Flickr VR app for Gear VR lets you jump into 360-degree immersive photos

Flickr has let people upload 360-degree photos for awhile now, but now it allows anyone to totally immerse themselves in them.

That's right. Starting today, you can experience Flickr in virtual reality. Sort of. The site has launched a virtual reality Flickr app, called Flickr VR. It's exclusively compatible with the Samsung Gear VR, a $199 virtual reality headset developed by Samsung and Facebook-owned Oculus VR.

The headset is light, comfortable, and affordable - likely because it requires a mobile device to work. It uses the phone as a display and for processor purposes. Gear VR only supports select Samsung phones, such as the Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+, and S6, and leverages the Oculus VR store for content.

And now, with this setup, you can dive into 360-degree photos on Flickr.

Flickr

Flickr said its users have uploaded "tens of thousands" of 360-degree photos. Here's an example of one. From a desktop web browser, you can use your mouse or trackpad to scroll through these types of photo and view all around you. But when you open them on the the Flickr app on Samsung Gear VR, you'll be virtually transported into them.

Flickr

When you first open the new Flickr app on Samsung Gear VR, you'll be greeted with carousel of curated 360-degree photos from Flickr, such as the Aurora Borealis in Finland or the Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River in Arizona.

To get the Flickr VR app, connect your phone to your Gear VR, then click the 'Store' tab at the bottom of Oculus Home, and swipe until you find the Flickr VR app (shown below) and click install.

Interestingly, Flickr warned you should take at least a 10 minute break from its VR experience every 30 minutes.