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Android XR

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Android XR
Information
Type Extended reality operating system
Developer Google
Operating System Based on Android
Browser Chrome (with WebXR support)
Devices VR/MR headsets, smart glasses
Release Date October 2025 (first device)
Website https://www.android.com/xr/

Android XR is an extended reality (XR) operating system developed by Google. Based on Android, it is designed to power both VR/MR headsets and smart glasses, with Google's Gemini AI assistant integrated at the system level. Android XR was announced on December 12, 2024[1], and shipped on its first device, the Samsung Galaxy XR headset, in October 2025[2].

Reviewed 27 September 2026. Checked the 2026 additions (April Galaxy XR update, UK launch, Samsung intelligent eyewear, XREAL Aura status, Lynx liquidation, SDK Developer Preview 4 and beta, Meta Horizon OS third-party pause) against their cited sources. About review dates.

History

Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm announced a partnership to build an extended reality platform in February 2023[3]. Android XR was formally announced in December 2024 together with a developer preview of its SDK and the reveal of Samsung's Project Moohan headset[1]. The platform launched commercially in October 2025 with the Samsung Galaxy XR[2]. At Google I/O 2026, Google and partners previewed the platform's expansion to smart glasses, including Samsung's intelligent eyewear and XREAL's Project Aura[4][5][6].

Android XR follows two earlier Google efforts in the field, the smartphone-based Cardboard viewer and the Daydream VR platform, both of which were discontinued. Sameer Samat, Google's president of the Android ecosystem[7], has described Android XR as a return to the space in what the company calls the "Gemini era", arguing that the supporting AI and hardware are now ready[8]. Android XR is a standalone operating system that Google makes available to multiple hardware partners from the start, rather than building its own consumer hardware[9].

In April 2026 Google began rolling out an update to the Galaxy XR that added auto-spatialization (a Labs option that converts 2D apps, websites, images and videos into 3D), pinning of app windows to walls, display of the user's real hands, session restoration and Android Enterprise support[10]. UploadVR reported that pinned windows do not persist after the headset is rebooted, although session restore reopens up to three recently used windowed apps in their previous positions[11]. The Galaxy XR, which launched in the United States and South Korea[2], went on sale in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2026[12]. Samsung introduced the intelligent eyewear, with designs from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, at Galaxy Unpacked in London on July 22, 2026; the glasses use the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 platform and, according to Google's Sameer Samat, are built on the Android XR platform[7].

Gemini integration

Google describes Android XR as the first Android platform built for the Gemini era, with the assistant available throughout the system rather than as a separate app[1]. On headsets, Gemini can hold conversations about what the user is viewing and can carry out tasks such as planning and research[1]. On glasses, outward-facing cameras and microphones let Gemini interpret the surroundings and respond through onboard speakers, with demonstrated uses including translating text, identifying places, and summarising information[13].

Devices

Android XR spans two product categories. Headsets provide immersive VR and mixed reality, while glasses are designed for lightweight, all-day use with contextual assistance such as directions, translation, and message summaries[1]. The Samsung Galaxy XR is the platform's first and flagship headset; XREAL's Project Aura is an optical see-through glasses product that uses a tethered compute puck[14]. XREAL renamed it XREAL Aura in June 2026, opened reservations, and said it would launch in fall 2026 at a base price not exceeding US$1,500 before tax[15]. By August 2026 it had passed 10,000 reservations, with the final price still unannounced[16]. Google divides glasses into audio glasses, which give spoken assistance, and display glasses, which show visual information, and said at I/O 2026 that audio glasses would launch first, in fall 2026[17]. The first Samsung designs, made with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, are audio glasses without a screen[18]. As of late September 2026, Samsung had not yet begun selling the glasses[19].

Device Partner Form factor Status
Samsung Galaxy XR Samsung Headset (immersive MR) Released October 2025 (US, South Korea)[2]; UK from July 8, 2026[12]
Samsung Intelligent Eyewear Samsung Smart glasses (audio glasses)[18] Previewed at Google I/O 2026; launch scheduled for fall 2026 in select markets[5]; not yet on sale as of September 24, 2026[19]
XREAL Aura (formerly Project Aura) XREAL Optical see-through glasses with compute puck Reservations open since June 2026; launch planned for fall 2026, final price unannounced as of August 2026[15][16]

Partners

At announcement Google named Samsung as the lead hardware partner and Qualcomm as the chipset supplier, alongside device makers Sony, Lynx, and XREAL working through Qualcomm, and a continued collaboration with Magic Leap[1]. The Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 was named in January 2026 as the chip in the compute puck of XREAL's Project Aura[14], but the production XREAL Aura announced in June 2026 uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite with XREAL's X1S coprocessor[15]. The XR2+ Gen 2 powers the Samsung Galaxy XR[20]. In January 2026 Google extended its partnership with XREAL as a lead hardware partner for the platform[14].

Not every initial partner shipped an Android XR device. Google terminated Lynx's agreement to use Android XR in November 2025, and the French startup's next headset instead runs Lynx OS, its own open-source fork of Android[21]. A French commercial court placed Lynx into compulsory liquidation on March 4, 2026[22]. Magic Leap and Google showed an Android XR glasses reference design in October 2025 that combines Magic Leap's waveguides and optics with Google's Raxium microLED light engine[23].

Development

Developers can build for Android XR using the Jetpack XR SDK in Android Studio, the Unity game engine, OpenXR, and WebXR[24]. The Jetpack XR SDK provides Jetpack Compose for XR for spatial user interfaces, Material Design for XR components, Jetpack SceneCore for 3D scenes, and ARCore for Jetpack XR for world understanding[25]. Android XR supports OpenXR 1.0 and 1.1 with additional vendor extensions, and WebXR runs in Chrome on the platform[26]. Unity development uses the Unity OpenXR: Android XR package, and the Android XR Emulator in Android Studio lets developers test without hardware[25]. Developer Preview 4 of the SDK, released in May 2026, added an early preview of the Geospatial API for wired XR glasses in ARCore for Jetpack XR, and new components for Jetpack Compose Glimmer, the UI library for display glasses[27]. On August 18, 2026, Jetpack SceneCore, ARCore for Jetpack XR and XR Runtime reached beta, while Jetpack Compose for XR remained in alpha[28].

Existing Android applications can be made available on headsets with little or no modification, running as 2D windows from Google Play, while spatial features can be added incrementally[25]. The same reliance on the Android app catalog and the use of ARCore connect Android XR to Google's existing phone-based AR tooling[1].

Platform comparison

Android XR is licensed to multiple hardware makers from the start, which Android Central contrasts with the more gradual opening of Meta's Horizon OS to third-party manufacturers[9]. In December 2025 Meta paused its third-party Horizon OS headset program, which had included headsets from Asus and Lenovo, to focus on its own hardware[29]. The platforms also differ in their app strategies: Android XR offers developers a pipeline to bring existing Android apps to headsets, while Horizon OS cannot use traditional Play Store or App Store apps and centers on the Meta Quest library of immersive titles[9].

Platform Developer Hardware Primary app source
Android XR Google Licensed to multiple partners Google Play apps plus spatial apps[9]
Horizon OS Meta Meta Quest (third-party headset program paused in December 2025[29]) Meta Quest store[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Introducing Android XR: A new era for extended reality". Google Blog. December 12, 2024. https://blog.google/products/android/android-xr/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Samsung Galaxy XR With Android XR Out Now For $1800, Controllers $250". UploadVR. October 2025. https://www.uploadvr.com/samsung-galaxy-xr-google-android-xr-out-now/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  3. ↑ "Samsung, Google and Qualcomm are making a mixed-reality platform". TechCrunch. February 2, 2023. https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/02/samsung-google-and-qualcomm-are-making-a-mixed-reality-platform/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  4. ↑ "Best smart glasses in 2026, top AR and AI glasses to buy right now". Tom's Guide. 2026. https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/vr-ar/best-smart-glasses. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Samsung and Google Give First Look at New Intelligent Eyewear". Samsung Global Newsroom. Samsung Electronics. 2026-05-20. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-and-google-give-first-look-at-new-intelligent-eyewear. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  6. ↑ "XREAL and Google Showcase Project Aura at Google I/O 2026". XREAL Blog. XREAL. 2026-05-19. https://www.xreal.com/us/blog/project-aura-google-io-2026. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Samsung Brings Galaxy Ecosystem Into Everyday Eyewear". Samsung Global Newsroom. Samsung Electronics. 2026-07-22. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-brings-galaxy-ecosystem-into-everyday-eyewear. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  8. ↑ "Android XR: Everything you need to know". Android Central. 2026. https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/android-xr. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "Android XR vs. Meta Horizon OS: How Meta Quest and Google tech will stack up". Android Central. 2026. https://www.androidcentral.com/gaming/virtual-reality/android-xr-vs-meta-horizon-os. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  10. ↑ Juston Payne (2026-04-07). "5 new features for Android XR". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-immersive-features-update-april-2026/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  11. ↑ David Heaney (2026-05-21). "Android XR Got Auto-Spatialization, Window Wall Pinning & Hand Occlusion". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/google-android-xr-2026-update-samsung-galaxy-xr/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Samsung Galaxy XR Arrives in the UK". Samsung Newsroom U.K.. Samsung Electronics. 2026-06-17. https://news.samsung.com/uk/samsung-galaxy-xr-arrives-in-the-uk. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  13. ↑ "Google Unveils Android XR Smart Glasses, Powered by Gemini AI". Campus Technology. May 22, 2026. https://campustechnology.com/articles/2026/05/22/google-unveils-android-xr-smart-glasses-powered-by-gemini-ai.aspx. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "Google Extends Hardware Partnership with XREAL, Positioning AR Glasses Maker as Android XR Leader". Road to VR. January 2026. https://www.roadtovr.com/google-hardware-partnership-xreal-android-xr-leader/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Scott Hayden (2026-06-17). "XREAL AURA AR Glasses Get Fall Release Window, $1,500 Price Ceiling". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/xreal-aura-release-date-price-1500/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Scott Hayden (2026-08-20). "XREAL AURA Surpasses 10,000 Unit Reservations Ahead of Launch This Fall". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/first-android-ar-glasses-xreal-aura-10k-reservations/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  17. ↑ Shahram Izadi (2026-05-19). "Intelligent eyewear is coming this fall". The Keyword. Google. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android/android-xr-io-2026/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Abner Li (2026-05-19). "These are the first Android XR audio glasses, coming this fall with iPhone support". 9to5Google. https://9to5google.com/2026/05/19/android-xr-audio-glasses/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Asif Iqbal Shaik (2026-09-24). "Meta reveals new smart glasses ahead of Samsung smart glasses debut". SamMobile. https://www.sammobile.com/news/meta-ray-ban-3rd-gen-smart-glasses-launch-ahead-samsung/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  20. ↑ "Samsung's XR headset appears with Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip". SamMobile. 2025. https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-galaxy-xr-headset-snapdragon-xr2-gen-2-chip-confirmed-geekbench/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  21. ↑ "Lynx's New Headset Won't Run Android XR, But Will Have Widest Standalone FOV". UploadVR. 2026. https://www.uploadvr.com/lynxs-new-headset-wont-run-android-xr-but-will-have-widest-standalone-fov/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  22. ↑ "Lynx Has Entered Liquidation, Meaning Its R2 Headset Won't Launch". UploadVR. 2026. https://www.uploadvr.com/lynx-has-entered-liquidation-r2-headset-wont-launch/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  23. ↑ "Magic Leap reveals an Android XR smart glasses prototype". Engadget. October 29, 2025. https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/magic-leap-reveals-an-android-xr-smart-glasses-prototype-165200068.html. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  24. ↑ "Android XR Developer Documentation". Android Developers. https://developer.android.com/xr. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 "Introducing the Android XR SDK Developer Preview". Google Developers Blog. December 12, 2024. https://developers.googleblog.com/en/introducing-android-xr-sdk-developer-preview/. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  26. ↑ "Select your development tools and technologies". Android Developers. https://developer.android.com/develop/xr/tools-technologies. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  27. ↑ Stevan Silva, Amy Zeppenfeld (2026-05-19). "Updates to the Android XR SDK: Introducing Developer Preview 4". Android Developers Blog. Google. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/05/android-xr-sdk-developer-preview-4-updates.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  28. ↑ Amy Zeppenfeld, Greg Underwood, Yasmine Evjen (2026-08-18). "Jetpack XR SDK core libraries reach beta: The next milestone for Android XR". Android Developers Blog. Google. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/08/jetpack-xr-sdk-core-libraries-beta.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 David Heaney (2025-12-17). "Third-Party Horizon OS Headsets, Including Asus ROG, Seemingly Canceled". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/meta-pauses-third-party-horizon-os-headsets/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
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