YouTube has arrived on the Apple Vision Pro, but it’s not thanks to Google
There’s been a lot of talk this week about how many apps are available in the Apple Vision Pro, and it looks like third-party developers are stepping up to the challenge to fill any glaring gaps in the app selection.
From MacRumorsdeveloper Christian Selig has released a special YouTube app for the Vision Pro called Juno for YouTube. Notably, it’s the only YouTube client on the headset, as Google hasn’t released an official app.
The app costs $4.99 and comes with a number of useful features, including options to resize and move the playback window, and to dim the area around the video for that mixed reality virtual cinema feeling.
As we already know, Google has specifically said that it currently has no plans to develop a YouTube app for the Vision Pro. For now, the only official way to get onto YouTube with the Apple headset is to load it through Safari.
Maybe there’s an app for that
Initial concerns about the availability of apps on the Vision Pro were somewhat allayed when the device went on sale, with news that more than 600 apps are on the way soon (although the current selection is much smaller).
We’ve already seen Adobe make the leap into mixed reality with its Firefly AI app. You can use it to create images generated by artificial intelligence from any text prompt, with the end results floating before your eyes.
However, there are notable holdouts, including Netflix and Spotify, as well as Google. While YouTube gives developers some access to its internal workings, that’s not the case with Netflix or Spotify, so don’t expect third-party clients for them.
Obviously, the limited number of people who actually have an Apple Vision Pro will make software developers think twice about whether or not to support the hardware – but based on our time with the headset, it’s likely to become more popular very quickly.