visionOS 2 is available today, bringing new spatial computing experiences to Apple Vision Pro users.
Applel says that existing photos can now be turned into spatial photos with depth and dimension, intuitive new hand gestures make navigating Vision Pro even faster and easier, and enhancements to key visionOS apps and experiences take spatial computing to the next level. Here are the new features, according to Apple:
With visionOS 2, Apple Vision Pro users can revisit past memories by transforming 2D images from their library in the Photos app into spatial photos with natural-looking depth and dimension. visionOS 2 leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to bring new life to 2D photos.
Appel SharePlay in the Photos app makes it easy for users to share content in their library, including stunning spatial photos and videos shot on the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, with their friends and family. With SharePlay, users can connect with others as their spatial Persona and enjoy panoramas at life-size scale, scroll through favorite shared albums, and more while feeling as if everyone is physically present together in the same room.
The Photos app in visionOS 2 has been redesigned to help users keep their library organized, and makes it easy to quickly find spatial photos, videos, and more. Users can also trim videos in their photo library and do it at any scale that works best for their workflows.
Navigating Apple Vision Pro is even faster and easier with visionOS 2. Building off the revolutionary spatial interface of Vision Pro, visionOS 2 introduces new gestures that make accessing Home View and other features even more convenient. Now when users raise their hand in front of them and tap their fingers, they can quickly get to the Home View, or they can flip their hand to see the time, check the battery level, adjust the volume, and even access Control Center.
Users now have the ability to use their mouse when navigating Apple Vision Pro — great for when they’re drafting a document and want the precision of a cursor. When a user is in an Environment, Vision Pro will intelligently detect and reveal the user’s physical Magic Keyboard. And with the ability to customize their Home View, users can arrange apps wherever they like and quickly access the ones they use most.
Apple says that, later this year, Mac Virtual Display will feature an expandable, ultra-wide screen that wraps around the user — creating the equivalent of having two 4K displays sitting side by side. The tech giant adds that, with visionOS 2, key apps and features will see these updates:
- Travel Mode expands to include trains, so users can immerse themselves in a beautiful Environment and work privately in multiple apps, or catch up on the latest movies and shows on a massive screen, whether they’re on a flight or on their commute.
- If a user’s family member or colleague uses Guest User frequently, visionOS can now save the most recent guest’s eye and hand data for 30 days — making it faster and easier for them to get back into Vision Pro.
- In Safari, users can watch their favorite videos from popular sites like Netflix and YouTube on a huge screen in any Environment — creating a stunning cinematic viewing experience with a beautiful glow and reflection from the screen. The amazing panoramic photo experience on Vision Pro also comes to Safari, allowing users to tap on a site’s panoramas and immerse themselves as the image wraps around them.
- Bora Bora joins the list of stunning Environments, enabling users to escape to a tropical paradise where they can enjoy serene surroundings and create the perfect space to focus.
- Persona includes more accurate skin tones, vibrant clothing colors, and more fluid and natural hand movements. Users also have the option to add a variety of backgrounds during their FaceTime or third-party video calls.
- Later this year, the Apple TV app will support Multiview, which allows sports fans to watch up to five games at once so they can keep track of all their favorite sports and teams.
- The Mindfulness app helps users achieve calm and focus with a new feature called Follow Your Breathing that presents dynamic visual animations and sounds that respond to the user’s breathing patterns.
- Along with other powerful new accessibility features, Live Captions provide users with real‑time transcriptions of speech, audio, and video content.
- Look to Dictate now works in Messages, so responding becomes faster and easier than ever.
- Vision Pro can now be enabled as an AirPlay receiver, so users can view content from a nearby iPhone, iPad, or Mac on their Vision Pro.
visionOS 2 is available today as a free software update for Apple Vision Pro. For more information, visit apple.com/visionos/visionos-2.
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