YouTube for iOS Now Supports Google Cardboard - MacRumors
Skip to Content

YouTube for iOS Now Supports Google Cardboard

by

YouTube for iOS has been updated today with Google Cardboard support, allowing for all videos to be watched in VR mode on iPhone. The functionality was previously limited to the YouTube app on Android smartphones since November 2015.

YouTube-Google-Cardboard
To activate Cardboard mode, tap on the three circles in the top-right corner of a video and select the Cardboard icon. The video will then switch to an immersive VR experience, even if it was not originally filmed in a full 360 degrees.

YouTube-iOS-Google-Cardboard-duo
YouTube for iOS is a free download on the App Store [Direct Link]. The app is now at version 11.18.

Top Rated Comments

MrLoL Avatar
131 months ago
About time!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
131 months ago
In theory this actually sounds pretty cool. Has anyone here tried it? I wonder if it has any long-term negative effects on eye sight.
I bought one 2 years ago for my Nexus 5. It's really cool and works great. One downside is that the cheap ones don't have a head strap or something like that, so you have to constantly hold it with your hands.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Johannesburg Avatar
131 months ago
In theory this actually sounds pretty cool. Has anyone here tried it? I wonder if it has any long-term negative effects on eye sight.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
131 months ago
Why would you watch non-360 content with a Google Cardboard?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
131 months ago
VR needs something in the middle...

Either you can get the $900 Vive which requires you to connect to a computer with an expensive GPU, or you can get the nearly free Cardboard which works with your existing smartphone, but works about as well as you would expect for a free product.

Surely I can get higher quality than the Cardboard without being as expensive as the Vive?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MysteryMii215 Avatar
131 months ago
VR needs something in the middle...
What about Gear VR?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General YouTube Feature Redux

YouTube Will Now Automatically Label AI Videos Even When Creators Don't

Wednesday May 27, 2026 5:06 pm PDT by
YouTube today said it is introducing automatic AI detection, with automatic AI labeling applied to videos with "significant photorealistic AI use." Creators are still expected to manually disclose when realistic AI is used for videos even with the new automatic labeling system. Creators who think their content was incorrectly identified as AI-generated can update the disclosure status in...
WWDC26 MR Live Coverage Article

WWDC 2026 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 27, Revamped Siri, and More

Monday June 8, 2026 9:15 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements today, headlined by a reset on Apple's push into AI that should see a significant overhaul...
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Tuesday June 9, 2026 11:29 am PDT by
If you pay for extra iCloud storage on your iPhone, beyond the 5GB included for free, you might receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. First, Apple said there will be daily usage limits for some of the new and enhanced Apple Intelligence features on iOS 27, including image generation. However, the company noted that "increased access" is available with "most" iCloud+ storage ...