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YouTube for visionOS is now available as a free Apple Vision Pro app. It supports standard YouTube videos, Shorts and live streams, plus compatible 3D, VR180 and 360° videos. The important caveat: the App Store advertises 8K playback for the M5 Vision Pro only, and “spatial” does not mean ordinary videos have been converted into stereoscopic content.
What launched—and why it matters
YouTube released its dedicated Apple Vision Pro app, YouTube for visionOS, on February 12, 2026, according to contemporaneous launch coverage. Before then, Vision Pro owners could watch YouTube in Safari; third-party clients also appeared, but they were not the same as an official Google app.
The native app gives YouTube a visionOS interface designed for viewing in the headset: users can place and resize the app’s screen, browse their signed-in YouTube experience, and use hand and eye tracking to navigate. YouTube documents support for recommendations, subscriptions and watch history, as well as ordinary videos and compatible immersive formats. See YouTube’s Vision Pro help page for its current feature and account details.
What “spatial” means in the YouTube app
There are two different ideas that can get blurred together. First, a conventional video can appear on a large, movable screen in your physical surroundings. That is a spatial way to watch, but the video itself can still be a flat, rectangular 2D image.
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Second, some YouTube uploads are made in formats that provide an immersive or stereoscopic view. YouTube identifies compatible 360°, VR180 and 3D content as supported:
- 360° video lets you look around a recorded scene in different directions.
- VR180 is a forward-facing immersive format, commonly captured stereoscopically.
- 3D video provides different visual information to each eye to create a stereoscopic image.
So a regular upload does not become true 3D merely because you watch it in the app. Look for compatible immersive content if you want to look around or see stereoscopic depth. Apple also uses the distinct term Apple Immersive Video for a format it describes as 3D 8K video with a 180-degree field of view and Spatial Audio. YouTube’s stated support for 3D, VR180 and 360° does not establish that the app supports Apple’s complete proprietary format. See Apple’s description of Apple Immersive Video and Apple’s visionOS video-format overview.
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Which features are available?
| Feature | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Standard YouTube videos | Supported; a normal video remains a conventional image on a spatially placed screen. |
| Shorts | Supported in the app. |
| Live streams | Supported; YouTube’s help documentation says live chat was unavailable at launch. |
| 360°, VR180 and 3D | Supported for compatible videos, not every upload. |
| Subscriptions, playlists and history | Available in the signed-in YouTube experience. |
| 8K playback | Advertised for Apple Vision Pro with the M5 chip only, and only when a suitable 8K stream is available. |
| Premium signup and content purchases | Not supported inside the app; use YouTube on the web or a mobile app. |
| Offline downloads | YouTube’s Vision Pro help page does not promise general offline downloads for this app. |
Feature availability can change as the app is updated. Check the App Store listing and YouTube’s help page for current details.
What the 8K claim does—and does not—promise
The App Store listing qualifies its 8K support as Apple Vision Pro M5 only. It is not a promise that every video will offer an 8K setting, nor does the listing establish the same capability for the M2 model. The video must have a suitable 8K version available, and the stream YouTube delivers can depend on the source, encoding, connection and device support.
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Resolution also needs context for immersive video. An 8K image spread across a wide 180° or 360° field of view does not put the same apparent detail in the part you are looking at as an 8K image filling a conventional TV screen. Upload quality, compression, motion and capture quality matter too. YouTube’s general guidance says consistent speeds of at least 15 Mbps are needed for 4K UHD playback, but that is not a confirmed minimum for 8K Vision Pro streaming; do not treat it as one.
If no 8K quality option appears, first check whether the headset is the M5 model and whether the particular video actually has an 8K stream. Network conditions or software updates may also affect the options shown, but these are practical checks rather than a guarantee about any individual playback problem.
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How to install YouTube for visionOS
- On Apple Vision Pro, open the App Store.
- Select Search and search for YouTube.
- Choose YouTube for visionOS and confirm that the developer is Google LLC.
- Download and open the app. Sign in if you want your subscriptions, playlists, recommendations and watch history.
The App Store listing currently requires visionOS 26.0 or later. If the app does not appear, confirm you are searching on Apple Vision Pro, check the installed visionOS version, and search for the exact app name. The cited listing is the US App Store listing; availability can vary by region.
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No. YouTube says Premium is not required to use the Vision Pro app. App access and Premium benefits are separate: the app does not currently support signing up for Premium or buying content inside it. To start or manage a subscription or make a purchase, use YouTube on the web or in a mobile app. The Vision Pro help page does not promise the usual Premium offline-download feature in this app, so do not assume that downloads made on another device will be available here.
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Who benefits most—and who may not notice much difference?
- M5 Vision Pro owners have the clearest reason to try it if they want to explore high-resolution immersive video: the App Store specifically advertises 8K for their model.
- VR180 and 360° viewers get a direct, official way to find and watch compatible YouTube uploads in a headset-oriented app.
- Frequent YouTube viewers may value a resizable native app and signed-in browsing more than opening the service in Safari.
- M2 owners can consider the app for native YouTube viewing, but should not assume the advertised 8K feature applies to their model.
- Casual viewers of standard videos may see a smaller change if Safari already meets their needs.
- People seeking Apple Immersive Video should not treat YouTube’s 3D, VR180 and 360° support as confirmation that Apple’s separate format is included.
The app is an overdue improvement to YouTube’s Vision Pro experience, not a reason by itself to buy the headset. The strongest case is for current owners—especially M5 owners—who will use its native interface or watch compatible immersive videos. Prospective buyers should weigh the headset for their broader needs rather than treating YouTube or its model-limited 8K claim as decisive.
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