# \[IGN-6238\] Designer session type changes from designer to browser **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** perspective, ignition81\ **Created:** [June 16, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867 "2022-06-16T23:16:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/1 "2022-06-16T23:16:51Z")
This session property that begins as `designer` when Designer is first opened changes to `browser` at some point. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/f/f/ff55495d74213936e188caf16cc51131a6f21dcf.png) It may have to do with connection loss and reconnect between Designer and Gateway. I noticed this when scripting startup actions to hide components EXCEPT in Designer where we want to see them for configuration. When this session property changes incorrectly to `browser`, closing Designer and reopening gets us back to correct `designer` property. Interestingly the gateway Perspective sessions page also switches these Designer sessions to display as chrome browser sessions when this happens. Two of these are actually Designer sessions: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/3/0/30dd33e395fa7b83f342a6d05553530e6b6fda73.png) But Designers page still lists them as designers. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/1/f/1fda38a495a0e9a5bbbe519d0ed90050e8220ec4.png) ---
**Author:** ![obober](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/obober/32/67865_2.png) [@obober](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/obober)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2022, 9:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/2 "2022-06-21T21:11:46Z")
Hi witman, I’ve managed to recreate this in 8.1.17. I’ll open up a bug ticket for it! ---
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/3 "2022-06-21T21:15:38Z")
Thanks @obober! FYI it’s also present in 8.1.18. ---
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/4 "2023-10-13T16:08:16Z")
@obober, this is still an issue on 8.1.26 and occurs without any gateway restart. > [@How to tell if a session is the designer in Perspective](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/how-to-tell-if-a-session-is-the-designer-in-perspective/52125/9): > > @cmallonee, this also happens without a gateway restart. I just observed it happen on Designer reconnect after being offline for a while due to VPN disconnection. session.device.type showed designer (correct) until the Designer reconnected to gateway, and then switched to browser (incorrect). Gateway hasn't been restarted for a month: [image] Designer was online yesterday. This doesn't seem to happen on all brief connection losses, but does happen enough to be annoying--especially when working… ---
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/5 "2025-02-07T19:16:35Z")
This is still an issue on 8.1.44. Note [the screenshots in first post showing gateway also switches to show the Designer sessions as browsers in Session Details, but continues to recognize them as Designer Sessions on the Designers page](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867). ---
**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 4:51am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/6 "2025-10-30T04:51:04Z")
Note that this doesn’t just affect the Designer, we’ve seen in 8.1.14 that it is affecting clients as well, where clients are reporting in `session.props.device.type` as `designer` instead of `browser`. I’ve reported this to IA support already ---
**Author:** ![Simen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simen](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/7 "2025-11-13T16:39:06Z")
Want to add that i also experience the same, but the other way around. Perspective web browser clients with a session property as designer. Its not often, but it has happened a few times now. Objects that should be visible “if X or designer”, are all showing in the webbrowser even though X is false. The session scope on the gateway shows up as designer. But there is no designers open. Its a bit concerning, as it gives the operator false information. ---
**Author:** ![Patrik\_Vogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@Patrik\_Vogel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Patrik_Vogel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 1:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/8 "2025-12-17T13:11:26Z")
I am experienceing the same behaviour in v8.3.1. Is a fix on the horizon? Having my designer show “browser” is disruptive. ---
**Author:** ![Simen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simen](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Simen)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 10:32am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/9 "2026-02-09T10:32:42Z")
Any updates here? Just had a customer call because he could see some objects he was not supposed to see. I have a few objects with an expression binding on the visible property: {tag}||({session.props.device.type}='designer') This was suggested from support a few years ago, so the objects would not disappear from the designer when visible is false. Not exactly sure how often i have seen this now, but it has to be 5-10 times i have seen a browser client show up with a designer session scope, under status→connections→perspective sessions. Edit: this is on 8.1.49 ---
**Author:** ![mahsasalimi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mahsasalimi/32/68520_2.png) [@mahsasalimi](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mahsasalimi)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 2:37pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/10 "2026-02-26T14:37:10Z")
Hi , we have upgraded our project from version 8.1.49 to 8.3.3 After that when we open the project in designer (from a terminal server) it shows device type browser . now we have code that is dependant on device type not being designer and this has caused issues. any idea why this happens? ---
**Author:** ![travisaggiebrown](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/travisaggiebrown/32/85824_2.png) [@travisaggiebrown](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/travisaggiebrown)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/11 "2026-04-22T17:50:24Z")
any updates on this? working on a project in 8.3.4 and I'm getting the same incorrect return to system.props.device.type ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/4/c/4c46f9ec99c3cd132822f6a6b03462217f2a6a87.png) ---
**Author:** ![mahsasalimi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mahsasalimi/32/68520_2.png) [@mahsasalimi](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mahsasalimi)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 6:19am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/12 "2026-04-23T06:19:50Z")
according to IA it is a known bug . ---
**Author:** ![kyvski](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kyvski/32/85590_2.png) [@kyvski](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/kyvski)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/ign-6238-designer-session-type-changes-from-designer-to-browser/60867/13 "2026-07-14T15:22:14Z")
Where is this at in the priority queue? I was hoping it would have been fixed in the big 8.3 update but there is still a lot of issues with session variables being overwritten by project saves in 8.3.4. Plus the gateway showing the 8-digit ID whereas the designer itself showing the 32-digit ID (for the same session). I also don't understand why the gateway even lists the session as a "browser" when it shows the ID type I believe is unique to designers. Unless I'm mistaken on how the IDs are classified? The device is also not correct, it is Windows 11 not 10. Discrepant Designer Session: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/2/8/285858138fcbd3cebeabfd0a7e3701b3c439a667.png) Normal Designer Session: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/6/f/6f9789b7a12ab9b9e4d89a617607b133adfea60c.png) Browser Session: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/9/0/90defb2f16f6c29c1412a87b3e49ee2cd4a62f6f.png)