Apple Shares Overview of Vision Pro's Privacy and Security Features

Following the launch of the Vision Pro, Apple has shared a new document outlining various privacy and security measures for the headset.

visionOS Privacy Feature
An overview of some of the Vision Pro's privacy policies, according to Apple:

  • Where you look before you interact with content is not shared with Apple or the apps you are using, and does not leave the device.
  • Apps you use cannot access information about your surroundings by default.
  • visionOS does not share information about who may be physically nearby with the apps and websites that you use, or with Apple.
  • Personas are generated entirely on-device, and associated data is encrypted.
  • Optic ID data for iris authentication is encrypted and never leaves the device.
  • You can limit the apps that someone else can interact with in Guest User mode to just those currently visible.

More details are available in Apple's document, shared earlier by 9to5Mac.

Apple privacy features available on visionOS include App Tracking Transparency, Advanced Data Protection, iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, and more. iMessage Contact Key Verification was added in the visionOS 1.1 beta.

Vision Pro launched in the U.S. earlier this month, and Apple said it plans to release the headset in additional countries later this year.

Related Roundups: Apple Vision Pro, visionOS 2
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Expected to Release iOS 18.3 Next Week With These New Features

Thursday January 23, 2025 6:41 am PST by
iOS 18.3 should be released to the public next week, following beta testing since mid-December. While the software update is a relatively minor one, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.3. Notification Summary Changes Examples of inaccurate Apple Intelligence notification summaries Apple Intelligence...
iOS 18

5 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.3

Friday January 24, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.3 next week, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a couple of neat new capabilities to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 devices, and bug fixes. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.3 still introduces capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Beta Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday January 24, 2025 8:16 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is expected to be widely released next week, and that means the first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner. Apple has previously implied that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, as that is when it promised to make Apple Intelligence available in even more languages. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri ...
Apple Pay Walmart Feature

Walmart Stands Firm on Why It Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in the U.S.

Thursday January 23, 2025 7:32 am PST by
Walmart still does not accept Apple Pay or other NFC payments at its more than 4,600 stores across the U.S., and it stood firm on its reasoning for that today. A spokesperson for Walmart today informed MacRumors that its position on contactless payments has not changed since we last reached out about the matter in 2022. The big-box retailer said it remains focused on its own convenient...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Launching This Year With These New Features

Wednesday January 22, 2025 6:01 pm PST by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year. In this article, we recap rumored features and changes for the device. The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.3

Tuesday January 21, 2025 4:31 pm PST by
Apple provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 18.3 today, and with it comes release notes confirming what's new. While we knew about several of the features that are in the update, there are some lesser known tweaks and bug fixes. The update adds new Visual Intelligence features for iPhone 16 models, it tweaks Notification summaries on all...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature

Kuo: iPhone 17 Models Won't Have Smaller Dynamic Island

Friday January 24, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The upcoming iPhone 17 models that Apple plans to release this year will not feature a smaller Dynamic Island, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. On social media, he said that he is expecting the size of the Dynamic Island to remain "largely unchanged" across the iPhone 17 lineup. His statement is contrary to prior rumors that we've heard about planned changes for the iPhone 17 models. ...
iPhone 16 Apple Store Levels

Gurman: Apple Stores Receiving 'Merchandise' Updates Next Week

Saturday January 25, 2025 5:07 pm PST by
Apple's retail stores will be rolling out "merchandise/floor marketing updates" next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman did not explicitly say if the store updates are related to any upcoming product announcements, but he did mention that next week is around the time that Apple rolls out its annual Black Unity watch band for the Apple Watch. In each of the past four years, ...
apple power beats pro 2

Apple's First Product Announcement of 2025 is Imminent

Thursday January 23, 2025 2:48 pm PST by
It's also time for Apple's first product announcement of the year. Last year, Apple said it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and the wireless earbuds are expected to launch very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter last weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the...

Top Rated Comments

mystery hill Avatar
13 months ago

You can limit the apps that someone else can interact with in Guest User mode to just those currently visible.
I’d like a Guest User mode on iPhone and iPad.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GermanSuplex Avatar
13 months ago
Those are good protections, but there's something a bit spooky about this line:

"Where you look before your interact with content is not shared with Apple or the apps you are using, and does not leave the device."

I'm glad they're thinking ahead (and hopefully the implementations are effective), because its one of those things you don't think about until its too late.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Surf Monkey Avatar
13 months ago

Those are good protections, but there's something a bit spooky about this line:

"Where you look before your interact with content is not shared with Apple or the apps you are using, and does not leave the device."

I'm glad they're thinking ahead (and hopefully the implementations are effective), because its one of those things you don't think about until its too late.
Before you interact with content.”

Interesting and critical qualification.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jim Lahey Avatar
13 months ago

I don't want to go straight to greed but is it really to force people to buy more iPads?
Yes. Yes it is.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
13 months ago
Huh. In all the hubbub surrounding Vision Pro, I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't yet considered the potential - if stupidly not obvious - risks associated with having a dozen cameras pointed at your residence, family members, friends, and life. Honestly, I think that may speak more to the effects of having entrusted Apple with my data for so long that those risks didn't even cross my mind - which is an interesting phenomenon, in and of itself.

Anyway, these do sound like some well-considered and effective measures for the platform. Makes me curious how they compare/contrast with [say] Meta's privacy policies for Quest.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mr_jomo Avatar
13 months ago
That's pretty good.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)