Apple says third-party camera access on the Vision Pro is airtight

The most ground-shaking announcement Apple made at its WWDC annual developer conference this year was that of its first mixed reality (MR) headset — the Vision Pro. There are numerous parts making up this technological marvel, but arguably one of the more crucial ones are all of the cameras it comes with.

The Apple Vision Pro and its cameras

The Apple Vision Pro MR headset has a total of 12 cameras! Two cameras give users a view of what's around them by transferring what they record directly to the micro-OLED displays. Some of the other cameras track your movements and 3D map your surrounding area. Additionally, there is one camera dedicated to shooting 3D photos and videos.

On the inside part of the headset, there are four infrared cameras, which emit invisible patterns onto your eyes for authentication via iris scanning. These infrared cameras also contribute to the impressive eye-tracking capabilities of the headset and, therefore, the intuitive navigation that everyone is talking about.

Vision Pro camera access is highly restricted

In a recent developer session Apple says that the Vision Pro will handle camera access to third-party developers in a more secure and restrictive manner compared to its other non-VR/AR products like the iPad or iPhone.

To put it simply, all of the cameras on the outside of the Vision Pro are completely off-limits for third-party developers. The infrared cameras on the inside of the headset will be the only ones that developers would have some access to, but more precisely, it would be access to the virtual Persona you create and use for FaceTime calls.

There is no guarantee Apple won't adjust these restrictions in the future, but even if that happens, we expect the tech giant would prioritize its users' privacy and security. It is up to Apple, as well as the third-party developers to help this product bloom with its full potential and lay down solid grounds for future iterations.