YouTube for iOS missing 'watch in VR' option, but there's a possible explanation

There’s a huge collection of clips on YouTube that take advantage of Google Cardboard and that’s when the whole VR thing really starts to shine.

So, it was quite a delight for users en masse when Google decided to add Cardboard support to its YouTube app for iOS.

YouTube for iOS missing ‘watch in VR’ option

However, it has come to the notice of some iOS users that the ‘watch in VR’ option is missing from the YouTube app.

Hello, I’m having trouble with the watch in VR option going missing in the iOS app since 17.38.10
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@YouTube why would you take off the ability to watch VR videos with VR goggles on any iOS device? Schools use this feature on the time. Can you add this feature back?
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Some of the reports suggest that the feature has gone missing since YouTube version 17.39.5 came out back in September. However, other versions like 17.39.4 still show the VR icon.

Surprisingly, on Android devices, the ‘watch in VR’ option still appears in the lower right corner when playing a video. You can also see it in the settings of open videos

But the cardboard icon is seemingly not operational on iOS devices anymore. You can check out the screenshot attached below:

While we just mentioned that the ‘watch in VR’ option is missing from iOS devices, the icon is still accessible on iOS 15.

Possible explanation

The fact that Google’s support page suggests that YouTube is discontinuing support for Google Cardboard (VR) on iOS seems like a possible explanation for the missing icon.

On the contrary, YouTube support recommends restarting the device/app, reinstalling the app, or updating the OS as a temporary fix.

Thank you for your reply. Are you unable to see the VR icon on videos that were previously viewable with the VR goggles? There is a possibility of a temporary error, so please restart the device/app, reinstall the app, or update the OS.
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This only adds to the confusion as it’s still unclear whether Google is rolling back the feature or not. We hope that the final word on the missing YouTube cardboard icon on iOS comes to light with utmost certainty.

We’ll keep tabs on further developments and update this article accordingly.

NOTE: You can also check our dedicated YouTube bugs and issues tracker.

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