iOS doesn’t currently support any AR, VR or mixed-reality headsets, which is odd given the rumoured direction of Apple’s product development roadmap. The company is understood to be working on a mixed-reality headset (to be released later this year) and a set of AR glasses (which will come much later).
Clues that the system is being adapted for a time when users can connect such headsets to the iPhone and iPad have now begun to appear. 9to5Mac has been rooting around in the beta of iOS 15.4 and discovered that Safari supports a developer interface called WebXR. This is used to develop AR and VR content for the web.
“The API comes disabled by default,” the site notes, “but even when enabled there are no AR/VR headsets that currently work with iOS.” This suggests that the plan is to support Apple’s headsets specifically.
Developer Maximiliano Firtman has found other news in Safari: Apple’s mobile browser is about to get better support for so-called progressive web apps – web apps that are installed on the home screen. There’s support for default icons now and signs that support for push notifications is on the way.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation (using DeepL) and additional reporting by David Price.
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Author: Anders Lundberg, Contributing Editor
Anders has worked for Macworld Sweden for many years. He writes news, reviews and tutorials related to the Mac, iPhone and Apple Watch.