YouTube Finally Launches Native App for Apple Vision Pro After Two-Year Wait

After more than two years since the launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset, one of the most anticipated missing pieces of its app ecosystem has finally arrived: an official, native YouTube app. The long-awaited visionOS version of the world’s most popular video platform launches this week, giving Vision Pro owners a fully optimized way to watch content directly on their headset — no browser workarounds required.

At the Vision Pro’s debut in early 2024, YouTube had not shipped a dedicated app, leaving users to rely on the Safari web browser to access the service. While this allowed basic viewing, it lacked many features users expect from a dedicated app and wasn’t optimized for the headset’s unique spatial interface. The absence of an official app became one of the most frequently mentioned gaps in the Vision Pro experience — particularly as other major streaming services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+ offered native versions early on.

What the New App Offers

The new YouTube app — now available for download from the visionOS App Store — brings the full range of YouTube functionality to Apple’s mixed-reality platform. Users can watch standard videos, explore YouTube Shorts, and access their subscriptions, playlists, watch history, and recommended content. Importantly, the app also supports YouTube’s “Spatial” content formats, including 3D, 360-degree, and VR180 videos, which are tailor-made for immersive viewing on the Vision Pro.

A key highlight is the Spatial tab — a dedicated section within the app that helps users discover content designed for mixed-reality experiences. These formats take full advantage of the Vision Pro’s capabilities, surrounding viewers with 360-degree or depth-enhanced visuals that go beyond traditional flat video.

Another notable feature is 8K playback on newer Vision Pro models equipped with the M5 chip. While all supported devices can run the app, those with the more powerful silicon can stream compatible videos at higher resolutions for sharper visuals and smoother performance — an upgrade not available on earlier M2-based units without this specific optimization.

Improved Viewing Compared to Browser Access

Before the official app arrived, Vision Pro users could watch YouTube through Safari, but that method came with limitations. Browser-based playback lacked a custom interface optimized for visionOS, didn’t support offline downloads, and couldn’t take full advantage of the headset’s spatial features. Third-party apps briefly filled this gap — notably an unofficial client named Juno — but those were later removed from the App Store for violating YouTube’s terms of service, leaving the web browser as the only option for many months.

With the official app, users now get a purpose-built experience designed specifically for visionOS. The interface is tailored to spatial interaction, allowing users to navigate with intuitive gesture controls — resizing video windows with their hands, scrubbing through timelines without controllers, and immersing themselves in content surrounded by virtual environments.

The app’s release also addresses a key user demand: access to YouTube features that had been unavailable or inconvenient in the browser version. These include rich media playback options, easier navigation of subscriptions and playlists, and consistent performance across the headset’s native video environments.

What This Means for the Vision Pro Ecosystem

The arrival of the official YouTube app is a significant milestone for the Vision Pro platform. Since its introduction, Apple has positioned the headset as a “personal theater” device — ideal for immersive entertainment and productivity workflows. However, the lack of native support from one of the world’s biggest content platforms had been a recurring critique from both users and industry observers.

By launching a dedicated app, YouTube signals a deeper commitment to supporting visionOS, which could encourage other developers to invest more seriously in the platform. While several major services already have native apps, there remain notable absences — including some streaming and media platforms that users still hope will arrive in the near future.

For YouTube itself, bringing its service to a wider range of form factors — especially those emphasizing spatial computing — is part of a broader strategy to make video content accessible across devices. In addition to mainstream platforms like smartphones and smart TVs, mixed-reality devices represent a growing frontier for media consumption.

A Long-Awaited Upgrade for Users

For Vision Pro owners, today’s update delivers something that many have been waiting for since the headset’s launch. User reactions on social media and enthusiast forums highlight excitement about finally having a native YouTube app — particularly one that supports immersive and high-resolution formats designed to make the most of the headset’s capabilities.

Some users are celebrating 8K video playback and spatial content as defining features that could make the Vision Pro more compelling as a media device, while others are simply relieved to leave behind the limitations of browser-based viewing. Whether this will boost broader adoption of the headset remains to be seen, but the launch of the YouTube app is unquestionably a major step forward for the platform’s software ecosystem.