User profile for user: derek119
derek119 Author
User level: Level 1
19 points

Can't use Apple Vision Pro Virtual Display with multiple logins?

So - finally bit the bullet and bought the Apple Vision Pro because of the Virtual Display which should be the killer app for me. The goal - I have a laptop that I use for both work and personal, and I thought "great! I can have a huge ultrawide monitor to travel with wherever I go!"


Except - it doesn't work, because of this:

  • Both devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account using two-factor authentication.


This means that I cannot use the AVP with separate accounts (under separate iCloud accounts because they need to be) on the same laptop. I can't use Fast User Switching to flip between the two as I do all the time. I can only set it up with ONE of the accounts - and if I want to switch I have to switch accounts on the AVP each time as well.


So it DOES not work like a big monitor, really, at least not in the sense that matters (i.e., I can just plug it into a computer and have it be a display).


Am I missing something? Is there some easy way to fix this? This seems...like a not useful requirement? You wouldn't bind an actual physical monitor to a user account. Why should the AVP be limited in this way?


Sorry if my frustration is leaking through - I was very excited after this very big expenditure (after a year of debating it) - and now I'm debating if I should just return it. Any suggestions (or, and I know this is ridiculous to even say, some indication this restriction will be fixed or go away) would be very welcome.

Apple Vision Pro

Posted on Jan 13, 2025 2:38 PM

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User profile for user: derek119
derek119 Author
User level: Level 1
19 points

Jan 14, 2025 1:10 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Yeah - I submitted that feedback, but I'll admit based on past experience I'm not super hopeful.


That being said, it is frustrating with a device THIS expensive, that can really only be for "pro" users that it feels far too restrictive. For something that ends up basically being $5k all in, with very little actual app support compared to an Oculus, it's hard to justify *unless* it's for pro/high end purposes.


Using it as a giant travel display was really the killer app for it for me, and it really doesn't make sense to me that it should be hamstrung this way. I'd much rather have it *require* a physical USB-C connection and then just pretend to be a dumb (giant) monitor. It would (I think) be a much simpler implementation and much more useful.

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User profile for user: Zedairder
Zedairder
User level: Level 4
1,128 points

Jan 13, 2025 2:50 PM in response to derek119

Sorry, but it doesn’t seem like there are workarounds for this. 😔 If you just bought the AVP and you bought it solely for this purpose, I can assist you with returning it. I don’t own one myself, so you can wait for someone who does have one and knows a workaround.

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User profile for user: IdrisSeabright
IdrisSeabright
User level: Level 10
175,805 points

Jan 14, 2025 1:30 PM in response to derek119

derek119 wrote:

Yeah - I submitted that feedback, but I'll admit based on past experience I'm not super hopeful.

Does Apple act on every bit of feedback provided? Of course not. Do they act on feedback if lots of people request the change? Yes, fairly often. So, encourage anyone you know who has the issue to submit feedback.


That being said, it is frustrating with a device THIS expensive, that can really only be for "pro" users that it feels far too restrictive. For something that ends up basically being $5k all in, with very little actual app support compared to an Oculus, it's hard to justify *unless* it's for pro/high end purposes.

First generation. It's hard to say where it will go from here. When the iPod was first released, it wasn't the biggest mp3 player, it didn't have the most features and it certainly wasn't the cheapest. And yet here we are with iPhones and iPads. On the other hand, there was the Newton (I loved my Newton). It was very cool but limited. And Apple discontinued it. It took almost 15 years for Apple to released another tablet. So, I'm certainly not going to make a predictions about where this will go.

Using it as a giant travel display was really the killer app for it for me, and it really doesn't make sense to me that it should be hamstrung this way. I'd much rather have it *require* a physical USB-C connection and then just pretend to be a dumb (giant) monitor. It would (I think) be a much simpler implementation and much more useful.

Hopefully, lots of people will agree with you. It certainly sounds reasonable to me.

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User profile for user: AK1025
AK1025
User level: Level 1
4 points

Feb 9, 2025 2:18 PM in response to derek119

I hazard a guess that the developer strap would solve your issues.

The strap would also solve our issues with lagginess that is sometimes present and sometimes not.

Strap should also allow one to use an AVP as a huge monitor for work MBPs that are locked down 2 inches beyond their life.


I wish we could just buy the strap without having to go through the developer hoops — many good uses to just be wired from the AVP to the MacBook.

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Can't use Apple Vision Pro Virtual Display with multiple logins?

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