YouTube Makes Quick U-Turn, Plans to Launch Official Apple Vision Pro App: Report

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 we can only speculate whether Juno’s popularity in the App Store has prompted YouTube’s decision to develop an official visionOS application, customers who want to stream videos on the mixed reality headset can look forward to a much better experience in the future. Juno currently allows viewers to use gestures to resize the video, dim the area around the video, or control speed, caption and other settings.

The Apple Vision Pro currently offers access to over 600 apps across various categories. These include streaming apps and services such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ESPN, and Apple TV+. Disney+ subscribers in the US can also watch 3D movies on the headset, while access to other movies and TV shows that are part of the streaming platform’s catalogue will also be accessible on the headset, according to the company.