How to open a GLB file on any device

What a GLB file is

GLB is the binary form of glTF 2.0, the 3D format maintained by the Khronos Group, the same standards body behind OpenGL and Vulkan. A .gltf file is readable JSON that points to separate geometry and image files. A .glb packs all of it into one binary file. Same model, fewer pieces to lose.

That one-file property is why GLB has become the default for the web, for AR on Android, and for sharing a model with someone who does not have your software. glTF also fixes things other formats leave vague: the spec says units are metres and +Y is up, and its materials are physically based (PBR). For a full comparison with FBX, see glTF vs FBX.

Open it on a Mac

Double-click it. Apple's Preview supports GLTF and GLB alongside USDZ, OBJ and STL. You can orbit with the trackpad and zoom with a pinch.

Open it on Windows or Linux

Windows no longer ships a 3D viewer (see what replaced Microsoft 3D Viewer), so use a browser:

1. Go to Babylon.js Sandbox.
2. Drag the .glb onto the page.
3. Orbit with the left mouse button, pan with the right, zoom with the wheel.

Online 3D Viewer works the same way and can convert the GLB to OBJ or STL if you need one of those instead.

Open it on a phone

• Android: Google's Scene Viewer reads glTF and GLB natively and can place the model in your room on ARCore-supported phones. Websites usually launch it for you through a "View in your space" button.
• iPhone: AR Quick Look reads USDZ, not GLB. Convert the file first, or use a website that offers both versions. See viewing 3D models on your phone.

Edit it in Blender

Blender imports glTF out of the box: File › Import › glTF 2.0 (.glb/.gltf). Materials come in as Principled BSDF nodes, because both sides use the same PBR model. Our Blender guide covers the import settings that matter.

Use it in a game engine

• Godot imports .glb directly and treats it as its preferred format. Godot guide.
• Unity needs a glTF package such as glTFast. Unity guide.
• Unreal Engine 5 imports glTF natively through the Content Browser. Unreal guide.
• three.js loads it with GLTFLoader. three.js guide.

If the GLB looks wrong

If it opens but looks flat or untextured, the textures may have been referenced rather than embedded at export. If it is invisible, it is probably far from the origin or at the wrong scale. Press the viewer's frame button. The inspection checklist goes through the rest.

Every model Vi3W generates can be downloaded as GLB, so it opens in all of the tools above without a conversion step.