You may have heard of Figma, the popular collaborative design tool that runs in your web browser and can be used for designing websites, presentations, mobile apps, and more. Figma also lets you preview the designs you create so you can check and make changes to them before publishing. And for this, you have Figma Mirror, which has been specially designed to let you view your designs. If you are not familiar with Figma Mirror, here is everything you need to know about it.

What is Figma Mirror? Figma Mirror is a companion app to Figma designed to let you preview and test your designs on iOS and Android mobile devices. A web version is also available, and both the mobile and web apps sync with the standard Figma app in real-time. You can also open your Figma prototypes and files from the Figma Mirror app. The main purpose of Figma Mirror is to let you see how your designs will appear and work on actual devices, hence the name 'Mirror'. When you make changes to your design in Figma, they will appear in Figma Mirror, so you can make informed decisions.

Figma Mirror can help you identify issues with your design that may not be visible on the desktop. It can also make user testing easier since you can directly share your designs with testers to get feedback regarding functionality and usability. You can comment on your designs, make instant changes, and see the results immediately.

How is Figma Mirror different from Figma?

While Figma and Figma Mirror seem to be very similar to each other, there are a few differences between the two. Figma is primarily a design tool that lets you create, edit, and prototype your designs. In contrast, Figma Mirror is basically a preview tool that lets you see your designs on mobile devices. It does not offer tools to let you make changes to your design directly on your smartphone.

Additionally, while Figma is a desktop application, Figma Mirror is designed to be used on iOS and Android devices. That said, both have a web app that can run in the browser. Essentially, Figma Mirror can help you finetune your designs by interacting with them and experiencing them as a potential user would. Ideally, you can keep it running on your phone while you create and edit your designs on your desktop for crafting the perfect, most intuitive, and attractive websites and apps.

How to use Figma Mirror

You can download the Figma Mirror app on your iOS or Android device from Apple's App Store or Google's Play Store or open the Figma Mirror web app in your mobile browser to start using it.

  1. After downloading the app, log in to your Figma account by entering your email address and password.
  2. Figma will send a code to your email address to authenticate your identity. Enter the authentication code and tap on the 'Log in' button.
  1. Once you are logged in, you will see all your Figma designs on the screen. Tap on any design to open it.
  2. While Figma Mirror offers very limited options, you can view them by tapping and holding two fingers on the screen. Then tap the three dots on the top right to view the available options.

Things to know

  • When using Figma Mirror, make sure you have a stable and reliable internet connection; otherwise, it may not be able to mirror any changes you make to your designs quickly.
  • To effectively use Figma Mirror, keep the design on which you are working open on your desktop. This will let you see the changes you make in the mobile app as and when you make them.
  • You can restart your prototype after making changes on the desktop to view the changes, view comment pins, share the design with others, etc. in the Figma Mirror app on your phone.
  • When using the Figma Mirror web app, you do not need to install anything on your device but it may not offer the best experience on slower connections and older devices.