View 3D Models in AR

The AR viewer for GLB and USDZ models is a browser tool that lets you view 3D models in AR — placing them in your real environment using your phone camera. Drop a GLB file (the standard cross-platform 3D format) or a USDZ file (Apple's iOS AR format), tap the AR button, and Google's open-source <model-viewer> web component hands the model to iOS QuickLook on iPhone or Android Scene Viewer on Android. No app to install, no signup, the file never leaves your device. Last updated September 2026.

How AR mode works on your phone

When you tap the AR button on a supported device, the browser hands the 3D model to a system-level AR viewer. On iPhone (iOS 12+), Safari calls QuickLook AR with a USDZ file. On Android with Google Play Services for AR installed, Chrome opens Scene Viewer with the GLB. Both system viewers handle plane detection, scaling, and lighting automatically — your job is just to walk around and find a flat surface. On desktop browsers the AR button is hidden and you get the regular orbit-controls 3D view.

GLB vs USDZ — what to upload

GLB is the cross-platform 3D format. It works on Android Scene Viewer, in the on-page 3D scene, and as a fallback for iOS WebXR-capable browsers. USDZ is Apple's format for iOS QuickLook AR — for the smoothest iPhone AR experience, supply a USDZ alongside the GLB. The tool gives you two upload slots: the main 3D scene reads the GLB, the AR button on iPhone reads the USDZ. If you only have a GLB, iPhone will still try AR via WebXR (limited support); if you only have USDZ, iPhone AR works perfectly but desktop and Android use a placeholder.

Model best practices

For real-world AR, models should be authored at real-world scale (one Three.js unit = one metre is the convention <model-viewer> expects). Keep poly counts under 100 K triangles for mobile AR — most phones drop frames above that. Use compressed textures (KTX2 or BasisU) where possible. For the iPhone QuickLook viewer, USDZ files must include all materials embedded; orphan textures will fail silently. Use Apple Reality Converter or model-viewer Editor to convert.

Use cases for AR Model Viewer

Furniture sellers and architects use it to let customers preview a sofa or kitchen island in their actual room before buying. Sneaker brands publish AR previews of new releases. 3D printing hobbyists check that a print will fit on a desk before slicing. Educators show molecules, anatomy, or historical artefacts at real scale. Game asset artists test that a character model lights and shadows correctly in real environments before signing off.

Which Phones Support AR Model Viewing

AR model viewing needs a phone with a system-level AR runtime, not just a modern browser. On Apple hardware, QuickLook AR runs on every iPhone and iPad from iOS 12 onward, so an iPhone 6s or newer can place a USDZ in your room. On Android, the model opens in Scene Viewer, which requires Google Play Services for AR (ARCore) — Google maintains the certified device list at developers.google.com/ar/devices, covering roughly 1,000 certified models as of 2026. Desktop and unsupported phones still get the full orbit-controls 3D scene; only the AR button is hidden.

Why the AR Button Is Missing — and How to Open Your Model on a Phone

Augmented reality is handled by the phone operating system, not by the web page, so a desktop browser has nothing to hand the model to and the AR button stays disabled. On this page that state is explicit: the button says AR needs a phone, and a Copy link for my phone control appears so you can send yourself the address. Load that link on an iPhone running iOS 12 or later, or on an ARCore-certified Android handset, then upload the same GLB or USDZ there — because the file never leaves your browser, moving the page does not move the model, and you must pick the file again on the phone. The device list that decides Android support is Google's ARCore supported devices register. Updated 2026-09-15.

How this differs from the 3D Model Viewer

Our 3D Model Viewer uses Three.js and supports GLB, GLTF, OBJ, STL, FBX, 3DS, and PLY — perfect for a desktop preview, screenshots, and inspecting geometry. This AR Model Viewer focuses on a different job: getting the model into real space on a phone using <model-viewer>. Use the 3D viewer to inspect a model on your laptop; use this AR viewer on your phone to actually try it in your room.