Meta Horizon OS v77 Tests Total UI Overhaul & Turning Instagram Photos 3D
Meta is rolling out the Horizon OS interface overhaul to some Quest owners on the PTC, and will bring it to everyone "over the coming months".
Meta is rolling out the Horizon OS interface overhaul to some Quest owners on the PTC, and will bring it to everyone "over the coming months".
Called Navigator, Meta announced the new system interface at Connect 2024 back in September, revealing its name and showing a short teaser clip.
Now, with v77 of Horizon OS, the company says Navigator is rolling out to "some people on our Public Test Channel (PTC)", and is "expected to roll out gradually to all users over the coming months".
What Is the Public Test Channel (PTC)?
The Public Test Channel (PTC) is Meta Quest's beta release channel. If you opt in, your headset receives a pre-release build of each Quest system software, now technically called Horizon OS, version.
Note that there are often features in the eventual stable version not present in the PTC, and occasionally (but very rarely) features or changes in the PTC don't make it to the stable version.
"As part of our work to develop a fully spatial operating system designed around people, Navigator gives you easy access to your recently used apps, plus the ability to pin up to 10 items in your library so you can get to them with lightning speed", Meta writes.
"We designed Navigator based on everything we’ve learned over the last decade. And this is just the beginning of a broader evolution of Horizon OS. We’ve got much more planned for the future of spatial computing, so stay tuned."
David Heaney
Instagram Photos In 3D
Meta says it's also "running a test" of turning the photos in "some people’s Instagram feeds" 3D, via the Instagram app on Quest.
"Thanks to our AI view synthesis algorithms, we can transform the existing photos that show up in Instagram feed pixel by pixel—no fancy 3D cameras required. That means flat photos that weren’t originally captured in 3D will automatically be converted into an immersive format that gives 2D images a sense of depth when you view them on Quest", the company explains.
Converting 2D photos into 3D is already a feature of the Photos apps on Apple Vision Pro and Pico 4 Ultra, but we haven't seen a major social network experiment with this.
Meta teases that the test is "an early look at our plans to continue bringing more social and entertainment experiences that are 2D today into a more immersive, 3D future".
Other Horizon OS v77 Changes
Meta says v77 of Quest's Horizon OS also brings the following changes:
Move with your windows
You can now select windows that follow you around as you move. This update removes the need for you to constantly reset your view each time you move around the room. At this time, you can only move with one window at a time.
Turn spatial audio on or off
You can now decide which apps and panels use spatial audio. To manage your spatial audio settings, open the Audio menu in Settings on your Meta Quest.
Bluetooth LE Audio
Bluetooth devices that support Low Energy (LE) audio are now supported on Meta Horizon as an experimental feature.
This experimental LEA audio feature must be turned on in the Bluetooth settings of your Meta Quest before you are able to use it.
Text to Speech
Text to Speech is an accessibility feature which allows you to hear text spoken out loud by hovering over text on the screen. Currently, it is only compatible with certain menus and app surfaces.
Changes to name tag customization
We are making some changes to name tag customization options and will be removing name tag frames. You can still customize your name tag with stickers and if you previously had a frame attached to your name tag, it will be removed on May 5.
New button combination for Meta AI
People that use Meta AI have a new button shortcut to reduce accidental activations. Now you can press the Meta button then the grip button to activate Meta AI, similar to how you might use Meta and the trigger button to take a screenshot. Meta AI is an optional feature you can turn on in advanced settings.
As with all Meta Horizon OS updates, v77 will "roll out" gradually, so it may take a few days or even weeks for your headset to get the v77 update. Further, Meta rolls out many features separately to the main update itself, so even seemingly having the v77 update doesn't guarantee having anything listed in this article.
David Heaney
Some developers have also complained of performance regression with recent Horizon OS updates, an issue which Meta's CTO says the company is "taking seriously" and "spending time on" addressing.
