Launch a Live session using Quick Launch

You can instantly launch a Live test session using the BrowserStack Quick Launch extension for Chrome. With this feature, you can access all or frequently used device-browser combinations directly from the Chrome browser without having to open the Live dashboard.

Quick Launch helps optimize cross-browser testing by reducing the time spent on switching between different browser-device combinations and enabling you to review changes immediately.

To use Quick Launch, follow these steps:

1. In the Live dashboard, add browsers or browser-device combinations to the Quick Launch page.
2. Install the Quick Launch extension.
3. Launch a Live test session using Quick Launch.
4. If required, delete browsers or browser-device combinations that are no longer needed.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

• You are using the Chrome browser on your system to install the Quick Launch extension.
• You are signed in to Live using your Google or company login credentials, to open the Live dashboard.
  If you do not have a BrowserStack account, you can create an account for a free trial.

Add browsers or device-browser combinations to Quick Launch

You can add up to 12 browsers in the Quick Launch pane on the Live dashboard. The nine most frequently used device-browser combinations are pre-saved on Live. You can modify your preferences based on your required combinations.

To add browsers or device-browser combinations:

1. Log in to the Live dashboard.
2. On the OS pane, click the operating system. For example, Windows.
3. Select the star icon beside the browser or device-browser combination to add your selection to Quick Launch. A success message is shown confirming that the combination has been added to Quick Launch.

Install the Quick Launch extension

To install the Quick Launch extension:

1. In your Chrome browser, go to the Quick Launch extension page.
2. Click Add to Chrome.
   The extension asks for certain permissions.
3. Click Add extension.
   The extension is added to your Chrome browser. To view the extension, click the Chrome extensions icon at the right of the Chrome address bar.
   You can pin the Quick Launch extension to your toolbar for easy access. To do so, click the pushpin icon corresponding to the extension.

Quick Launch extension overview

The Quick Launch extension has three components, as shown in the following image:

1. Test website URL: This is the URL of the test website that will open in the Live test session.
2. ALL DEVICES: This lists all the device-browser combinations available on the Live dashboard.
3. FAVOURITES: This shows the device-browser combinations you added to Quick Launch.

Launch a session

To launch a Live test session:

1. In your Chrome browser, open the website you want to test.
2. Click the Chrome extensions icon, and then click the BrowserStack logo.
3. Select the device-browser combination you want to test your website on.
   You can select any device-browser combination available on Live from the ALL DEVICES list. Or, you can select a device-browser combination from the FAVOURITES section that you added previously.
   Your Live test session is instantly launched with your selected device-browser combination.

Delete browsers or device-browser combinations from Quick Launch

To delete browsers or device-browser combinations:

1. Log in to the Live dashboard.
2. On the OS pane, click Quick Launch.
3. On the Quick Launch pane, deselect the star icon for the device-browser combination you want to remove from Quick Launch.

Next steps

Test your website or web app