How our AR furniture demo behaves on iPhone — honestly

How the demo is built

Our furniture demo at /ar/ runs in a web browser with no app to install. When the browser supports it, it uses WebXR, a web standard that gives a page access to real AR tracking: it detects the actual floor with hit-testing, so furniture sits properly on the surface as you move.

The iPhone reality

As of September 2026, Safari on iPhone does not support WebXR augmented reality. That applies to every iPhone, including the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, because it is a browser limitation rather than a hardware one.

So on an iPhone our demo cannot use real surface tracking. Instead it switches to a fallback mode that uses the phone's gyroscope and camera view to place the furniture. You can still see and position it, and you can adjust it, but it is an estimate: it does not detect your real floor, so it will not stay locked to the room as precisely as true AR.

On Android phones with Chrome, WebXR is supported, and the demo uses real floor detection.

What we have and have not tested

We want to be precise. Apple lists iPhone Duo availability from October 23, 2026. We have not tested the demo on an iPhone Duo or an iPhone 18 Pro yet, and we are not going to claim results we do not have. The behaviour described above follows from Safari's WebXR support, which applies across iPhones. When we test on the new devices, we will publish what we find.

What a native app changes

A native iOS app built with Apple's ARKit does not have the browser limitation. It gets real surface detection on iPhone, and it can take advantage of each device's hardware:

• iPhone 18 Pro has a LiDAR Scanner, so floors are found almost instantly, even plain ones, and scene reconstruction enables realistic occlusion.
• iPhone Duo does not list LiDAR, so a native app uses camera-based tracking — still real AR, but it needs the user to move the phone a little, and it is weaker in low light or on featureless floors.

Which to choose

A web demo is right when reach matters most: a link or QR code anyone can open instantly, accepting a reduced experience on iPhone.

A native app is right when the AR experience itself has to be accurate on every phone — a furniture retailer where customers are making real buying decisions based on whether the sofa fits.

Many retailers do both: a web demo to reach people, and a native app for customers who are ready to buy.

Common questions

Does the A Plus AR furniture demo work on iPhone?

Yes, in a fallback mode. Safari on iPhone does not support WebXR augmented reality, so the demo uses the gyroscope to place furniture instead of detecting your real floor. On Android with Chrome it uses real floor detection.

Has the demo been tested on iPhone Duo or iPhone 18 Pro?

Not yet. We have not tested on those devices and will not claim results we do not have. The fallback behaviour follows from Safari's lack of WebXR AR support, which applies across iPhones.

Does iPhone Safari support WebXR?

As of September 2026, Safari on iPhone does not support WebXR augmented reality sessions. This is a browser limitation that applies regardless of which iPhone you use.

Should I build a web AR demo or a native AR app?

Choose web when instant reach through a link matters most and you accept a reduced iPhone experience. Choose native when accurate AR on every phone matters, such as customers deciding whether furniture fits.

Keep reading

Try our browser AR demos →AR furniture app development →AR on iPhone Duo without LiDAR →AR app development services →