Live Preview, Screenshots, and Recordings
Connect a physical iPhone or iPad to RocketSim for a live preview, real-device screenshots, GIFs, video recordings with audio, and design comparison.
Connect an iPhone or iPad over USB to open a live physical-device preview beside RocketSim’s side window. The preview makes real-device capture and design-review workflows feel similar to working with the Simulator.
Connect your device
Section titled “Connect your device”- Connect the iPhone or iPad to your Mac using USB.
- Make sure the device is paired for development and appears in Xcode.
- Open RocketSim.
- Wait for the physical-device preview window and attached side window.
If automatic preview windows are disabled, choose the device from RocketSim’s Connected Devices status-bar menu. You can change this behavior under RocketSim → Settings → Physical Devices.
Network discovery can tell RocketSim that a paired device is nearby, but live streaming still requires a USB cable.
Capture real-device output
Section titled “Capture real-device output”The physical-device stream supports:
- PNG screenshots
- GIF captures
- MP4 video recordings
- Device audio and microphone audio
- Capture metadata from recent app builds
If a device disconnects during a recording, RocketSim stops cleanly and keeps the footage captured up to that point.
Capture options shared with the Simulator are documented under Taking Screenshots and Creating Recordings.
Compare a design on real hardware
Section titled “Compare a design on real hardware”Use comparing overlays, grids, and rulers directly on the physical-device preview to verify spacing, alignment, and rendering on real hardware.
See Grids & Rulers for the shared comparison workflow.
Why captures often show 9:41
Section titled “Why captures often show 9:41”Screenshots and recordings from a connected iPhone often show 9:41 in the status bar. iOS applies this when the system captures the physical device’s screen; RocketSim does not set it and cannot disable it.
The Simulator behaves differently and allows status-bar customization. See Status Bar Appearance.
If your app renders its own clock for marketing assets, consider a debug-only screenshot mode that also displays 9:41.
Troubleshooting the preview
Section titled “Troubleshooting the preview”- Confirm USB device support is enabled in Physical Devices settings.
- Disconnect and reconnect the cable after Xcode or iOS updates.
- If the side window is attached to the wrong target, focus the intended device window again.
- Do not run Device Hub and Simulator.app side by side when both display Simulator windows; see Device Hub Support.