Snap Launches Snap OS 2.0 with Native Browser & WebXR Support
▼ Summary
– Snap has released Snap OS 2.0, an updated software for its AR glasses, featuring a new native browser and WebXR support.
– The update includes a faster, optimized browser with improved page loading, power usage, and a new home screen with widgets and bookmarks.
– Users can now access augmented reality experiences directly from WebXR-enabled websites and use a new Spotlight Lens to overlay content in the real world.
– New features include a Gallery Lens for viewing and organizing captures and a Travel Mode that stabilizes AR content during movement.
– The launch coincides with Meta’s Connect conference, and Snap plans to release a consumer version of its Spectacles in 2026.
Snap has officially launched Snap OS 2.0, a significant software upgrade for its AR glasses, the Snap Spectacles. This release introduces a native browser, WebXR compatibility, and a range of new interactive features designed to enhance user experience. The update follows last year’s developer-focused fifth-generation Spectacles and aligns with the company’s roadmap for a consumer model expected in 2026.
The timing of this announcement is strategic, arriving just before Meta’s Connect conference, where competing advancements in smart glasses and AI are anticipated. Snap’s latest OS aims to strengthen its position in the wearable tech market with practical, user-friendly innovations.
A standout feature in Snap OS 2.0 is the new native browser, engineered for speed and efficiency. Snap has optimized both page loading and power consumption, allowing for smoother and quicker navigation. The updated interface includes a home screen with customizable widgets and bookmarks, plus a toolbar that supports both typing and voice commands for entering URLs. Users can also review their browsing history, refresh pages, and even resize browser windows, a familiar desktop-like convenience now available on Spectacles.
Another major addition is support for WebXR, enabling users to engage with augmented reality experiences directly through compatible websites. This eliminates the need for separate apps, making AR more accessible and integrated into daily browsing.
A new Spotlight Lens allows content to be spatially anchored in the user’s environment. Whether fixed in place or set to follow movement, this feature lets people watch vertical videos from creators while performing tasks like washing dishes or moving around a room. According to Snap, the portrait orientation of Spectacles is ideally suited for this type of hands-free, immersive viewing.
The update also introduces a Gallery Lens, which offers an interactive way to review and share recorded moments. Users can scroll through a carousel of their captures, select favorites, and quickly share them with friends or post to their Story.
For those on the go, Travel Mode stabilizes AR content and improves tracking accuracy during motion, ideal for use in cars or airplanes. This ensures a consistent experience even in dynamic environments.
With these enhancements, Snap continues to refine its AR ecosystem, making wearable technology more intuitive, functional, and integrated into everyday life.
(Source: TechCrunch)
