Before you install

Requirements & known limits

Honest expectations for the beta — so a failed attach or SmartScreen prompt isn’t a surprise. Full product docs: docs.

Requirements

  • Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit (x64)
  • Free 30-day device trial on first Setup install (renewal key after expiry)
  • No Visual Studio required for end users of the Setup
  • Framework-dependent Setup needs .NET 10 Desktop Runtime if not already installed (self-contained / R2 builds do not)
  • For Android: adb on PATH + Appium 2 with UiAutomator2
  • Disk space for the app plus local test JSON / screenshots under LocalAppData

Install / SmartScreen

  • Beta builds are unsigned — Windows may show SmartScreen
  • Choose More info → Run anyway
  • Code signing is on the roadmap to reduce this friction

Beta license

  • First install: free 30-day trial starts automatically (no key paste)
  • Settings shows “Free beta — N days left”
  • After expiry: activate an issued LH1.… renewal key from Contact
  • Reinstall alone does not grant a new free trial on the same PC

Windows UI Automation

  • Cannot inspect a higher-integrity (Administrator) process from a normal Lighthouse session
  • Run Lighthouse as Administrator, or run the target app without elevation
  • Some custom-drawn / game / DirectX UIs expose little or no UIA tree
  • Live Watch can refresh the visual map periodically — brief sync is normal

Android (beta)

  • Inspect + playback: click, text, assert, wait, delay, back, swipe, screenshots when supported
  • Recording: Inspector map clicks; optional live taps (adb) and EnterText from focused fields
  • Appium must be reachable (auto-start from PATH if enabled)

iOS

  • Not available yet — no inspect, record, or playback for iPhone / iPad in this beta
  • The credo still applies: shared AutomationId so suites can grow to iOS when support lands

Cross-platform / AutomationId

  • Portable steps need a shared AutomationId on supported platforms
  • Today: Windows and Android. iOS is not available yet
  • Ideal for Flutter, .NET MAUI, and apps that expose the same id across OSes
  • Without an id, locate falls back to platform-specific class / bounds (not portable)
  • Use Import / Check portability in the app when moving a suite between platforms

Playback & editing

  • Pause / step-through controls are not finished yet
  • Prefer elements with AutomationId or a stable name for reliable replay
  • Tests auto-save per application under LocalAppData

Updates

  • In-app updates work for Velopack Setup installs when a public feed URL is configured
  • dotnet run / unpackaged builds cannot self-update
  • Installers are hosted on a public CDN when published; source is not included with Setup
Product docs Contact Read the FAQ