This article outlines the capabilities for participants accessing Optimal studies on mobile devices versus testing mobile designs in Optimal.
Overview
Capability | Mobile device
(participant uses a phone/tablet to access an Optimal Study) | Mobile design
(testing a mobile-specific experience) |
Prototype testing | Yes* | Yes |
Live site testing | No Coming soon - on the roadmap for early 2026 | Yes E.g. a mobile design hosted on a website |
First click testing | Yes | Yes |
Surveys | Yes | Not applicable |
Card sorting | Yes | Not applicable |
Tree testing | Yes | Not applicable |
Native mobile app testing | Not yet available | Not yet available |
*Additional support for password protected Figma prototypes coming soon - on the roadmap for Feb 2026
Accessing a study on a mobile device
Testing on a mobile device means participants can access and complete a study using their phone or tablet. The study may or may not be specifically designed to simulate a mobile UI, but it can still be completed on a smaller screen.
This is useful when you want to:
Reach participants wherever they are
Capture natural, on-the-go behavior
Validate content understanding or information architecture on mobile
Testing a mobile design
Testing a mobile design means you’re explicitly testing a mobile-optimised experience, such as a mobile prototype.
This is ideal when you want to:
Evaluate mobile layouts and interactions
Test responsive or mobile-first designs
Validate user flows, navigation, and layout choices on smaller screens
For mobile design testing, we recommend using scaled images where appropriate and previewing your study on mobile and tablet devices before launching.
Supported mobile designs
Prototype testing
Live site testing (mobile designs hosted on a website e.g. AI mobile prototype)
First click testing