How To Share Your Apple Vision Pro Safely with Guest Users

Getting Guest Mode Working on Your Apple Vision Pro

If you’re like me trying to set up guest access on the Apple Vision Pro, yeah, it’s not exactly a turn-on-the-switch kind of thing. I spent a good chunk of time digging through menus, updating firmware (which is kinda finicky because Apple tends to hide these options deep in the settings), and just trying to piece it together. Turns out, you need the latest software versions—specifically iOS 18.4+ and Vision OS 2.4+—otherwise, nothing will show up or work right. Since Apple releases features gradually, if your devices aren’t up-to-date, hope you have patience or plan for an update first. Also, splitting hairs here, but your devices need to be signed into the same Apple ID and two-factor authentication needs to be active. Plus, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth absolutely have to be enabled—no exceptions. Wireless magic, right? Check in Settings > General > Software Update to see if you’re current, and toggle Bluetooth on in Settings > Bluetooth — sometimes overlooked, but crucial for the whole process.

Now, here’s where I got stuck for a bit—actually enabling guest mode on the Vision Pro itself. You won’t find this option sitting plainly in the first menu. Instead, you have to go into Settings, then scroll down to find “Optic ID and Passcode.” After punching in your Vision Pro’s passcode (because, security, always), look for “Enable Guest User with Nearby Device.” Mine was buried under Settings > Privacy & Security > Misc, which felt like a weird spot. Not sure why it’s under “Misc”—maybe Apple loves hiding these features? Anyway, if you don’t see the option, it could just be a firmware issue or your device isn’t compatible. Make sure it’s updated first, or check that your device supports this feature — I’ve read that some older hardware might not get it at all.

Once you toggle that setting, you’ll need to pick your preferred nearby device—probably your iPhone or iPad—and tap it. You’ll be prompted to re-enter your passcode, which is a small pain, but security’s still a thing here. Just a note: if you have Zeiss optical inserts or other accessories that might interfere with optical tracking, consider removing them before handing over the device for a guest session. During setup, one thing that helped was restarting the Vision Pro after enabling guest mode—sometimes settings don’t fully stick the first time around. It’s a bit finicky, but it worked for me.

Inviting a Guest and Setting Up Their Session

With all the hard part out of the way, inviting someone to use your Vision Pro is pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it. Have your guest hold the device by the frame (not the optical inserts, because that’s risky and could mess with calibration) and press the Digital Crown. A prompt should pop up on your iPhone, asking “Allow Guest Access?” with options to Continue or Cancel. If you hit Continue, you can choose which apps they’re allowed to access. I’d recommend restricting sensitive stuff like your Optic ID or Apple account info because they’re usually excluded from sharing automatically—that’s good for privacy, but it can trip you up if you’re not expecting it.

From there, the guest can set up their profile as a new user, or you can pre-define one for them that lasts about 30 days. This is helpful if multiple people are jumping on, but if a new guest wants their own profile, the previous one gets wiped, so don’t get too attached. After the session, they just remove the device, and the system cleans up automatically—restoring your personalized setup. In my experience, this process isn’t perfectly smooth every time; I’ve had a few delays or lag during setup, especially if Bluetooth was acting up or firmware checks were running in the background.

Managing and Ending Guest Sessions

Sharing your Vision Pro with a guest is really about handing it over within the window before the device automatically ends the session. Apple says it’s “automatic, ” but honestly, I often found myself rushing because I’d miss that five-minute mark by seconds. The system seems to cut off pretty quickly, and if the guest has saved their profile, they can re-enter it later, making future sessions faster. Keep in mind, setting up a new profile wipes out the previous one—which can be a bummer if you were counting on the same environment, but I guess that’s Apple’s way of managing privacy and security. Once the user finishes exploring and removes the device, everything resets for you, no manual logout needed. Not sure if this is flawless across all firmware versions—one time I had delays or the session didn’t end promptly. Experience varies.

Pro tip: the optical calibration data is stored for up to 30 days, so if a guest just used it briefly, they won’t need to recalibrate each time unless you’re paranoid about their data. Be warned, though—it’s not a completely polished experience yet, and navigating menus, prompts, and delays can sometimes be frustrating. If your setup includes Zeiss inserts or other accessories, expect some interference or setup hassle. Might be just my luck.

Hope this helps — it took me way too long to figure out the quirks, so sharing this just in case it saves someone else a weekend!