YouTube Reverses Decision Swiftly, Set to Release Official Apple Vision Pro App: Report
At some point in the future, owners of Apple Vision Pro will have the option to replace Safari with an official YouTube app on the mixed reality headset.
YouTube is working on a native app for the Apple Vision Pro, according to the company. A month after YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix reportedly stated that they would not permit their apps to run on Apple’s first ‘spatial computer’, the Alphabet-owned video streaming platform has revealed its plans to launch a native YouTube app. The company hasn’t provided a timeline for the launch of its visionOS app. Owners of Apple’s expensive Vision Pro headset can currently stream YouTube videos via Safari or a third-party app.
In a U-turn from its previous decision to now allow its iPad app to run on the Vision Pro, YouTube confirmed to The Verge that “[…]a Vision Pro app is on our roadmap.” The streaming platform told the publication that it does not have specific plans to share with regard to its visionOS app, and confirmed that Vision Pro owners can access YouTube videos via Safari.
The decision to announce that a YouTube app for the Apple Vision Pro is in the works comes shortly after a third-party app for the headset was launched last week. Created by Apollo for Reddit developer Christian Selig, Juno is a $5 (roughly Rs. 410) unofficial YouTube client that works with or without a Google account — you can also watch videos without ads with a YouTube Premium subscription.
While it’s speculative whether Juno’s success in the App Store influenced YouTube’s decision to develop an official visionOS application, users eager to stream videos on the mixed reality headset can anticipate a significantly enhanced experience in the future. Currently, Juno enables viewers to employ gestures for tasks like resizing the video, adjusting brightness, and controlling playback settings such as speed and captions.
The Apple Vision Pro boasts access to over 600 apps spanning various categories, including popular streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ESPN, and Apple TV+. Notably, Disney+ subscribers in the US can enjoy 3D movies on the headset, with access to additional content from the platform’s extensive catalog available as well, as confirmed by the company.
