Apple’s latest operating system update, iOS 15, has officially been released to the public. iOS 15 makes the iPhone and iPad even more powerful devices for web-based augmented reality with support for WebGL 2.0 and WebGL via Metal, enhancements to Web Share and a new Safari browser bar design. At 8th Wall, we have been preparing for the release of iOS 15 to ensure that your 8th Wall powered experiences are optimized and benefit from these changes. 

Even faster WebAR resulting in AR experiences that feel even more real

iOS 15 now supports WebGL 2.0 and WebGL via Metal which brings with it performance improvements for WebAR. WebGL via Metal is a significant update with faster 3D rendering and WebGL 2.0 provides new types of textures and shaders and reduced video memory consumption. For devices running iOS 15, we have found some 8th Wall experiences have a 36% increase in frame rate. 

Together, with the previous AR Engine updates we rolled out in Release 16 and 17, 8th Wall WebAR experiences on iPhone are faster and more performant than ever before. This performance boost means that users will see smoother visuals even on computationally intensive scenes, giving you even more freedom to create sophisticated projects and making your 8th Wall WebAR experiences feel even more real. 

Improved sharing of video and images with access to the Share Sheet 

Sharing photos and videos from 8th Wall WebAR experiences just got even easier with Web Share API Level 2 which gives developers access to the iOS Share Sheet. Our MediaRecorder API gives developers the ability to add in-browser and on-device media recording (photo and video) to WebAR projects. Previously, saving and sharing images and videos required iPhone and iPad users to use the ‘Files’ app. With iOS 15, users can now use the Share Sheet to easily share photos and videos to popular apps like iMessage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or save them directly to their Camera Roll. For users who have yet to upgrade to iOS 15, our intelligent routing identifies whether or not Web Share API Level 2 is turned on and automatically ensures that the correct sharing flow is enabled.  

8th Wall works wherever the Safari address bar is

iOS 15 is bringing a new look and feel to Safari’s UI with the “Tab Bar”, which moves the address bar to the bottom of the screen as the default view, and gives users the option to switch back to the “Single Tab" view which keeps the bar at the top. To ensure a seamless experience for your users no matter what option they choose, we have improved the canvas sizing behavior to ensure that the address bar works properly across iPhone and iPad. This change keeps in line with the responsive nature of the web which is unique to WebAR and ensures that the user experience is optimized no matter what device they are on or configuration settings they have selected. 

iOS 15 is rolling out to all iPhone users today. 8th Wall developers don’t need to take any action to benefit from iOS 15. All 8th Wall projects developed with the latest AR engine and XRextras versions are optimized for devices who have upgraded to iOS 15. Get started developing with 8th Wall with our 14-day Free Trial or by logging into your workspace.