming allowance. The link’s duration and concurrency settings apply alongside plan limits; see pricing for current allowances.

You can edit the link’s build or settings for future sessions. Revoke it when the review is finished if it should no longer work. Revocation disables the link and ends sessions currently using it; a revoked link cannot be re-enabled.

Frequently asked questions

Does the reviewer need Xcode or TestFlight? No. The preview opens in a browser. A VibeView login is only required when you enable that setting.

Can I share the same IPA I uploaded to TestFlight? No. Produce a simulator .app from the same source version so the preview corresponds to that release.

Can reviewers use this offline? No. The browser needs a connection to the streamed simulator.

Will this prove the app works on an iPhone? It can establish that the reviewed flow works in the simulator. Keep physical-device coverage for hardware features and performance. When you are ready for installed beta testing, follow Upload to TestFlight without a Mac.

Try it on your own build

The free tier takes no card: two concurrent sessions and 30 streaming minutes a month, in sessions of up to five minutes. That is enough to upload today’s build, create a link and have a colleague on Windows open it before the end of the afternoon.