Apple Releasing 'ARKit' for iOS Developers to Fuel All-New Augmented Reality Apps - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releasing 'ARKit' for iOS Developers to Fuel All-New Augmented Reality Apps

by

Apple today revealed "the largest AR platform in the world," which it's calling ARKit. The new developer platform will help app creators bring high-quality AR experiences to iOS devices using the built-in camera, processors, and motion sensors found in iPhone and iPad.

ios 11 ARKit

Apple is introducing a new platform for developers to help them bring high-quality AR experiences to iPhone and iPad using the built-in camera, powerful processors and motion sensors in iOS devices. ARKit allows developers to tap into the latest computer vision technologies to build detailed and compelling virtual content on top of real-world scenes for interactive gaming, immersive shopping experiences, industrial design and more.

In a demo, Craig Federighi showed off features of the enhanced AR integration into iPhone, including improvements that will be coming to games like Pokémon Go. The company noted that thanks to ARKit's integration within iOS, users won't need any special equipment to take advantage of the augmented reality features.

ARKit-fueled applications are expected to begin arriving with iOS 11 this fall.

Top Rated Comments

Otelm Avatar
117 months ago
It's nice to look at the MR comments to Tim Cook's first comments on AR…

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/26/apple-investing-in-augmented-reality/

(sorry, couldn't resist)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZacNicholson Avatar
117 months ago
coolest thing they've shown today
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Keane16 Avatar
117 months ago
It's nice to look at the MR comments to Tim Cook's first comments on AR…

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/26/apple-investing-in-augmented-reality/

(sorry, couldn't resist)
I love looking back like this.

Someone could make a pretty successful blog looking back at how silly MR forum regulars are. (it's also a bit sad how low brow the comments are - find my self spending less and less time here).

========

Certainly some good weight put behind AR by Apple yesterday. Looking forward to seeing what this brings. So far it's all been cool, tech demo type stuff. The MS Hololens demo where they showed someone doing some plumbing/fixing a pipe with the help of AR is the kind of real world useful stuff I'm looking forward to eventually.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Tuesday May 26, 2026 6:32 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
Apple Watch Blood Glucose Monitoring Feature 2

Apple Watch for Diabetes: The Latest on Apple's Plans for Non-Invasive Blood Sugar Monitoring

Tuesday May 26, 2026 9:30 am PDT by
For many years now, it has been rumored that the Apple Watch will eventually gain non-invasive blood sugar monitoring capabilities, which would enable millions of people with diabetes to track their blood glucose levels without needing to prick their skin with a needle or wear a dedicated continuous glucose monitor. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple recently shifted oversight of...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Just Expanded iPhone Driver's License Feature to Arkansas

Wednesday May 27, 2026 9:41 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting today, the feature is available in Arkansas, which is the 14th state to offer it. However, it may take some time to roll out to all users. To...