Apple’s Vision Pro headphones are set to be released to consumers today, but YouTube isn’t currently building a dedicated app for the device. To fill this gap, Christian Selig, the developer who created the Apollo for Reddit client, did a Vision Pro app for YouTube called Juno.
The app costs $5 for a one-time purchase and does not have a recurring revenue model. Selig said his blog that the app uses YouTube’s built-in API, which essentially loads videos into a webview and provides playback controls.
Image Credits: Christian Selig
The developer mentioned that this allows an app like Juno to run natively and even automatically resize windows based on different aspect ratios. In addition, through the built-in API, YouTube can still show ads to users who are not subscribed to the Premium tier.
The Juno app enables features like resizable windows, pinch drag to scrub the video, double pinch on the sides to move the video forward or backward by 10 seconds, and dim environment to focus on the video.
Image Credits: Christian Selig
The idea for the development began last month when Selig posted on X that he wants to develop a YouTube wrapper app native to Vision Pro because he spends a lot of time on the service.
Currently, the application supports only one window. But with Vision Pro’s ability to display multiple spatial windows, it plans to introduce multiview support. The ability to view commentary, new immersive environments and caption controls are the other features planned for Juno.
Earlier this week, Apple said there would be 600 apps available specially tuned for Vision Pro. While there are no apps for Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify at launch, users can consume content via Disney+, Max, ESPN, CBS, Paramount+, NBC, NBC Sports, Peacock, FOX Sports, and UFC.
Selig shut down Apollo after Reddit changed its API terms last June. In September, the developer updated the Pixel Pals app, which is a cute virtual pet app for Apple’s Dynamic Island, with support for interactive widgets. In October, it also released a language learning widget as part of the Pixel Pals app.
