| visionOS | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Home View in visionOS | |
| Developer | Apple |
| OS family | Unix-like, based onDarwin (BSD),iOS, mostly based oniPadOS |
| Working state | Current |
| Initial release | February 2, 2024 |
| Latest release | 26.0.1[1] (September 29, 2025; 27 days ago (2025-09-29)) [±] 26.0.1 (Vision Pro M5 only)[2] (October 16, 2025; 10 days ago (2025-10-16)) [±] |
| Latest preview | 26.1 Beta 4[3] (October 20, 2025; 6 days ago (2025-10-20)) [±] |
| Marketing target | Mixed reality headsets,Apple Vision Pro |
| Supported platforms | ARMv8-A |
| Kernel type | Hybrid (XNU) |
| License | Proprietary software with open-source components |
| Official website | developer |
| Support status | |
| Supported | |
| Articles in the series | |
| iOS iPadOS macOS watchOS tvOS | |
visionOS is amixed realityoperating system derived primarily fromiPadOS and its core frameworks (includingUIKit,SwiftUI, ARKit and RealityKit), and MR-specific frameworks forfoveated rendering and real-time interaction.[4][5] It was developed byApple exclusively for itsApple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. It was unveiled on June 5, 2023, at Apple'sWWDC23 event alongside the reveal of the Apple Vision Pro.[6] The software released on February 2, 2024, shipping with the Apple Vision Pro.[7]
Apple has reportedly been working on and conceptualizing visionOS throughout the 2010s and early 2020s.[8] Internallycodenamed Borealis,[9] it was officially revealed to the public at Apple's WWDC23 event alongside the Vision Pro. Apple stated the two would release in early 2024.[10] App Store guidelines for the operating system similarly state that developers should refer to visionOS software as "spatial computing experiences" or "vision apps", and avoid the use of terms such as "augmented reality" and "mixed reality".[11][12]
During the event,The Walt Disney Company announced plans to develop spatial computing apps for visionOS;[13]Disney+ currently offers features such as streaming of selected titles instereoscopic 3D, and they also offer 3D environments based on theEl Capitan Theatre and locations from Disney-owned franchises.[14]
The operating system was initially planned to be released as xrOS before the name was changed reportedly days before its announcement, after the WWDC23 keynote and developer sessions had already been filmed.[15] References to xrOS are still present throughout visionOS development materials. On January 8, 2024, Apple announced that the Vision Pro with visionOS would be available in the US on February 2, 2024, with pre-orders beginning on January 19.[16]
From June 5–12, 2023, Apple released 35 free virtual sessions covering visionOS development as part of WWDC23. On June 21, 2023, Apple releasedXcode 15 Beta 2, which was the first Xcode beta to include asoftware development kit for visionOS and Reality Composer Pro, a tool to create 3D content for visionOS.[17] Xcode 15 launched without these features, which were eventually added in Xcode 15.2 on January 8, 2024,[18][19] the same day that Apple started accepting submissions for the visionOS App Store.[19]
During the WWDC23 keynote, Apple revealed it was working withUnity Technologies to support theUnity engine on visionOS,[20][21] and that Unity would be releasing development tools for 3D games on Vision Pro, which launched in beta on July 19, 2023.[22]
visionOS uses a3D user interface navigated viafinger tracking,eye tracking, andspeech recognition. For example, the user can click an element by looking at it and pinching two fingers together, move the element by moving their pinched fingers, and scroll by flicking their wrist. Apps are displayed in floatingwindows that can be arranged in 3D space. Text input is via a virtual keyboard, theSiri virtual assistant, and externalBluetooth peripherals includingMagic Keyboard,Magic Trackpad, andgamepads.[23][24]
During visionOS setup, a user can create adigital persona by taking off the headset and scanning their face with it. Users can use this persona during FaceTime calls, and see other participants' personas if they are using visionOS.[25] From visionOS 1.1, the ability to see personas in 3D moving around and interacting with apps was added, dubbed 'Spatial Personas.'[26]
The Photos app supports presenting spatial video, depth-mapped 3D video recorded on Vision Pro or iPhone 15 Pro, by adapting the video's depth to the user's head movements.[27]
At launch, visionOS shipped with 13 pre-installed 3D 360° background animated environments with accompanying ambient sounds, including optional day and night scenes ofYosemite National Park;Haleakalā National Park;Joshua Tree National Park;Mount Hood National Forest; Lake Vrangla nearDrammen, Norway; and theMoon.[28]
TheApple TV app offers3D films; the company announced that over 150 films would be available in 3D at launch, at no additional charge to users that rent or purchase the films oniTunes Store.[29]
WebXR, an API for mixed reality experiences through web browsers, is supported inSafari.[30]
visionOS users can also access theirMac with a resizable 4K virtual display, named 'Mac Virtual Display'. 8K wide and ultra-wide curved display options were made available as additional options alongside the release of visionOS 2.1 in December 2024, along with the ability to route Mac audio to Vision Pro.[31][32]
visionOS is backwards compatible with existing iOS andiPadOS apps, which are rendered in windows within the user environment and are automatically compatible with visionOS's input system.[16][33] Although all apps are available on visionOS by default, the developers of iOS and iPadOS apps have the option to opt out of visionOS compatibility. Apple claims that over 1 million apps from iOS and iPadOS are available on visionOS.[16] In addition to iPadOS and iOS apps, over 600 native visionOS apps have been developed specifically for the platform at launch, according to Apple.[34] Apple also claims 100Apple Arcade games will be compatible with visionOS at launch, the majority of which can make use of visionOS's gamepad compatibility.[24][35][36]
Many popular productivity apps have released fully-optimized visionOS versions, includingMicrosoft 365 apps (Teams,Word,Excel,PowerPoint,Outlook, etc.),Adobe Lightroom,Slack,Zoom, andWebex.[37] Many streaming apps are also optimized for the platform, such asMax,Disney+,Prime Video,Paramount+, andESPN.[38]
Some of the most popular entertainment apps for iOS and iPadOS includingNetflix,Spotify, andYouTube have not made their iOS or iPadOS apps available to run on visionOS, recommending users instead use their respective websites on Safari.[39] YouTube has announced that a visionOS app is "on [the] roadmap."[40]
Apple-made apps that come preinstalled on visionOS includeMail,Messages,Mindfulness,Apple Music,Apple TV,Notes,Photos, andFreeform.
Before the February 2024 launch, Apple gave controlled demos of the Apple Vision Pro to many technology journalists, some of whom have praised its multitasking capabilities and input methods, while lamenting that the software is only available on expensive hardware.[41] Other reviewers have focused on the software's spatial videos feature and high resolution, while questioning what the software's main use case will be.[42] Speculation from journalists noted ongoing disputes from the developers of popular apps regarding the commissions charged by Apple for in-app purchases through apps distributed on the App Store as a potential cause for many not developing visionOS-native versions.[43]
Many reviews praised visionOS even while criticizing the hardware. Some reviews even mentioned features more advanced than the Apple Vision Pro hardware, such as eye and hand tracking.[44] Almost all key reviews praised the window mechanics and experience.[45][44]
| Version | Initial release date | Latest version | Build number | Latest release date | Device end-of-life |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| visionOS 1 | February 2, 2024 | Unsupported: 1.3 | 21O771 | July 29, 2024 | — |
| visionOS 2 | September 16, 2024 | Unsupported: 2.6 | 22O785 | July 29, 2025 | |
| visionOS 26 | September 15, 2025 | Latest version:26.0.1 | 23M341 | September 29, 2025 | TBA |
| Latest version:26.0.1 | 23M8340 | October 16, 2025 Vision Pro M5 only | |||
| Preview version: 26.1 Beta 4 | 23N5042a | October 20, 2025 | |||
Legend: Unsupported Supported Latest version Preview version Future version | |||||
visionOS 1 is the first major version of visionOS. It was announced in WWDC 2023 on June 5, 2023,[46] and was released on February 2, 2024, pre-installed in the Apple Vision Pro upon its release[47] however, it was actually released on January 23, 2024 with the version number 1.0.1. The last update, visionOS 1.3, was released on July 29, 2024.
| Unsupported: Overview of visionOS 1 versions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Build | Release date | Features |
| Unsupported: 1.0[48] | 21N307 | February 2, 2024 | Hand gestures and typing |
| Unsupported: 1.0.1[49] | 21N311 | January 23, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates |
| Unsupported: 1.0.2[50] | 21N323 | January 31, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates[51] |
| Unsupported: 1.0.3[52] | 21N333 | February 12, 2024 | Bug fixes; passcode reset option. |
| Unsupported: 1.1[53] | 21O211 | March 7, 2024 | |
| Unsupported: 1.1.1[54] | 21O224 | March 21, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates[55] |
| Unsupported: 1.1.2[56] | 21O231 | April 9, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates[57] |
| Unsupported: 1.2[58] | 21O589 | June 10, 2024 | Bug fixes; security updates; region and language support[59] |
| Unsupported: 1.3[60] | 21O771 | July 29, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates[61] |
visionOS 2 is the second major version of visionOS. It was announced in WWDC 2024 on June 10, 2024 and was released on September 16, 2024 alongsideiOS 18,iPadOS 18,macOS Sequoia,tvOS 18, andwatchOS 11.[62][63][64]
| Unsupported: Overview of visionOS 2 versions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Build | Release date | Features |
| Unsupported: 2.0[65] | 22N320 | September 16, 2024 | Photos options added |
| Unsupported: 2.0.1[66] | 22N342 | October 3, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates |
| Unsupported: 2.1[67] | 22N581 | October 28, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates |
| Unsupported: 2.1.1[68] | 22N591 | November 19, 2024 | Bug fixes and security updates |
| Unsupported: 2.2[69] | 22N842 | December 11, 2024 | |
| Unsupported: 2.3[70] | 22N896 | January 27, 2025 | |
| Unsupported: 2.3.1[71] | 22N900 | February 10, 2025 | |
| Unsupported: 2.3.2[72] | 22N906 | March 11, 2025 | |
| Unsupported: 2.4[73] | 22O238 | March 31, 2025 | |
| Unsupported: 2.4.1[74] | 22O251 | April 16, 2025 | |
| Unsupported: 2.5[75] | 22O473 | May 12, 2025 | |
| Unsupported: 2.6[76] | 22O785 | July 29, 2025 | |
visionOS 26 is the third major version of visionOS. It was announced inWWDC 2025 on June 9, 2025, and was released on September 15, 2025 alongsideiOS 26,iPadOS 26,macOS Tahoe,tvOS 26, andwatchOS 26.
| Latest version:Overview of visionOS 26 versions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | Build | Release date | Features |
| Unsupported: 26.0[77] | 23M336 | September 15, 2025 | |
| Latest version:26.0.1[78] | 23M341 | September 29, 2025 | Bug fixes |
| Latest version:26.0.1[79] | 23M8340 | October 26, 2025 | Same-day update for Vision Pro M5 |
| Preview version: 26.1 Beta 4[80] | 23N5042a | October 20, 2025 | |
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