You will need the Full Write App permission to perform these actions. Your One Church Software subscription also needs the App Builder add-on to access this area.
The builder shows you a drawing of each screen, which is close to the real thing but not the real thing. Live Preview loads a version onto an actual phone so you can tap through it the way a member would, without publishing it first.
Anyone with the One Church app on their phone can open a preview. They do not need access to One Church Software, and they do not need to be signed in to your church to see the design.
Starting a preview
Previews are started from Mobile App > Builder. Select the version you want to look at in the Version dropdown, then click Live Preview.
A panel opens with a QR code, a code you can type, and a countdown. The version being previewed is named under the code, so you can confirm you picked the right one before you hand the code to anybody.
Open the preview by scanning the code
This is the quickest route when the phone is in your hand. The panel lists the steps:
Point your phone's camera at the QR code.
Tap the link that appears to open the One Church app.
Wait for the version to load. Any edits you make in the builder appear on the phone right away.
If the One Church app is not on the phone yet, the link sends you to the app store first. Install the app, then scan the code again.
Open the preview by typing the code
Use this when the phone is not in front of the screen, for example when you are sending the code to a staff member in another building.
Click Copy beside the code in the Live Preview panel and send it to the person who is previewing.
On the phone, open the One Church app and go to Settings > App Builder > App Preview.
Enter the eight-character code and confirm.
While the preview is running
A banner across the top of the app names the version being previewed, so nobody mistakes a preview for the real app. A status dot beside it shows whether the phone is still connected to the builder.
The preview is live rather than a snapshot. Save a change in the builder, and it appears on the phone within a moment, which makes this a good way to review wording and images with someone standing next to you.
To leave the preview and go back to the published app, tap Exit in the banner.
Preview codes
Codes expire after two hours
The countdown in the panel shows how long the current code has left. Once it runs out, the code stops working and anyone using it sees a message saying the preview has expired.
Click New code to replace the code with a fresh one. The old code stops working at that moment, so anyone still previewing on the old code needs the new one.
Treat codes as private
Warning: A preview code opens a version that has not been published. Anyone you send the code to can see work in progress, including screens and wording you are not ready to show members. Send codes only to the people reviewing the design.
When a code does not work
The code has expired - the two hours have run out, or someone clicked New code. Open Live Preview again and share the current code.
The version no longer exists - the version being previewed was deleted while the preview was open. Pick a version that still exists and start a new preview.
The code belongs to a different church - the app checks that the code matches the church the phone is set up with. A code from another church's builder will not open.