# Portyl — Step Into the Past > XR historical site recreations with 3D graphics and animated characters. (iPhone/iPad app by Histoury.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portyl/id6743223138 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Histoury](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798613629) - Category: Travel, Entertainment - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.70/5 from 10 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed - Age rating: +4 - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 286 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2025-07-22 - Data updated: 2026-08-30 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portyl/id6743223138/reviews.md ## What is Portyl? The Portyl app uses state of the art Extended Reality (XR) combined with incredible 3D graphics to recreate historical sites the way they looked thousands of years ago. The magic of Portyl is how precise it places the reconstructed sites over the top of the current ruins enabling tourists to walk around and experience history through their phone/tablet screen. In Rome, for instance, you not only see the reconstructions, but also the citizens, soldiers, war elephants, chariots – the daily life and spectacle that was ancient Rome. For historical accuracy, all portal venues are created under the consultation of prominent Roman Historians and Archeologists. PORTYL FEATURES: • Advanced XR high-resolution 3D recreations • Fully animated creatures and characters • 19 languages currently supported (more languages every month!) • Full Audio support including sound effects and spoken narration • Integrated Map with navigation HOW TO USE PORTYL: • After installing Portyl, click on a thumbnail and choose a Tour Pass option (note that Largo Argentina is free to view when you aren’t on-site). • Download the venues from the Tours page (preferably by WIFI). • Use the map to navigate to one of the locations or, if you are Off-Site, experience the XR recreation from the comfort of your home/office/hotel. • Once at a location a large thumbnail on the tours page will indicate the venue you can experience On-Site. • Click the thumbnail select one of the following (if both are available): o LAUNCH POINT: You will see a picture of an information placard, fountain, doorway, sign or unique feature which helps us identify where you are standing. Select this option and simply point your phone camera at the indicated feature to launch the recreation. Launch Points are a more precise placement of the recreation. o FREE RANGE: You will see a picture of the Free Range Target and a crosshair which indicates where to aim your phone's camera (the center of an arch or a fountain). Free Range has the advantage of launching the recreation from anywhere, however, Free Range placement of the recreation can be less accurate. • Once in the XR experience, tap the screen and you will be given the following choices: o QR Code Button at the top which you can use to show other people how to get the app. o Close Button to exit the XR experience o Narration Button to Turn Narration on and off. o Character Button to hide or show Characters. o Teleport Button to move to another location in the venue. o Transparency Button which will “see through” the recreation allowing you to see the present day and how the recreation is aligned over the top of it. o Transparency Slider which you can use to adjust how transparent the recreation is when clicking the Transparency Button. MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: Portyl is a geo-located real-time rendered 3d environment. It requires a lot of horsepower! In general the higher-end device you have, the better experience, certainly something less than 5 years old, and a higher-end model. RECOMMENDED: iPhone 11 or newer with at least 4GB RAM PERMISSIONS REQUIRED: • Location: Portyl requires access to your device's location to place you in the virtual world as well as for map navigation. • Microphone: Portyl needs to "hear" your questions for some AI features. • Camera: Portyl needs to "see" where you are in the real world to launch XR scenes and place you in the virtual world.- Data Services: Not a permission, but a requirement for use. WiFi or 5G PERMISSIONS REQUESTED: • Notifications: For instance, notifications when a user comes within 50 km of an available site or when a venue has finished downloading. Occasional app updates, etc. No spamming and incessant notifications. Photos and Videos: As we add features like the Portyl Selfie feature, screenshot sharing, etc. ## Key features - Advanced XR high-resolution 3D recreations - Fully animated creatures and characters - 18 languages supported - Full audio support with narration - Integrated map with navigation - On-site and off-site XR experiences ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Rome Pass | $6.00 | one-time | | Herculaneum Pass | $6.00 | one-time | | Pompeii Pass | $6.00 | one-time | | Paestum Pass | $6.00 | one-time | | Solo Tour | $29.00 | one-time | | Couples Tour | $50.00 | one-time | | Family Tour | $95.00 | one-time | | Maximus Barbarus | $179.99 | one-time | | Super Tourist | $149.99 | one-time | | Rome Tour | $29.00 | one-time | | Herculaneum Tour | $29.00 | one-time | | Espresso Tour | $6.00 | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (7 of 7) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portyl/id6743223138/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Fantastico! *2026-08-28* On vacay in Rome and using it now ### 5/5 — Amazing App!!! *2026-08-14* Love being able to see the past in real time, the audio tours are also a great way to learn! 5/5 😍 ### 2/5 — Et au dernier moment… sort ta CB *2026-08-03* Sûrement très bien mais tarif décourageant, surtout qu’il y a peu de réseau donc ça rame ### 5/5 — Brilliant App *2026-08-01* Great App, but why are the Imperial Fora and Forum Romanum not available from home, only on location? Please make them available, I’ll be happy to pay for the package! 🙏 ### 5/5 — Great Experience *2025-09-08* First time in Rome, excellent app for anyone traveling and want a new experience. ### 5/5 — Rome Like You’ve Never Seen It *2025-08-27* We just finished a tour in Rome with Shadi and Daniele. They gave us a sneak peek of his new app Portyl. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before. Standing in front of the Pantheon, you open the app and instantly see a 3D VR view of how the site looked at its peak. It’s like walking through ancient Rome with x-ray vision. The experience transforms the way you understand history. Instead of staring at ruins and trying to imagine, Portyl rebuilds the past right in front of you. Daniele, Shadi and the mybesttour team are onto something huge here—Portyl is going to change travel forever. ### 5/5 — Great tour app! *2025-07-27* Easy to use, with amazing AR 3D graphics showing what the sites looked like in the past, and so worth the cost. ## Frequently asked questions about Portyl ### What is Portyl? Portyl is an app that uses Extended Reality (XR) and 3D graphics to recreate historical sites as they appeared in the past. It allows users to experience history by overlaying these reconstructions onto current ruins or from a distance. ### How does Portyl work? After installation, you can select a Tour Pass option and download venues. You can then navigate to a location and use your phone's camera to launch the XR recreation, either by pointing at a specific feature (Launch Point) or a general area (Free Range). ### Can I use Portyl without being at the historical site? Yes, Portyl offers an 'Off-Site' experience, allowing you to enjoy the XR recreations from the comfort of your home or hotel. Largo Argentina is also free to view when you are not on-site. ### What historical accuracy can I expect from Portyl? All portal venues are created under the consultation of prominent Roman Historians and Archeologists, ensuring a high degree of historical accuracy in the recreations. ### Does Portyl have ads? Yes, Portyl contains advertisements. As it is a free app with in-app purchases, advertisements are part of the user experience. ### What devices is Portyl compatible with? Portyl is designed for iOS devices, specifically iPhones, iPads, and iPods. It requires a device that supports its XR capabilities. ### How often is Portyl updated? The app was last updated on February 22, 2026, indicating ongoing development and support. More languages are also added every month. ### What are the minimum hardware requirements for Portyl? The provided data mentions minimum hardware requirements for Portyl, stating it is a geo-located real-time rendered 3D environment, implying a need for capable hardware to run the XR features smoothly. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.3 — 2026-08-10 Updated with bug fixes and optimizations. ### 1.2.2 — 2026-06-26 Many bug fixes and additional optimizations for performance ### 1.2.1 — 2026-06-24 Many bug fixes and additional optimizations for performance ### 1.2.0 — 2026-06-18 Many bug fixes and additional optimizations for performance ### 1.1.9 — 2026-04-13 Additional bug fixes, performance improvements ## Apps similar to Portyl | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Rome Tour - Travel Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rome-tour-travel-guide/id1607538579) | 4.7 (3) | $3.99 | Travel | | [Far From Home](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/far-from-home/id6740024300) | — | Free | Travel | | [Camtinerary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camtinerary/id776962411) | 4.5 (6) | Free | Travel | | [TrackMyTour](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trackmytour/id307303960) | 4.6 (246) | Free | Travel | | [Florence Tour - Travel Guide](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/florence-tour-travel-guide/id6740430229) | — | $3.99 | Travel | | [Window Seat Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/window-seat-pro/id1560582386) | 4.3 (3) | Free | Travel | ## Related topics [epirus ancient theaters ar](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/epirus-ancient-theaters-ar) · [nervar](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nervar) · [marco polo discovery tours](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marco-polo-discovery-tours) · [lost in herculaneum](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/lost-in-herculaneum) · [madonie mixed reality](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/madonie-mixed-reality) · [hellenic heritage vr tours](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/hellenic-heritage-vr-tours) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-30.*