Two years after the Apple Vision Pro launched in February 2024, YouTube has finally delivered what users have been waiting for: an official, native app. Google released the dedicated YouTube application for visionOS on February 12, 2026, ending a frustrating wait for Vision Pro owners.
The Two-Year Wait Ends
The Vision Pro, two years after its initial release, now has an official YouTube app.
Google had said as far back as February 2024 that it intended to bring a YouTube app to Apple’s spatial computer. During those two years, Vision Pro users were forced to watch YouTube through Safari’s web browser—a functional but limited experience that lacked key features native apps provide.
Until now, anyone wanting to watch YouTube on the headset has missed out on helpful features like offline downloads — making it much less useful for travel or offline viewing.
What the App Offers
The YouTube app for Apple Vision Pro includes access to standard YouTube features like subscriptions, watch history, playlists, and YouTube Shorts. The app also includes support for watching 3D, 360-degree, and VR180 videos.
Additionally, it supports high-resolution playback, including up to 8K.However, that’s only available on the M5 version of the Apple Vision Pro.
The app includes a dedicated Spatial tab designed specifically for immersive content. This section helps users discover spatial content, including 3D, VR180, and 360-degree videos.
Today’s announcement changes the game, allowing users to enjoy their favorite content — including all standard videos and YouTube Shorts —on a theater-sized virtual screen in a fully immersive environment.
Why It Took So Long
YouTube was one of the biggest apps missing from the Vision Pro platform at launch in February 2024. When the headset first launched, Google said that a Vision Pro app was on its roadmap, but suggested that people use Safari in the meantime.
When Apple’s headset first launched, YouTube opted for a web-based approach instead of developing a dedicated app, directing viewers to use Safari to access content.
The delay frustrated Vision Pro owners, especially considering major streaming platforms like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Peacock had already launched dedicated apps for the headset.
Third-Party Apps Filled the Gap (Then Disappeared)
In the absence of an official YouTube app for Vision Pro, third-party options quickly popped up on the App Store. Many of those, however, were ultimately removed after Google complained to Apple that the apps violated its YouTube guidelines.
To fill the gap, third-party options, such as Juno, briefly appeared on visionOS before being removed for violating YouTube’s Terms of Service.
These removals left Vision Pro users with no alternative except Safari—until today.
How It Compares to Other Platforms
The software closely resembles the version of YouTube that shipped last fall on the Galaxy XR from Samsung Electronics Co., which runs Google’s Android XR platform.
Google developed the app using similar design principles applied to its Android XR ecosystem, ensuring consistency across different virtual and augmented reality platforms.
Availability
Starting today, Vision Pro users finally have a way to watch YouTube in a native app on visionOS. The app is available for free download from the visionOS App Store.
To clarify, you could previously watch YouTube videos on the Vision Pro, but not through an officially licensed app. Now, the experience is native, optimized, and includes features impossible through a web browser.
What This Means for Vision Pro
The YouTube app arrival represents a significant milestone for Apple’s Vision Pro platform. YouTube is one of the world’s most popular video platforms, and its absence from visionOS was a notable gap that competitors could exploit.
With YouTube now available, the Vision Pro ecosystem becomes more competitive against Meta’s Quest headsets and other VR platforms where YouTube has been available since launch.