Hi Needle team,
My company is interested in converting a VR application we have in part or in whole to an AR web experience with Needle Engine. I was trying out the demos available on the project showcase for AR applications on my iPhone, but they always use App Clips instead of the browser. Is it possible to have the experience work in-browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.) as opposed to an app clip for iOS devices?
Not with WebXR, no. Safari/Chrome on iOS don’t expose WebXR, so Needle bridges it with Needle Go, an App Clip that runs your WebXR scene on ARKit [2]. Full interactive WebAR on iOS currently means the App Clip route.
If you only need “place a model in the room and view it,” Everywhere Actions + USDZ/QuickLook works in Safari without an App Clip [5][9] — but it’s far less interactive than WebXR.
What does your AR session actually need: hit testing, anchors, multiplayer, custom interactions? That decides whether QuickLook is enough or the App Clip is required.
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So is any additional set up for App Clips needed on my end in addition to what would be made for Android in order for an AR app made with Needle Engine to work on iOS?
Nope — nothing extra needed. You don’t need an Apple Developer account, and you don’t build or publish your own App Clip. iOS AR runs through Needle’s shared Needle Go App Clip, which simply loads your existing scene [1].
Setup is identical to Android: a WebXR component with createARButton enabled, deployed to a public HTTPS URL — no code changes required [4]. Works on any plan including free; PRO is only for customizing the App Clip splash branding [1].
If it opens but AR won’t start, check that the App Clip has camera permission in device settings [2].
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