Frequently Asked Questions

Read the announcement to learn more about Meta Horizon OS.

There are no changes necessary you need to make to support Meta Horizon OS. Software built for Meta Quest already runs on it today. You can continue to build and distribute your titles through the Meta Horizon Store.

Meta Horizon OS is the mixed reality operating system that powers Meta Horizon OS devices. It’s similar to traditional software operating systems but tailored to take advantage of advanced sensors and capabilities needed to deliver mixed reality experiences. Developers create titles using their preferred engine or framework and distribute through the Meta Horizon Store.

Meta Horizon Worlds allows people to easily discover and travel to social worlds and experiences.

The Horizon social layer enables people’s identities, avatars, and friend groups to move with them across virtual spaces on Meta Horizon OS. Some of these rich social features can be integrated into your title now while others will be available in the future. For example, see documentation for Users, Friends, and Relationships ( Unity , Unreal , Native ), and Meta Avatars ( Unity ).

Meta is developing a new spatial app framework to help mobile developers create mixed reality experiences for Meta Horizon OS devices. You’ll be able to use the tools that you’re already familiar with to bring your mobile apps to Meta Horizon OS or to create entirely new mixed reality apps.You can apply for early access here .

The Meta Horizon Store will be the new name for the Meta Quest Store. This Store is the main distribution channel for titles on Quest today and will be available on all Meta Horizon OS devices in the future. If your title was available on the Quest Store, it will be available on the Meta Horizon Store.

We are shifting our model from two independent surfaces, Store and App Lab, to a single, unified, open storefront. This shift will happen in stages, first by making many App Lab titles available in a dedicated section of the Store. If you are currently developing for the Meta Quest Store or App Lab, no changes are required at this time.

In the future, new titles submitted will go directly to the Store and App Lab will no longer be a separate distribution channel. All titles will need to meet basic technical, content, and privacy requirements to publish to the Store. Titles are reviewed at submission and may be re-reviewed as they scale to more people. Like App Lab today, all titles that meet these requirements will be published.

Submission requirements have not changed. The existing Store and App Lab submission processes will continue to operate as we build a unified platform. All titles must still meet the Virtual Reality Check (VRC) guidelines , including our Content Guidelines , Data Use Policy , and App Policies . App Lab titles also must meet our App Lab Policies .

Unless previously approved, you will continue to submit your title to App Lab.

Over time the Meta Horizon Store will integrate all App Lab titles.

Meta will be integrating App Lab titles on the Meta Horizon Store over time, starting with a new dedicated section of the Store containing App Lab titles.

Please contact the store submissions team at submissions@oculus.com referencing the need to suspend distribution of your app.

Whether the goal is to build a business, create a community, test and experiment with new apps, or get feedback on new ideas, you control how your title is distributed. Titles are shareable via a URL and Meta Platform Technologies Keys, and are discoverable through search. Titles are visible in friends activity such as the "Popular With Friends" feed. Meta curates titles to promote across the Meta Horizon Store for placement in banners, shelves, and other highlighted locations.

You can find a wealth of resources to better understand and promote your title in our documentation including analytics , monetization , and engagement .

Parent-managed Meta accounts provide additional protections for preteens ages 10 to 12 (this age may be different depending on the country) to help provide age appropriate and safe experiences for the youngest members of our community. For more information, read the announcement in the Meta Quest blog.

You can find resources and documentation outlining exactly what you need to do by visiting the resource page in the Developer Center and you can check out this video resource .

To meet Meta’s age group self-certification and youth requirements, for each app you must:

Please review the developer documentation and contact Support Center if you have any questions.

To meet Meta’s age group self-certification and youth requirements, for each app you must:

Please review the developer documentation and contact Support Center if you have any questions.

Not all Meta Quest Platform SDK features are available for children ages 10-12 or child-directed apps. See the blocked feature lists and links to relevant API documentation ( Unity | Unreal | Native ).

All apps in the Meta Quest Store must have IARC assigned ratings , which give your users an idea of what type of content your app may have and the audience it is appropriate for.

IARC content ratings are not the same thing as the age group of your app. It is possible for content to be rated as E for everyone while also not meeting any of the FTC's criteria to be considered "directed to children." In that case, that app would certify as Teens and Adults 13+ (General Audience). You should not rely on your app’s IARC rating alone when self-certifying the age group for your app. You can learn more about the definition of "child directed content" by visiting the FTC's COPPA FAQ .

When determining your app’s age group, we recommend that you review the FTC guidelines and consider your app’s subject matter, including visual content, character choices, music, and more. You can also update your app’s age group at any time if your content evolves. For guidance on determining your app’s age group and for age group-specific guidelines, check out our documentation .

The original Meta Quest and Meta Quest Pro devices are for 13+, and do not support users under 13 years old. Age group self-certification is required for apps that will run on Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and future Meta Quest devices. You can use the device targeting feature to upload a separate build for the original Meta Quest or Quest Pro.

Yes, you can and should update your self-certification if your app’s age group changes. You can do so on the Build Details page under Distribution on App Manager.

All apps in the Meta Quest Store and App Lab must self-certify their app’s age group. If you do not self-certify, your app will face enforcement including Store removal and loss of access to platform features.

The User Age Group APIs are designed for apps that are for mixed ages (under 13 and 13+) to help ensure users are using the appropriate Meta account for their age.

The Get Age Category API provides the age category data of a user so that you can help ensure that your users have access to age-appropriate content and experiences in your app and treat the data of users under 13 appropriately. We'll validate the implementation of the API by monitoring your API analytics, but we will not conduct any additional review of your implementation.

We are not able to provide advice on your responsibilities, the secure storing/handling of data, or other policy/technical subjects related to regulatory compliance. Please consult with your own lawyer, engineer, or policy expert for this matter. You can read more about complying with COPPA at the FTC website .

You can follow the developer documentation (available with Platform SDK 56.0) to get familiar with the Get Age Category API

All apps for mixed ages (under 13 and 13+) must implement one of the Get Age Category API or risk enforcement action up to and including Store removal and loss of access to platform features.

No, implementation of the Get Age Category API is only necessary for apps for mixed ages (under 13 and 13+).

If your app is not built for both users 13+ and children under 13, you are not required to implement the Get Age Category API.

If you choose to implement the Get Age Category API your app will receive age information from Meta. It is your responsibility to ensure that your app is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations based on the age group of the user, including data privacy and age appropriate design code laws and regulations.

Organization Verification is a process that confirms the authenticity of developer organizations publishing or updating apps on the Meta Quest platform. The process can only be completed by an Admin. The process helps ensure that:

Your organization will need to complete either Business Verification or Admin Verification.

You can start verification by navigating to the Organization Verification page via the:

Organization Verification is required for all developer organizations on the Meta Quest platform. Unverified developer organizations will be blocked from publishing or updating apps and completing Data Use Checkup recertification.

Developer verification is part of our continuing efforts to improve and secure our platform. The first step to accomplish this goal is to ensure developers are verified and able to prove they are legitimate entities and/or people.

Any documents or information you submit to verify your organization will be used to detect and prevent impersonation, fraud and other risks. This helps protect you and the rest of the Meta Quest community.

Business Verification is recommended for organizations that are recognized legal business entities. You can complete business verification if you’re an authorized representative who can receive communications and act on behalf of the organization.

Admin Verification is recommended for organizations that are not legal business entities. If you complete Admin Verification, the individual admin is the authorized representative who can receive communications and act on behalf of the organization. In addition, the authorized representative’s admin verification status will be viewable to other admins in the same organization.

Any documents or information you submit to verify your organization will be used to detect and prevent impersonation, fraud and other risks. This helps protect you and the rest of the Meta Quest community.

The documents you submit will be stored for one year. This is applicable for both business documents and personal ID documents.

When you enter your business information, we look up the details in third-party databases. If we are unable to find your business in those databases, you will be asked to submit documents that show your business name, address and tax ID. You may also be asked to submit documentation with your business phone and email if those pieces of information are not included in the databases.

If you do not have a business phone number, you can complete verification by using a business email. To do so, your email domain must match your website domain and your organization’s legal name must be on your website.

If you are verifying your identity, you will need to upload an identity document such as passport or driver's license.

If you’d like to confirm your connection to your Developer Organization via email, you’ll need to provide your organization’s website when adding your organization’s details.

Typical turnaround time for reviewing a submission is approximately 48 hours. However, becoming verified can take longer if you need to submit additional information.

Yes. Developer organization verification is an additional layer of verification required to publish apps.

If you do not verify your organization or your organization loses verification, you will be blocked from publishing and updating apps and from completing Data Use Checkup recertification.

If you completed the Business Verification process and we weren’t able to verify your business, you can retry verification by submitting more information or go through Admin Verification. In this case, we’ll try to verify your identity. If we can’t confirm your identity with your government ID or two official documents, if could be due to the following:

1. Your photo didn’t meet our requirements. Try submitting your government ID again, and make sure it follows our guidelines:

2. You’ve tried to submit your ID for verification too many times. To move forward with the business verification process, another admin of your organization can submit their ID for verification.

Try requesting another verification code. If you still don’t receive it, then you can troubleshoot phone call issues . If you requested an email code, learn more about how to troubleshoot email deliverability issues .

Yes, although there is no save button, you can exit out and come back later and the verification process will continue where you left off.

As per the updated Virtual Reality Check (VRC) , all multiplayer apps need to have an in-app user reporting flow accessible through the / button. We consider any app with synchronous or asynchronous multiplayer environments a multiplayer app. Developers of multiplayer apps are required to comply with the VRC by adopting one of the two developer tools outlined in the section below.

To comply with these changes, your app must have a form for users to notify you about any conduct and content in your app that does not adhere to the Code of Conduct for Virtual Experiences (CCVE) . This user report form must be accessible to your users via the / button. You can test your implementation by following the steps mentioned here .

To achieve this, you can use either of the following solutions:
1. User Reporting Plugin
2. User Reporting Service

If your app has user-generated content, including synchronous or asynchronous multiplayer environments, then your app is considered a multiplayer app and needs to comply with the updated Virtual Reality Check (VRC) .

Examples of synchronous multiplayer environments include apps where users can directly interact with one another through voice, gestures, or text. Examples of asynchronous multiplayer environments include apps with level editors or apps in which users can upload their own in-app creations for other users to view. Apps with no means of user interaction will not be subject to the updated VRC.

The User Reporting Plugin connects existing reporting flows in your app to the / button, ensuring compliance with the updated Virtual Reality Check (VRC) . Once you connect your existing reporting flow to this Plugin, users can access your reporting flow by pressing the / button and clicking the Report button in the universal menu.

If you have an existing user report flow, you can use the User Reporting Plugin to be compliant with the updated Virtual Reality Check (VRC) . User Reporting Plugin is available as a part of Platform SDK v46 . You can follow the developer documentation to integrate the User Reporting Plugin.

The User Reporting Service helps you create a new end-to-end user reporting flow accessible from the / button, making you compliant with the updated Virtual Reality Check (VRC) . It’s an out-of-the box solution that needs to be enabled in the Developer Dashboard . Once you enable the User Reporting Service in the Developer Dashboard, users on Meta Quest build 50.0 or later can press the / button, then click the Report button in the universal menu to submit a report, which will be sent directly to you.

Anyone can use the User Reporting Service to be compliant with the updated Virtual Reality Check (VRC) . You can enable the User Reporting Service in the Developer Dashboard . As soon as you enable it, you will start receiving user reports within your app from users on Meta Quest build 50.0 or later. You can follow the developer documentation to learn how to customize a reporting flow that meets the needs of your community.

To provide an additional layer of security and privacy, we’re directly encrypting user reports delivered to the developer dashboard. The decryption key is the only way for you to access your encrypted inbox. Meta does not have a copy of your decryption key.

You’ll soon have the option to generate your decryption key in the developer dashboard and start using the directly encrypted inbox. It’s not required at this time to do so, but it will be starting February 1, 2024.

If you lose your decryption key, you can generate a new key by clicking “Lost your key?” on the User Reporting page under Platform Services. Doing so will also generate a new encrypted User Reporting Inbox. Be mindful and do not generate a new decryption key if you have access to your current key.

If you generate a new key, you won’t be able to open your old encrypted inbox anymore. Old reports will be lost and you won’t be able to read them again.

The details for implementing the User Reporting Plugin are covered here . For engineering support, reach out to our developer forum or support center here .

Note: User Reporting Plugin is not available for Rift and PCVR apps. The User Reporting Service will be the primary reporting tool for Rift and PCVR apps, even if User Reporting Plugin is selected as the primary reporting tool.

Yes. Users will still be able to report under 13 users directly to Meta using this website after the existing Meta Quest platform reporting is phased out. For apps that have their own underage reporting flows, users will continue to be able to report under 13 users directly to developers.

Users can reach out to Meta here , or by clicking “Flag this app” on your app’s product description page on the Meta Quest Store, if they’re experiencing issues with an app.

A Meta account lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased content in one place. You can set up a Meta account with your email address or Facebook account. If this is your first time creating an account to use a Meta VR product, you can also set up a Meta account with your Instagram account. For more detailed information, check out our developer blog post .

Set up your Meta account from a web browser , the Oculus mobile app or in VR. You can manage your Meta account information at any time under the respective 'Settings' menu once you set up your account.

Yes. If you have previously merged your Facebook account with your Oculus account, you will need to create a Meta account to log into Meta Quest developer surfaces and devices. If you have not merged your Oculus account with your Facebook account, you may continue logging in using your Oculus account until January 1, 2023. You cannot create a new Oculus account.

Yes. Meta accounts, along with Meta Horizon profiles, are replacing Oculus accounts for both developers and users.

No. Information saved in your Meta account includes your payment information, date of birth, email address, phone number and purchased apps. This information isn’t public, but you can choose to share which apps you’ve purchased with your followers or other users via Settings.

No. You can choose to add your Facebook and Instagram accounts to the same Accounts Center as your Meta account to allow for cross-login functionality and connected experiences like finding Instagram followers in VR, but this is not required to use VR or access your device. Your Facebook and Instagram accounts can be added or removed from your Accounts Center at any time. Please Note: if you’re using App Ads , you’ll need to add your Facebook account to the same Accounts Center as your Meta account to continue publishing ads.

Test user accounts are not a requirement, but they can help debug apps, test multiplayer functionality, and more. It’s possible to develop an app without creating a test user account. Test accounts for development can be created in the Developer Dashboard after you set up your Meta account. If you continue using an Oculus account, you will be unable to create new test accounts until you set up your Meta account.

If you created test user accounts prior to setting up a Meta account, you’ll also need to set up a Meta account for each test user account to continue using them, including creating a Meta Horizon profile. To do so, login to your test account and complete the same Meta account set up steps as your primary account. New test accounts that you create after setting up your Meta account will not need to complete these steps.

App entitlements are stored at the Meta account level, and are transferred from Oculus accounts. App entitlements and other durable purchases like subscriptions, content packs and avatar accessories/content only need to be paid for once per account.

No. Only one email address is supported per Meta account. You can create multiple Meta accounts if you so choose, but each account requires a different email address.

You can create multiple Meta accounts, but each one requires a different email address. App entitlements on one Meta account will not be available to other Meta accounts unless you've enabled the App Sharing feature to share apps across accounts on the same Meta Quest or Meta Quest 2 device.

After setting up your Meta account, you’ll need to update your version of ODH to version 2.7 or later to continue using it. To do so, open ODH and select “Download” from the release notes window. You can also download recent versions from the ODH downloads page in Developer Center.

Yes, these account changes apply to all countries.