diff --git a/electron/updater.ts b/electron/updater.ts
index 206900f5..86c2d76d 100644
--- a/electron/updater.ts
+++ b/electron/updater.ts
@@ -580,12 +580,19 @@ async function showAvailableUpdateDialog(
 	getMainWindow: () => BrowserWindow | null,
 	version: string,
 	sendToRenderer?: UpdateToastSender,
+	options?: { isPreview?: boolean; isExperimental?: boolean },
 ) {
+	const isPreview = Boolean(options?.isPreview);
+	const isExperimental = options?.isExperimental ?? getExperimentalUpdatesEnabled();
 	const result = await showMessageBox(getMainWindow, {
 		type: "info",
-		title: "Update Available",
-		message: `Recordly ${version} is available.`,
-		detail: "Install and restart now, or remind me later.",
+		title: isExperimental ? "Experimental Update Available" : "Update Available",
+		message: `Recordly ${version} is available${isExperimental ? " on the experimental channel" : ""}.`,
+		detail: isPreview
+			? `${isExperimental ? EXPERIMENTAL_UPDATE_DESCRIPTION : "This is a development preview of the standard update flow."} No real update will be installed.`
+			: isExperimental
+				? EXPERIMENTAL_UPDATE_DESCRIPTION
+				: "Install and restart now, or remind me later.",
 		buttons: ["Install & Restart", "Later"],
 		defaultId: 0,
 		cancelId: 1,
@@ -593,10 +600,24 @@ async function showAvailableUpdateDialog(
 	});
 
 	if (result.response === 0) {
+		if (isPreview) {
+			await showMessageBox(getMainWindow, {
+				type: "info",
+				title: "Preview Only",
+				message: "No real update was installed.",
+				detail: "This was only a manual development preview of the update prompt.",
+			});
+			return;
+		}
+
 		await downloadAvailableUpdate(sendToRenderer, { installAfterDownload: true });
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (isPreview) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	deferUpdateReminder(getMainWindow, sendToRenderer, UPDATE_REMINDER_DELAY_MS);
 }
 
@@ -649,8 +670,9 @@ async function showDownloadedUpdateDialog(
 }
 
 export function previewNativeUpdateDialog(getMainWindow: () => BrowserWindow | null) {
-	return showDownloadedUpdateDialog(getMainWindow, DEV_UPDATE_PREVIEW_VERSION, {
+	return showAvailableUpdateDialog(getMainWindow, DEV_UPDATE_PREVIEW_VERSION, undefined, {
 		isPreview: true,
+		isExperimental: DEV_UPDATE_PREVIEW_IS_EXPERIMENTAL,
 	});
 }