Flex Mobile - Bringing Session Types and Tools to iOS (iPad and iPhone)

Full participation on iPad vs. lightweight access on iPhone

February 16, 2026

iPad - Full Participation

The iPad experience is designed to deliver the complete Flex workflow. Users on iPad should be able to fully participate in both Classic and Editorial Sessions, with access to the same core functionality expected on Desktop. While screen size is smaller, the device supports rich interaction:

• Full video and audio participation
• Deep engagement with session tools
• Enhanced annotation and precision input through Apple Pencil

iPad: Editorial Sessions

iPad users joining an Editorial Session will have access to:

• Video Chat participation within a session and the necessary toolsets to manage their device settings
• Different Viewing modes that support core user intentions, focusing on either viewing or group interaction or a hybrid of both
• Sensible default interactions and auto-triggers to guide a passive user through a session

Viewing Modes - The app supports three viewing modes:

• Participant mode Displays a gallery of session participants. Each participant is represented by a thumbnail tile regardless of whether their camera is on. Active Speaker is highlighted in teal.

• Content mode Displays only the shared high-quality video content (the “content stream”), optimised for remote review.

• Participant + Content mode Displays both participants and content in a stacked layout, with the participant gallery above the main content player.

Viewing Mode Triggers - Viewing modes are triggered via three mechanisms:

• Direct menu selection via the “View Menu”
• Gestural controls - Users can pinch/expand within the main video player to transition between Content and Participant + Content modes.
• Auto-triggers - If the user has not yet explicitly chosen a mode, the system will automatically update to a viewing mode that keeps the user in the most appropriate view to participate in a session: showing content when available or focusing on group interaction when it isn’t.

A/V Controls

The core audio and video controls for a session are grouped on the left side of the footer. Simple toggle buttons provide quick, low-friction access to:

• Session audio on/off
• Camera on/off
• Microphone mute/unmute

Device Settings Panel

A centralised device settings panel in the header gives users control over their session setup, allowing them to:

• Select microphone, camera, and speaker devices
• Check microphone input levels
• Test speaker output
• Hide self-view — a new feature for iPad that allows users to remove themselves from the participant gallery for a more comfortable viewing experience
• Set the display colour space for HDR sessions (previously hidden functionality)

iPad: Classic Sessions

Whilst Classic sessions do not have Video chat functionality, the iPad experience supports active collaboration by including:

• Full audio participation
• Precision annotation via a new streamlined toolbar
• Clear awareness of other participants and current speakers

Content First Viewing Mode

As Classic Sessions do not include video participation, there is no need for distinct viewing modes on iPad. Instead, the main view prioritises the streaming content as the primary focus.

If users want to see who else has joined the session — and who is currently speaking — they can open the participant list panel. This presents a list of all participants, with audio status clearly indicated by a microphone icon:

• Grey, crossed-out: microphone off
• White, solid: microphone on
• Green, solid: currently speaking

Annotations

The annotations toolbar is accessed via a toggle in the footer. Activating this opens a newly streamlined toolbar that can be freely repositioned around the screen, allowing users to place controls where they are least intrusive. The toolbar enables users to:

• Switch between disappearing ink and persistent marker pen types
• Select colour and pen size via a sub-menu
• Undo the most recent action
• Clear all annotations

iPhone - Lightweight, On-the-Go-Access

Joining a session on iPhone is often done in sub-optimal conditions — on the move, with limited attention, or constrained bandwidth. As a result, the iPhone experience prioritises:

• Low-bandwidth, resilient participation
• Quick access to essential session information
• Minimal cognitive load for moments of partial attention (e.g. travelling, multitasking)

iPhone: Classic Sessions

The iPhone experience is designed for limited, on-the-go use cases. It is not intended to be a user’s primary viewing device, but provides a way to join a session when circumstances require it — for example when travelling, waiting at an airport, or otherwise away from a desk.

On iPhone, Classic Session users can participate in a focused, lightweight way through:

• Audio chat participation
• Annotation support
• A content view optimised for maximum use of the smaller screen
• A participant view that supports low-attention participation, enabling users to stay connected to the conversation in situations such as driving

Content View

Content mode presents the shared video content in a fullscreen view. This is the primary viewing mode when content is actively streaming and is optimised for focused viewing.

Annotations are available in this view, with some limitations on pen size and colour compared to the iPad toolset.

Participant View

Participant mode presents a list view of all participants in the session, including:

• microphone status indicators
• a highlighted section identifying the current active speaker

Participant mode is intended for:

• when no content is being streamed
• users participating primarily via audio (e.g. driving, multitasking)
• low-bandwidth or low-attention scenarios where watching video is not practical

Automatic mode switching moves users between Content and Participant views depending on the presence of streamed content. User-selected preferences are always respected, and a built-in grace period prevents disruptive “fluttering” between modes.

iPhone: Editorial Sessions

On iPhone, an Editorial session currently provides the same experience as a Classic mode session in which annotation functionality has been disabled. There are no functional differences between Classic and Editorial sessions on iPhone apart from this as video chat features are not supported on iPhone.