Glossary

ARCore

ARCore is Google's augmented reality SDK for Android, the counterpart to Apple's ARKit. It provides motion tracking, environmental understanding and light estimation, plus a Depth API that infers real-world depth from an ordinary camera and a Geospatial API that anchors content to real places worldwide. On the web, ARCore powers Google Scene Viewer, which displays GLB models in AR. Support depends on per-device certification, published by Google.

Quick Facts

Developed by: Google
Platform: Android
Capabilities: motion tracking, Depth API, Geospatial API, light estimation
Depth API: works without a hardware depth sensor, on most certified devices
Web access: via Google Scene Viewer and GLB
Reach: ARCore-certified devices only

ARCore does for Android what ARKit does for iOS: it reads the camera and sensors to understand the space, then anchors 3D content to real surfaces. It has grown well beyond basic placement. The Depth API derives occlusion-quality depth from a normal camera, with no special sensor needed, and is available on the large majority of active ARCore devices. The Geospatial API uses Google’s Visual Positioning System to pin content to real-world locations at city scale, and Geospatial Depth extends usable depth to up to 65 metres outdoors in areas with VPS coverage.

The one practical catch is reach: ARCore depends on per-device certification, so most phones from 2019 onward are covered, but some budget models are not. For the web, ARCore is reached through Google Scene Viewer, which takes a GLB file and places it in AR.

On WordPress, PausAR Viewer handles the device branching for you. Upload a GLB, and the Elementor widget triggers Scene Viewer on certified Android phones, falls back to an interactive in-browser 3D view on the rest, and pairs Quick Look on iOS through the same widget.

Comparison

Property	ARCore	ARKit
Vendor	Google	Apple
Platform	Android	iOS, iPadOS, visionOS
Reach	Certified devices	All recent iPhones and iPads

FAQ

Does ARCore run on every Android phone?

Only on ARCore-certified devices. Google publishes the list at developers.google.com/ar/devices. PausAR Viewer falls back to in-browser 3D for the rest.

Which format does ARCore use on the web?

GLB, delivered through Google Scene Viewer. USDZ is iOS only.

How do I reach ARCore from WordPress?

Upload a GLB to the PausAR Viewer Elementor widget. It triggers Scene Viewer on Android, which runs on ARCore, with no coding.