# How to open a 3D file on Meta Quest with Open with Model Explorer

Source: https://0xr.space/m/how/open-3d-file-from-quest-files-app-with-model-explorer  
Published 2026-10-20, updated 2026-10-20, by ZeroXR, the maker of Model Explorer (https://0xr.space/).

Install the free Model Explorer app from the Meta Horizon Store. Then, on a 3D file in the headset's Files app, a chat, a mail or the browser's downloads, choose Open with, or Share, and pick Model Explorer. The app copies the file, opens its immersive session and loads the model there, the way a file picked inside the app is loaded. Nothing is uploaded.

It takes every format Open does, from GLB, USDZ, STL and OBJ to STEP, SketchUp, splats and ZIP, RAR or 7z archives, up to 2 GB at a time, and several files in one Share. Many apps label a .glb as a generic binary file, so the chooser may list other apps beside Model Explorer. It needs the app version released on 19 October 2026 or later; in the Quest browser, press Open instead.

## Steps

1. Install or update Model Explorer from the Meta Horizon Store on a Quest 3 or 3S.
2. Find the 3D file in Files, a chat, a mail or the browser's downloads.
3. Choose Open with or Share, and pick Model Explorer. Opening in Model Explorer… appears.
4. The immersive session opens with the model in front of you; place it and turn it with your hands or controllers.

## Questions

### It said Model Explorer could not read that file. What now?

The app was not given the file's contents. Save the file to the Download folder, open Model Explorer and pick it there.

### Can I open an OBJ with its .mtl and textures this way?

Yes. Select the .obj, the .mtl and the images together and Share them in one go, or share a ZIP of the folder.

### Is the file uploaded?

No. It is copied into the app's own storage on the headset, handed to the viewer, and the copy is deleted once sent. Nothing goes to a server unless you create a share link yourself.

### Does this work on Quest 2?

The Store app lists only Quest 3 and Quest 3S. On a Quest 2, open the file with Open in the Quest browser at 0xr.space.

## Related guides

- [How to share a 3D file to Model Explorer on an Android phone](https://0xr.space/m/how/share-a-3d-file-to-model-explorer-on-android)
- [How to view a GLB file in VR on Meta Quest, without installing anything](https://0xr.space/m/how/view-glb-in-vr-on-quest)
- [GLB viewers for Meta Quest compared](https://0xr.space/m/how/glb-viewers-for-meta-quest-compared)
- [Model Explorer on Meta Quest: the app or the browser?](https://0xr.space/m/how/model-explorer-quest-app-vs-quest-browser)
- [How to view 3D models on Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro](https://0xr.space/m/how/view-3d-models-on-quest-2-and-quest-pro)
- [How to open a large 3D model on Meta Quest](https://0xr.space/m/how/open-a-large-3d-model-on-meta-quest)