Check mobile browser support for an AR learning activity

An augmented reality (AR) lesson may need your phone to detect motion, direction, or nearby surroundings. If the activity stays still, points the wrong way, or never starts, it can be hard to tell whether the problem is the browser, a permission, or the phone itself.

Check the sensors your browser makes available before class. The Sensors Test can show whether motion, gyroscope, compass, light, location, and vibration data are accessible on your device. It is a useful first check, but it does not guarantee that a particular AR activity will work.

Check the phone sensors in a browser

1. Open the Sensors Test on the phone you plan to use for the lesson. Use the same browser you will use for the AR activity.
2. If the browser asks to allow sensor or location access, allow it for the test. Sensor permissions vary by browser and operating system, so a prompt may not appear.
3. Hold the phone steady, then tilt it forward, backward, and to each side. Turn it slowly in place. Look for readings that respond to the movement instead of staying fixed.
4. If the lesson needs a compass or location, check those readings too. Location may require a separate permission and may not be needed for every AR activity.
5. Open the lesson in the same browser and try its first activity. If it uses the camera, you can also check the camera separately with the Camera Test.

For a fair comparison, use the phone in its normal orientation and avoid testing inside an embedded browser in another app. Open the lesson in a regular browser tab instead.

What the result means

Motion readings change when you tilt the phone

The browser is receiving motion data. That is a good sign for an activity that responds to tilting or rotation, but it does not confirm support for every AR feature. The lesson may need a different API, such as camera-based tracking, or have its own browser requirements.

The phone moves but the readings stay still

The browser may not expose that sensor, access may be blocked, or the phone may not have the sensor. Try another supported browser on the same phone. If the readings still do not respond, test another phone before assuming the lesson is at fault.

The compass is missing or jumps around

Not every phone has a compass, and nearby metal or magnets can affect its direction. Move away from a magnetic case, stand, or speaker and test again. If the lesson only needs tilt, a missing compass may not matter.

The test responds, but the AR activity does not

The phone exposes sensors, but the activity may be blocked by its browser requirements, camera permission, or page settings. Check the activity in another supported mobile browser, and confirm that it is open as a normal website rather than inside a messaging or social app.

Fix sensor access on your phone

1. Reload the page after allowing access. Some browser permissions take effect only after you reload the lesson or reopen its tab.
2. Check the browser's site settings. In Chrome on Android, open ⋮ › Settings › Site settings and review the permissions shown for the site, especially any motion-sensor or location entry. Names and available options vary by Chrome version. In Safari on iPhone, open Settings › Apps › Safari › Motion & Orientation Access. On older iOS versions, look under Settings › Safari › Motion & Orientation Access.
3. Allow location only if the lesson needs it. On Android, check Settings › Apps › Chrome › Permissions › Location, then review the site's location permission in Chrome. On iPhone, check Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services and the available Safari or browser options. Location is not the same as motion access.
4. Use a regular browser tab. Links opened inside another app may run in a restricted in-app browser. Choose the option to open the page in your main browser, then grant the required permissions there.
5. Update the browser and operating system. Older versions may not support the features an activity uses. Install available updates, restart the browser, and test again.
6. Try another phone or browser. If the same lesson fails after permissions and updates are checked, compare it on a different device. This helps separate a phone limitation from an activity-specific compatibility issue.

When the phone may be the limitation

A missing sensor does not necessarily mean the phone is broken. Some models do not include a compass or another sensor an activity expects, and some browsers do not expose every sensor to web pages. A phone can also have working motion sensors that the browser or the lesson cannot use.

If the same sensor stays unavailable in more than one browser, compare with another phone that the lesson supports. If it is missing there too, ask the lesson provider which sensors and browsers are required. Use a supported device or a non-AR version of the lesson if one is available.

What the sensor test cannot confirm

Web pages can access only the device features that the browser and operating system allow. A sensor result does not certify full AR support, camera tracking, or access to WebXR, a set of browser features used by some AR experiences. The lesson itself is the final compatibility check.

The Sensors Test runs in your browser, so you can check the phone you intend to bring without installing an app.