Meta is removing the ability to see phone notifications on Quests

Use your headset or passthrough instead to see what happens on your phone.

Meta is saying goodbye to a handy feature on the Quest VR headset. The v60 update removes the ability to check your smartphone notifications while immersed in your Quest. Introduced in 2021, this feature let users see iOS and Android notifications within the headset.

Unfortunately, the patch notes don’t explain why Meta is taking away this feature. Without notifications, it’s tricky to stay updated on your phone without lifting the headset, disrupting your VR experience.

For Quest 3 users, the full-color passthrough can help with basic tasks like checking notifications on your smartphone. However, on the Quest Pro, reading phone screens was deemed “virtually impossible” by some. The Quest 2’s black-and-white passthrough isn’t great for viewing your phone either.

Despite the loss of this useful feature, the v60 update brings some positives. A new layout utility app aids in measuring, aligning, and visualizing real-world objects in your physical space. Quest profiles now display information about shared experiences and connections, with the option to keep it private. The Quest Pro’s CPU and GPU get speed boosts in mixed reality applications, and cloud backups can be end-to-end encrypted with a PIN.

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For more details on the v60 update, check out the Meta Quest blog and the release notes. The update is currently rolling out, and Meta assures that if you don’t have it yet, it should be in your virtual hands soon.