Is there any way to open link in IOS AR mode (Quicklook)

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1

Hi,
I’m currently working on a small AR project using Needle. I need to open a link while in AR mode either by tapping a 3D object or using the Quick Look banner. However, in the latest iOS version, the Quick Look banner doesn’t appear.

Is there any way to trigger the link or open it directly from AR mode in this case?
Thanks!

2

Hi Jawad Afzal,

When running your project in iOS AR mode via QuickLook, you’re facing a known limitation. In a regular web-based AR experience (using WebXR), you can add interactive components like OpenURL to detect taps on objects and open external links. However, when Needle exports your scene as a USDZ for QuickLook, the experience is handed off to Apple’s native AR viewer. Apple’s QuickLook currently supports only a very limited set of interactions (as outlined in our Everywhere Actions documentation (docs/everywhere-actions.html)), and opening external URLs isn’t supported in that mode.

In short, there isn’t a built-in way to trigger an external link directly inside iOS QuickLook AR sessions. As a workaround, you might consider one of the following approaches:

• Trigger the link in your web app before entering QuickLook (or after exiting AR)
• Use a fully interactive web-based AR experience (via WebXR) on devices that support it
• Experiment with custom Everywhere Actions for QuickLook, keeping in mind that the USDZ interaction model is more limited and may not support linking

This is a limitation imposed by iOS’s native AR handling rather than by Needle itself. If full interactivity (like opening links) in AR is essential, you may need to maintain a separate web-based version where components like OpenURL (at OpenURL.d.ts.md) are available.

Hope that helps clarify the situation!

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3

what do you mean by maintaining a separate web based version

4

Hi Jawad Afzal,

When I mentioned maintaining a “separate web-based version,” I was referring to the idea of creating a standard web application that utilizes Needle Engine’s capabilities and is designed to work in browsers rather than relying on QuickLook functionality on iOS.

Here’s what you could consider for a web-based version:

  1. Interactivity: In a web app, you have full control over interactions. You can implement features such as tapping on 3D objects to open links using components like OpenURL, which wouldn’t work in QuickLook mode.

  2. Fallback Logic: If a user opens the AR experience in a compatible browser, you could trigger the full web experience, which might offer more interactive elements and capabilities.

  3. Progressive Web Apps (PWA): You can also create a PWA that provides offline access, updates automatically, and allows for improved interactivity. Whether your AR experience is static or dynamic, a PWA would offer a better overall user experience than relying on QuickLook (docs/html.html).

  4. Deployment: You can host it on a client’s website or use Needle Cloud for easier development and sharing (docs/embedding.html).

If you choose this route, users could interact with the 3D model in a responsive web environment while preserving essential functionality that QuickLook may not support.

Let me know if you need further clarification!

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5

However, in the latest iOS version, the Quick Look banner doesn’t appear.

This is a bug that Apple has acknowledged but so far sadly not fixed:

Besides that, there is unfortunately no way to open a link. You do get a callback when someone closes the view again (with the X button), so you can react to that in your code.