Help Center & FAQ

Four steps, a few minutes, and your design is on your phone.

1. Install the desktop app

Grab the installer for your system from the download page (.exe on Windows, .pkg on macOS) and click through it. The plugins for Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch and Adobe XD all get installed at once, together with the background connection helper — there is nothing to download separately.

2. Install the mobile app

On iPhone, search the App Store for "Design Mirror"; it needs iOS 17.0 or later. On Android, open the download page in your phone's browser — scanning the code inside WeChat will not work, that is a WeChat restriction.

3. Open the plugin panel

Restart your design tool after installing the desktop app, otherwise the plugin menu will not appear. The exact menu path for each tool is in its section below.

4. Connect and preview

Put your phone and computer on the same network and open the app — it finds your computer on its own, and one tap connects. On awkward networks it falls back to a cloud channel, and you can always scan a QR code or plug in a USB cable instead.

The Figma, MasterGo and JSDesign plugins come from their own plugin stores; everything else is the same. See their sections below.

iPhone / iPad

Search the App Store for "Design Mirror". iOS 17.0 or later is required.

Android

Distributed through Pgyer — get the link from the app download page.

Open the link in your phone's own browser. WeChat's built-in browser blocks app downloads, so a scanned link will simply fail to open. Copy it into a browser instead.

If Android warns about an "unknown source" or "external source" during install, allow it — that prompt appears for anything not installed from an app store.

What permissions does the app need?

Only local network access, so it can find computers on the same network. If the IP on the app's home screen reads 0.0.0.0, either the permission was not granted or the phone is not on Wi-Fi — check your system settings.

Installing

The plugin ships inside the desktop installer, so it is already there once the desktop app is installed. There is no separate Photoshop plugin to download.

If macOS says the installer is "from an unidentified developer", that is the system's default restriction on third-party developers. Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security and click "Open Anyway".

Opening the panel

Restart Photoshop, then go to Window → Extensions (called "Plugins" in some versions) → Design Mirror.

Sign in and you are ready to preview. Keep the panel open while previewing — closing it drops the connection.

No "Extensions" menu?

Newer Photoshop versions moved the legacy extensions entry under Plugins in the menu bar, so look there first. If it is in neither place the plugin did not install — run the desktop installer again.

Illustrator support arrived in version 4.0 and works much like Photoshop.

Installing

The plugin ships inside the desktop installer — nothing separate to download.

Opening the panel

Restart Illustrator, then go to Window → Extensions (or Plugins) → Design Mirror.

Sign in and your artboard mirrors to your phone in real time. Keep the panel open while previewing.

Step-by-step screenshots are on the Illustrator page.

The Sketch plugin requires Sketch 70 or later and runs on Apple Silicon Macs.

Installing

The plugin ships inside the macOS desktop installer, so it is already there once the desktop app is installed.

Note that this plugin is installed by a .pkg installer, not as the usual *.sketchplugin bundle — you do not (and cannot) drag it into Sketch's plugins folder.

If macOS refuses to open the installer, it is the same developer restriction: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security → "Open Anyway".

Opening the panel

Restart Sketch, then go to Plugins → Design Mirror in the menu bar.

Sign in to start previewing. Keep the panel open while previewing; you can close it when you are done.

Step-by-step screenshots are on the Sketch page.

Installing

The plugin ships inside the desktop installer — nothing separate to download.

Opening the panel

Restart Adobe XD, then go to Plugins → Design Mirror in the menu bar.

Sign in to start previewing, and keep the panel open while you work.

Step-by-step screenshots are on the XD page.

The Figma plugin is published in the official plugin store. Install it, install the desktop helper, and you are set — the browser version works just as well as the desktop app.

1. Install the plugin from the store

Open the Figma plugin page and click install.

2. Install the desktop helper

Download and install the Design Mirror desktop app (4.0 or newer) from the download page. That is all — there is no window to keep open. Since 4.0 the helper is a background service that starts with your machine, and the plugin talks to your phone through it.

3. Start previewing

Open the Design Mirror plugin in Figma and sign in, install the Design Mirror app (4.0 or newer) on your phone, and the two pair automatically on the same Wi-Fi.

Keep the plugin panel open while previewing — closing it drops the connection.

Step-by-step screenshots are on the Figma page.

The MasterGo plugin is published in the official plugin store. Install it, install the desktop helper, and you are set — the browser version works just as well as the desktop app.

1. Install the plugin from the store

Open the MasterGo plugin page and click install.

2. Install the desktop helper

Download and install the Design Mirror desktop app (4.0 or newer) from the download page. That is all — there is no window to keep open. Since 4.0 the helper is a background service that starts with your machine, and the plugin talks to your phone through it.

3. Start previewing

Open the Design Mirror plugin in MasterGo and sign in, install the Design Mirror app (4.0 or newer) on your phone, and the two pair automatically on the same Wi-Fi.

Keep the plugin panel open while previewing — closing it drops the connection.

Step-by-step screenshots are on the MasterGo page.

The JSDesign plugin is published in the official plugin store. Install it, install the desktop helper, and you are set — the browser version works just as well as the desktop app.

1. Install the plugin from the store

Open the JSDesign plugin page and click install.

2. Install the desktop helper

Download and install the Design Mirror desktop app (4.0 or newer) from the download page. That is all — there is no window to keep open. Since 4.0 the helper is a background service that starts with your machine, and the plugin talks to your phone through it.

3. Start previewing

Open the Design Mirror plugin in JSDesign and sign in, install the Design Mirror app (4.0 or newer) on your phone, and the two pair automatically on the same Wi-Fi.

Keep the plugin panel open while previewing — closing it drops the connection.

Step-by-step screenshots are on the JSDesign page.

V4 tries local discovery, then a cloud channel, then a QR code, then USB, all on its own — usually you do not need to do anything. If it still will not connect, work through this list in order.

1. Check the plugin itself first

Open the plugin panel. If your design shows up there, the plugin is working and you can move on. If the panel is empty or shows an error, the plugin probably did not install properly — run the desktop installer again.

If the panel says it is not connected to the design tool, the usual cause is a VPN or network proxy running on the machine; turn it off and restart the design tool. With no proxy running, close the panel and restart the design tool.

2. Confirm both devices are on the same network

Compare the IP on the app's home screen with your computer's IP.

Watch for different subnets: two devices can join the same Wi-Fi name yet land on different routers or subnets — say the computer at 192.168.0.10 and the phone at 192.168.1.12. When that third number differs, local discovery cannot work.

If the app's IP reads 0.0.0.0, the phone is not on Wi-Fi at all (perhaps on mobile data), or the app was never granted local network permission. Check that permission in system settings, toggle Wi-Fi off and on, then restart the app.

3. Connect by QR code instead

When the two devices are on different subnets, or discovery just fails, scan the QR code in the plugin panel with the app. That path does not depend on local discovery at all.

4. Enter the IP by hand

While the app is trying to connect, you can also type the phone's IP straight into the plugin panel.

5. Check the firewall

Windows Firewall sometimes blocks incoming connections from other devices. Turn it off briefly to test — and if that turns out to be the cause, add an exception for Design Mirror rather than leaving the firewall off.

6. Use USB instead

Office and campus networks often enable client isolation, which stops devices talking to each other even on the same subnet. No local connection can succeed there — use a USB cable instead, as described in the next section.

With no usable Wi-Fi, or on a locked-down network, a cable is the most reliable option.

Check your versions first

The software is updated regularly and your problem may already be fixed — make sure both the desktop app and the mobile app are up to date.

Windows + Android

This is the most common pairing, and failures almost always come down to the computer not recognising the phone.

1. Turn on USB debugging in the phone's developer options. The path varies by brand, but it is usually Settings → About phone → tap "Build number" seven times to unlock developer options, then Settings → System → Developer options → USB debugging.

2. When you plug the cable in, the phone shows an "Allow USB debugging?" prompt that you have to accept. It only appears the first time you connect to a given computer — if you never saw it, unplug and reconnect.

3. If the phone still is not recognised, install your manufacturer's official companion app to check whether the computer can see the phone at all. If that app finds it, Design Mirror usually will too.

Note: some third-party phone managers hold the USB debugging channel exclusively, which stops everything else from reaching the phone. Quit any such app before trying again.

4. Try a different cable. Plenty of cables carry power but no data, and this is the single most overlooked cause.

Windows + iPhone

Windows needs Apple's drivers to recognise an iPhone.

On current versions of Windows, install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. Older systems still use iTunes, available from Apple's site.

Open it once and let it recognise your phone (a phone icon appears in its interface when it does). After that, it does not need to be running for previews to work.

If it is already installed but will not see the phone, reinstalling it usually sorts it out.

The first time you connect a cable, the iPhone asks "Trust this computer?" — you must tap Trust and enter your passcode.

macOS + iPhone / Android

macOS needs no extra drivers. If it will not connect, suspect the cable or the port first — try another cable and another port. An iPhone still needs you to tap "Trust This Computer" on its first connection.

1. Do I need an account?

Yes. The plugin panel and the mobile app pair through the same account, so both need to be signed in. You can sign up with an email address.

2. How many devices can one account use?

The subscription is licensed per account. You can see and manage your signed-in devices from your account page, and remove any you no longer use.

3. Can I connect several phones at once?

Yes. One computer can drive several phones or tablets at the same time, which is handy for comparing how a design lands on different screen sizes.

4. I forgot my password.

Reset it with your registered email on the password reset page.

1. Is the software paid?

Yes. New accounts get a 15-day trial with exactly the same features as a paid subscription, so you can decide before you pay.

2. How does the pricing work?

It is a subscription: once the trial ends you need to buy a plan to keep using it. Plans run for six months, one year or two years, with a discount for groups of ten or more.

The subscription is not tied to a design tool — Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, MasterGo and JSDesign are all covered, on both Windows and macOS.

3. What does a subscription include?

Beyond the full feature set, it covers free upgrades to later versions and priority support. If something will not connect, you can reach the developer directly instead of waiting.

4. How do I buy?

Click "Buy" in the navigation to reach the pricing page and pick a plan. Alipay is currently the supported payment method.

5. Can I get an invoice?

Yes, every plan can be invoiced. Get in touch after purchase and we will arrange it.

6. What about team purchases?

Groups of ten or more get a discount — see the team page, or just contact us directly.

Still stuck? Talk to the developer

If none of the steps above helped, or you have a feature request, get in touch. Add me on WeChat with the note "Mirror" so I know where you are coming from.

If the QR code will not scan, email works too: xiaoqiang@cutterman.cn

When you report a problem, including your OS version, design tool version and phone model, plus a screenshot of any error in the plugin panel or the app, makes it much quicker to pin down.