visionOS 2 now available for Apple Vision Pro, here’s what’s new

Apple is rolling out visionOS 2 for Apple Vision Pro users today. The update includes changes to gestures and navigation, the ability to customize your Home View, a new Bora Bora environment, and more. Here’s a recap of everything new in visionOS 2…

New features in visionOS 2

visionOS 2 includes a fundamental change to how you navigate visionOS. Instead of looking up and tapping to get to Control Center and the Home View, visionOS 2 adds a brand new gesture interaction. You can look down at the palm of your hand and tap to instantly go to the Home View. Alternatively, you can flip your hand over and tap to see quick information about your Vision Pro, like the time, volume, and battery life, then tap to go to Control Center.

visionOS 2 also allows you to rearrange icons on your Vision Pro’s Home View. Just look at an app icon, pinch and hold, and your icons will enter jiggle mode just like they do on iPhone and iPad. Additionally, you can now move iPhone and iPad apps out of the Compatible Apps folder and onto the main Apps View.

Another big change for Apple Vision Pro is keyboard passthrough support. This means that visionOS 2 will recognize and reveal your Magic Keyboard or MacBook keyboard when you’re immersed in an environment.

One of the most impressive visionOS 2 features is the ability to convert any image into an immersive spatial photo. Here’s how Apple explains this feature:

Spatial photos on Apple Vision Pro bring incredible depth and realism to favorite moments with family and friends. With visionOS 2, users can revisit past memories by creating spatial photos directly from their library in the Photos app. visionOS uses advanced machine learning to transform a 2D image into a beautiful spatial photo that truly comes to life on Vision Pro.

visionOS 2 also brings improvements to Guest User support. Now, a family member, colleague, or friend can be added as a Guest User on Vision Pro and have their eye and hand data saved for 30 days. Previously Guest User data was deleted after every use.

Here are more features included in visionOS 2:

• Following the addition of Lake Vrangla in July, visionOS 2 adds another new Environment for Apple Vision Pro users: Bora Bora.
• Mouse support for additional workflow options.
• While in Safari, users can watch videos in an Environment, including on popular sites such as YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon.
• Pinned tabs are now supported in Safari.
• While scrolling through webpages, users can tap on panoramic photos and immerse themselves as the image wraps around them.
• Travel Mode has been updated with support for trains.
• Look to Dictate in Messages: Look at the microphone in the Messages app and start speaking to dictate a message.

More still to come

Apple has announced additional visionOS 2 features that aren’t launching until later this year:

• New ultra-wide screen option for using Mac Virtual Display: “an ultra-wide display that is equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side.”
• Multiview support in the Apple TV app: With Multiview, MLS and MLB fans can keep up with their favorite teams and watch up to five different games at the same time — in five separate views.
• Edit spatial videos with Final Cut Pro

Apple Vision Pro users can download visionOS 2 now by going to the Settings app.