Guide
AR support by browser
There are three ways to open AR on the web, and browsers do not open the same ones. Checked on 20 September 2026.
In short
Three ways to open AR on the web
The first is WebXR. The browser opens the device's own AR mode. Reading the room and working out the pose is done by the device, which makes it accurate and light.
The second is reading the camera feed in the page. The browser hands over the camera image and the page looks for a marker or a face in it. This runs even without AR support in the device, but the page does the work, so it costs battery and heat.
The third is handing the model to the system AR viewer. The page passes a 3D file and the operating system does the rest. Standing an object in a real room on an iPhone works this way.
Support
What opens where
Checked against MDN browser compatibility data and each browser's own documentation on 20 September 2026.
| Browser | WebXR | Camera in the page | System AR viewer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome on Android | WebXRYes | Camera in the pageYes | System AR viewerNo |
| Samsung Internet | WebXRYes | Camera in the pageYes | System AR viewerNo |
| Safari on iOS | WebXRNo | Camera in the pageYes | System AR viewerYes (USDZ) |
| Chrome and Edge on desktop | WebXRNo | Camera in the pageYes (webcam) | System AR viewerNo |
| Firefox | WebXRNo | Camera in the pageYes | System AR viewerNo |
Yes means the browser opens that way. Standing an object in a real room over WebXR also needs AR support in the device itself, and there is a separate list of supported devices.
In practice
One way alone loses half your visitors
You do not get to choose the browser. Build it to try the ways in order.
- Go through WebXR when it opens, and fall back to reading the camera in the page when it does not. Keep a plain 3D view as the last step.
- Put a USDZ link alongside for iPhone. Standing the object in a real room only opens that way.
- Some browsers that open inside a messaging app block the camera. Add a note about opening it in a normal browser when nothing appears.
- Browsers move. The table above is as of 20 September 2026, and it is worth checking again before anything important rides on it.
Common questions
Read next
What WebAR is
Augmented reality opened in a browser with no install. The kinds, and what happens after the link opens.
How GLB and USDZ differ
The format the web reads and the format the iPhone AR viewer reads, side by side.
What RAG is
How a model is made to answer from your own material, and where it falls down.
How 3D runs in a browser
WebGL and WebGPU, the order of work, and what makes it slow.
Build around what opens
Vi3w opens several kinds of AR from one address. Samples open straight in the browser.