Unlocking the Future: VisionOS 2.0 Compatibility Explained

Enter the future of Apple’s cutting-edge technology! The compatibility of the Apple Vision Pro gadget with the current operating system, VisionOS 2.0, may be of interest to owners. Let us examine the specifics and ascertain if your gadget is prepared for this thrilling enhancement.

Compatibility of Apple Vision Pro with VisionOS 2.0

VisionOS operates on iPad and iPhone applications that are compatible, ensuring uninterrupted access to pre-existing content. VisionOS exhibits compatibility with a wide range of technologies, hence enabling the execution of several applications originally designed for iPads or iPhones without any modifications on VisionOS devices. When a suitable application is executed under VisionOS, it maintains its same visual presentation as it did in iPadOS or iOS, and its content is shown in a window inside the user’s environment.

If an application is available in the iOS App Store, it is recommended to download and execute it on Apple Vision Pro. If you encounter any problems, use Xcode to detect and resolve them. When developing an application using the iOS Software Development Kit (SDK), Xcode 15 and subsequent versions automatically include a Designed for iPad runtime destination into the project. The provided destination may be used to execute the application and assess its compatibility with VisionOS. The majority of your app’s fundamental functionality may be tested in a simulator; however, many aspects are exclusive to a certain device.

How to check compatibility

VisionOS encompasses a majority of the same technology found in iPadOS and iOS but with some distinctions. Occasionally, a functionality used in your application may be inaccessible due to disparities in hardware or variations in user behavior on a VisionOS device. When doing your testing, take into account the influence of any missing functionality on the overall user experience of your application. Whenever feasible, it is advisable to circumvent the absence of certain features by either deactivating them or offering other methods to access the same material.

The compatible iPad and iPhone applications under VisionOS do not provide the following functionality: Utilize framework APIs to ascertain the availability of the functionality.

• Core Motion Services
• Data from a barometer and a magnetometer
• Except for the baseline service, all location services
• HealthKit data
• Capture of video or still photo
• Features of a camera, such as auto-focus or flash
• Rear-facing cameras for taking selfies

In some instances, the behavior of a framework or its functionality may vary when the application is executed on VisionOS. It is advisable to anticipate and address these variations when deploying your application on VisionOS.

• AirPlay. The AirPlay sharing buttons in VisionOS are concealed inside the system interfaces, hence preventing the use of AirPlay functionalities incompatible applications.
• Application extensions. VisionOS cannot load various components such as app clips, device drivers, device activity monitors, keyboard extensions, Messages app extensions, photo-editing app extensions, SMS and call-reporting extensions, or widgets.
• The features of the Apple Watch. In iOS or iPadOS applications, VisionOS does not take into consideration watchOS apps and WatchKit extensions. It is currently not possible to access the Watch Connectivity framework. The functionality of face sharing in ClockKit is not supported in VisionOS.
• Audio and video. VisionOS lacks functionality for picture-in-picture and automated vehicle routing functionalities. Verify the accessibility of video functionalities before using them. Anticipate the automatic cessation of audio playback when your application transitions to the background.
• Characteristics of the classroom. An error is reported while initiating a test using the Automatic Assessment Configuration.
• Cellular telephony. The provision of cellular services is currently not accessible. Voice-over-IP (VoIP) services may be implemented using CallKit and Core Telephony.
• Management of devices. The ManagedSettings and ManagedSettingsUI frameworks provide no functionality.
• Gaming consoles. VisionOS only triggers game controller events when the user is actively seeing the application. To include a game controller as an input device for your application, it is necessary to include the GCRequires Controller User Interaction key with the visionOS value inside the Info. list of your project.
• Transfer. VisionOS refrains from transferring user actions to other devices.
• Haptics: VisionOS employs auditory stimuli instead of tactile feedback.
• HomeKit. The addition of accessories via a QR code from a VisionOS device is not feasible.
• Metrics. MetricKit enables the collection of on-device diagnostic logs and the generation of reports, but it does not support the gathering of metrics.
• Multi-Touch. The system records a maximum of two concurrent touch inputs, with one input for each hand of the individual. All gesture recognition systems effectively process these inputs, including zoom and rotation movements that require the use of several fingers. In the context of VisionOS, it is advisable to update custom gesture recognizers that need more than two points of contact to accommodate a limited number of one or two touches.
• Parental oversight. The FamilyControls framework does not respond to calls.
• PencilKit. VisionOS does not report the UITouch type. However, TouchType.pencil does provide information on several other sorts of touches.
• Initiate conversation. Attempts to invoke the Push to Talk framework provide no results.
• Safari Services. The hyperlinks that display an SFSafariViewController link redirect the user to a Safari scene.
• Screen time. The Screen Time framework does not provide any results when invoked.
• Features connected to sensors. Invocations of the SensorKit framework provide no results.
• Online platforms. Attempts to invoke the Social Framework provide no results.
• Interfaces of a system. The prompts for authorization. Log-in using Apple prompts, and other interfaces supplied by the OS operate independently from the app’s main activity. Due to the non-modal nature of these interfaces in your app, it is possible that your app may not get rapid answers.
• Characteristics of the vehicle. The system does not invoke the CarPlay code of your application. Calls made with CarKey are ineffective.
• VisionKit does not use data scanners for any purpose.

The compatibility between the version of ARKit on iOS and VisionOS is limited, resulting in VisionOS being unable to render windows that include ARKit views. To get guidance on integrating an ARKit application into VisionOS, please refer to the resource titled “Bringing your ARKit app to VisionOS.”

To get instructions on how to address the absence of certain functionalities in your code, go to the section under “Making your existing app compatible with VisionOS.”.

Update your app information in App Store Connect

Upon signing the revised Apple Developer Program License Agreement, the App Store automatically provides suitable iPad and iPhone applications in VisionOS. To prevent your app from running on Apple Vision Pro, modify the availability of your app in App Store Connect.

1. In the App Store Connect, choose your application.
2. Please proceed to get the price and availability details.
3. Please deactivate the option to enable the availability of this application on Apple Vision Pro.

Disabling the availability of your software for Apple Vision Pro results in the software store ceasing to provide your iOS app for VisionOS. Existing iOS software users may continue to operate it under VisionOS, but they are unable to re-download it. The version of your program produced using the VisionOS SDK is unaffected by this configuration.

Support for Testing Ahead of VisionOS 2

Although the present compatibility of the Apple Pencil is limited to iPads, the next iteration of the item might be designed to be compatible with Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

According to a reliable source, Apple has conducted internal testing on a new Apple Pencil that supports VisionOS. The integration of the Apple Pencil with drawing applications on the Vision Pro, such as Freeform and Pixelmator, would enable its use.

There is a lack of detailed information on this project; nevertheless, a potential scenario has users using the Apple Pencil to create drawings on a flat surface like a desk, with the resulting drawings being shown inside the Open VisionOS application. This would effectively transform an individual’s environment into an expansive canvas, equipped with the ability to detect and adjust pressure and tilt.

There are rumors that a new Apple Pencil will be released in April, along with new iPad Pro and iPad Air models. However, it remains uncertain if it will be compatible with VisionOS.

The compatibility of Apple Pencil with Vision Pro necessitates the use of new software; however, the specific version that may include support remains uncertain. It is anticipated that the first beta version of visionOS 1.2 will be accessible to developers within the current week, while Apple is projected to unveil visionOS 2 at its yearly developers conference, WWDC, in June.

There is no guarantee that Apple will release an Apple Pencil that supports VisionOS, just like with any other product it develops.

VisionOS Apps

Apple revamped some of its well-known applications, including FaceTime, Photos, Messages, and Safari, to include a 3D interface.

FaceTime is particularly intriguing due to its ability to display the individuals you are speaking with in large tiles positioned across the room, allowing for customization. During your conversations, others will see your “persona,” which is a digital representation of your actual face that accurately depicts your facial emotions and hand gestures in real time. This ensures that you appear authentic rather than a person wearing a headset.

Personas may also be found in other video conferencing applications, such as Zoom. However, critics have expressed that personas do not rank as Apple’s most notable feature in Vision Pro. They have been characterized as strange with an awful ambiance.

The Photos application displays pictures on a magnified scale, including panoramic views that surround the user. Additionally, it allows for the viewing of three-dimensional photos and films. The headgear is equipped with an integrated camera, enabling users to record video footage that can be viewed in a three-dimensional format.

Users may use Messages, Safari, and other applications to extract 3D USDZ files to see and manipulate virtual objects. Below is a list of the pre-existing applications on Vision Pro.

Pre-configured applications specifically designed for Vision Pro:

• App Store
• Capture
• Encounter Dinosaurs
• FaceTime
• Files
• Freeform
• Keynote
• Mail
• Messages
• Mindfulness
• Music
• Notes
• Photos
• Safari
• Settings
• Tips
• TV

Pre-installed apps not optimized for Vision Pro:

• Books
• Calendar
• Home
• Maps
• News
• Podcasts
• Reminders
• Shortcuts
• Stocks

VisionOS Features

Visual Search

VisionOS has a Visual Search functionality that enables users to get information about an object, identify and engage with textual content in their immediate environment, replicate and insert printed text from the physical world into applications, do text translation across 17 distinct languages, and perform more functionalities.

VisionOS can process real-world text that contains contact details, URLs, unit conversions, and other relevant information. For instance, in the case of a printed handout including a hyperlink, Vision Pro may be used to scan the link, therefore initiating the opening of a Safari window to access the website. Alternatively, if a recipe specifies grams and you want ounces, you may manipulate the measurement using the headset.

Real-time text translation may prove advantageous in several contexts, such as travel and other situations where there is a need for prompt translation of visual content seen in the physical environment. The Apple Vision Pro headset can autonomously identify textual content and documents, akin to the iPhone’s ability to recognize text inside photographs and facilitate its interaction.

Travel Mode

If you’re using the Vision Pro while flying, you can activate Travel Mode from the Control Center to help steady your vision.

Guest Mode

The Guest Mode feature enables the use of Vision Pro by a user’s family and friends but with restricted access to certain applications, including Photos and Safari. During the activation of the Guest User mode, the main user’s Apple ID account, settings, Optic ID, passcode, passwords, Apple Pay, persona, and health data will be subject to restrictions.

Conclusion

Apple Vision Pro users can check if their device is compatible with VisionOS 2.0, the latest operating system. VisionOS runs compatible iPad and iPhone apps, providing continuous access to existing content. It supports most of the same technologies as iOS, so many apps built to run on iPads or iPhones can run unmodified on VisionOS devices. However, some features may not be available in compatible iPad and iPhone apps in VisionOS. These include core motion services, barometer and magnetometer data, location services, HealthKit data, video capture, camera features, and rear-facing cameras.

Some features may not be available in vision, such as AirPlay, app extensions, Apple Watch features, audio and video, classroom features, cellular telephony, device management, game controllers, handoff, haptics, HomeKit, metrics, multi-touch, parental controls, pencilKit, push to talk, Safari Services, screen time, sensor-related features, and social media.

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