When Apple launched the Vision Pro on February 2, 2024, at $3,499, users expected the world’s largest video platform to be available as a native app. Instead, YouTube was absent from the spatial computing headset, forcing users to access content through Safari’s web browser. The workaround stripped away immersive features like 3D, 360-degree, and VR180 video support that the Vision Pro hardware was built to deliver.
Google initially stated it had no plans for a Vision Pro app, but reversed course within days after user backlash. On February 5, 2024, YouTube spokesperson Jessica Gibby confirmed to The Verge that “a Vision Pro app is on our roadmap,” though no timeline was provided. What followed was a two-year wait punctuated by third-party solutions, takedown requests, and growing frustration from the Vision Pro community.
On February 12, 2026, Google finally released the official YouTube app for visionOS. The app delivers every video format YouTube offers—standard videos, Shorts, 3D content, 360-degree experiences, and VR180 immersive videos—with full account integration and a spatial interface designed specifically for Apple’s headset. The launch addresses major gaps in Vision Pro’s content ecosystem and provides users with the native YouTube experience they requested since day one.
The Two-Year Wait for YouTube on Vision Pro
From browser workarounds to native spatial computing excellence
Journey from Launch to Official App
Track the complete development timeline from Vision Pro’s debut to YouTube’s native app arrival
Native visionOS Features
The official app brings full YouTube functionality designed specifically for spatial computing
Complete Video Library
Access every video on YouTube natively, including standard rectangular videos and vertical Shorts with a specialized spatial interface optimized for Vision Pro’s display system.
3D Video Playback
Watch stereoscopic 3D content with true depth perception, utilizing Vision Pro’s dual micro-OLED displays that deliver 23 million pixels combined for each eye.
360-Degree Experiences
Full 360-degree video support lets users look around immersive environments naturally, placing them at the center of travel videos, concerts, and experiential content.
VR180 Format Support
VR180 videos deliver stereoscopic depth in a 180-degree field of view, creating the immersive experiences that justify wearing a spatial computing headset.
Full Account Integration
Complete signed-in experience with watch history, subscriptions, playlists, and personalized recommendations synchronized across all your devices seamlessly.
Spatial Interface Design
Panels arranged spatially in front of users with native visionOS controls—not just an iPad app port—designed specifically for Vision Pro’s unique interaction model using eyes, hands, and voice.
The YouTube Experience Transformed
How the official app changes everything for Vision Pro users
- No native YouTube app available
- Browser workaround via Safari only
- Limited to basic 2D video playback
- No 3D, 360°, or VR180 support
- Missing spatial computing features
- Third-party apps removed by Google
- Non-optimized interface design
- Limited watch history synchronization
- Official native visionOS application
- Dedicated spatial user interface
- Full standard video library access
- Complete 3D video support
- 360-degree immersive content
- VR180 format compatibility
- Full signed-in experience with sync
- Specialized Shorts viewing interface
The official YouTube app for Vision Pro was released on February 12, 2026, exactly two years and ten days after the headset’s launch. The app includes support for all YouTube video formats, from standard content to immersive VR180 experiences, with a spatial interface built specifically for visionOS.
During the two-year development period, Vision Pro users relied on Safari’s web browser for YouTube access. Third-party developer Christian Selig created Juno, an unofficial YouTube client that offered immersive video playback and AI upscaling features. Google requested the app’s removal from the App Store in October 2024, citing API policy concerns and trademark issues, leaving users with only the browser option until the official app’s arrival.
The YouTube app’s launch fills a content gap that existed since Vision Pro’s debut. Users can now access YouTube’s library with full account integration, including watch history, subscriptions, and personalized recommendations. The app provides the native spatial computing features that Vision Pro hardware was designed to deliver. The extended timeline from roadmap announcement to app release was discussed in relation to platform development challenges facing new hardware ecosystems.
