Test the guest upload first
Borrow a phone that is not signed in to your account, scan the code you are about to print, and upload a photo and a short video. That single run proves the whole path works.
Your own phone cannot do this test properly. It is signed in, so it sees a different page from the one your guests get.
Why your own phone will not do
Signed in, you see the album as its owner. The guest page you are testing is the anonymous one, and it can differ in ways that matter: a closed upload window, a password in front of the album, or a step you switched on and forgot. A borrowed phone is the only device that shows you what a guest actually gets.
A private browser window is a partial substitute. It removes the sign-in but keeps your network, so it will not catch a venue problem.
- Borrow a phone. Anyone will do, as long as they are not signed in to your account.
- Scan the printed code. Scan the artwork you intend to print, not the link in your dashboard. Those are 2 different things to test.
- Send a photo and a video. A video is the one that finds the plan limit. A photo alone will not.
The 4 surprises this catches
A code that points at the wrong album, a plan too small for the videos your guests intend to send, a contribution type you switched off without meaning to, and an upload window that is not open yet. Each of these is invisible from the dashboard and obvious in 1 minute from a borrowed phone.
All 4 are cheap to fix beforehand and impossible to fix on the night.
| Step | What it proves | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Scan the printed artwork | The code leads to your album | Reprint before the party, not after |
| Send a photo | Uploads are open and the album accepts them | Check the upload window and the album status |
| Send a 1-minute video | The plan allows the length guests will use | Upgrade, or tell guests to keep clips short |
| Open the album link | Guests can see what they contributed | Check whether the album is public and whether a password is set |
The video is the step people skip, and it is the one that finds the plan limit.
Test the artwork, not the link
Scanning the link in your dashboard proves the album exists. Scanning the sign you are about to print proves the sign works, which is a different claim. A code printed too small, or without a clear margin around it, can fail on exactly the phones you need it to work on.
Print 1 stand, scan it from a normal sitting distance, then print the rest.
Test at the venue if you can
A code that scans at your kitchen table can fail in a dim room, and Wi-Fi that works empty can collapse with 80 people on it. If you get a chance to walk the room beforehand, scan a stand where it will actually stand and send a video over the venue network.
If that is not possible, plan for it instead: tell guests that mobile data is the safer choice.
Clean up after the test
Your test upload is a real contribution. It counts against the album, appears in the gallery and, on the free tier, uses 1 of the 60 slots. Delete it once you are satisfied, or leave it — a photo of your kitchen table is a small price for knowing the path works.
If you tested with the review step on, the test will be sitting in the moderation queue rather than in the album.
When to run it
Twice: once before you print, and once the day before the party. The first run checks the setup, the second checks that nothing changed in between — a plan that lapsed, an upload window that closed, a setting somebody else adjusted.
Both runs together take under 5 minutes and remove the only failure mode you cannot recover from.
Common questions
Can I test from my own phone?
Only partially. Signed in, you see the owner view rather than the guest page.
Does my test upload count?
Yes. It uses storage and, on the free tier, 1 of the 60 contributions. Delete it if you want it gone.
Why test with a video?
Because video is where the plan limit bites. A photo will pass on every tier.
What if the code will not scan?
Check the printed size and the clear margin around it. Reprint 1 stand and scan again before printing the rest.
How long before the party should I test?
Once before printing, and once the day before. Both runs together take under 5 minutes.
Still open? Contact
Which phones and browsers work?
What guests need, which is almost nothing.
Create your first event
The 2 required fields, and what can follow later.
When to create it, how long it collects
Open the window before you test, not after.
A guest album for a wedding
The one thing worth checking twice before the day.
The test failed and you are unsure why
Send us the album name and what the borrowed phone showed. That pair settles most of these in 1 reply.