A HoloLens Summary #
The HoloLens is a spatial computer that understands the geometry of the space around you. The HoloLens constantly and automatically scans the environment in a 10-foot radius around you to build a rough mesh of its surroundings. It uses this mesh to place holograms in the space. Always adjust the fit of the HoloLens so you can see the display as clearly and completely as possible. If this is the HoloLens 2’s first time being used, check out the Microsoft Setup guide found here.
Turning On/Off the HoloLens 2 #
To turn on your HoloLens 2, press the Power button. The LED lights below the Power button display the battery level. Below is a table showing how your button presses effect the device:
What You Want | How to Do It | The HL2 Reaction |
To Turn On | Single Button Press | All five lights turn on, then change to indicate the battery level. After four seconds, a sound plays. |
To Sleep | Single Button Press | All five lights turn on, then fade off one at a time. After the lights turn off, a sound plays and the screen displays “Goodbye.” |
To Wake From Sleep | Single Button Press | All five lights turn on, then change to indicate the battery level. A sound immediately plays. |
To Turn Off | Press and Hold for 5s | All five lights turn on, then fade off one at a time. After the lights turn off, a sound plays and the screen displays “Goodbye.” |
To force restart HoloLens 2 | Press and Hold for 10s | All five lights turn on, then fade off one at a time. After the lights turn off. |
Controlling Brightness and Volume #
Brightness controls are located at the top of the device near your left ear. Volume controls are located at the top of the device near your right ear. Brightness and volume can also be adjusted from the Shortcuts Menu. Rarely the HoloLens may not play out audible sound even with the volume set above 0. To fix this issue fully reboot the device.
Gestures #
The HoloLens 2 has multiple actions/gestures that you’re able to do. You can touch, use a hand ray, gaze, and air tap. For IMAJION, we currently use gestures from HoloLens 1 which is a gaze and air tap together.
Currently, the gaze for the IMAJION app uses the HoloLens 1 gaze where the center of the device is where the dot appears.
To air tap, hold your hand straight out in front of you in a loose fist, point your index finger straight up toward the ceiling, tap your finger down, and then quickly raise it back up again. You can see an example of how to do this below.

For a full dive into learning all Gestures within the HoloLens 2, we would recommend using the Tips app for the HoloLens 2 which teaches you the basic gestures and voice commands for the overall device.
Start Menu #
The Start Menu will be your main method of navigating the HoloLens 2. To do this, you’ll simply need to look at one of your wrists and use your other hand to tap your wrist. You can see this done below:

Connect to Wifi #
Connecting to your Wi-Fi through the HoloLens 2 can be done during the initial setup. If it wasn’t, you can connect to the Wi-Fi by doing the following:
- Open up the start menu and tap the Internet icon found at the top-left of the screen (to the left of the speech option).
- Once tapped, the Internet Settings screen should appear
- Find your network, tap it, and input its password
- Once complete, confirm the settings and you should be connected after a moment
Downloading the IMAJION App #
To download the IMAJION app on the HoloLens 2, please do the following:
- Open the start menu by looking at your wrist and tapping it with your other hand
- If you don’t see the Microsoft Store on your start menu, tap ‘All Apps’
- Scroll until you find the app ‘Microsoft Store’
- There are two methods to find the app, via the Search icon or clicking Made for HoloLens 2. If the former, search ‘IMAJION’ and it should appear. If the latter, scroll until you find the IMAJION app
- Once in the app store for IMAJION, tap the ‘Get’ button and it should begin the installation
Logging Into HL2 IMAJION app #
Once downloaded, please open the app to login for the first time. As you can see, you’ll be using the gaze feature with air tapping. You’ll look at the letter you wish to select and tap. You’ll find a sample of this below. Once complete, tap ‘Next’

The Toolbar #

The toolbar is your personal space to utilize the IMAJION functionalities with the HoloLens 2. Lets go over them in detail:
- Select Project: Select from any of your projects that you’re a member of to work in that project
- Sign-Out: If you need to switch to another account, you can always use this to sign out and into another account
- Conferences: By default, this will open when you launch the IMAJION app. This allows you to join conferences immediately and to switch between conferences as well. We will eventually have the ability to join channels as well
- Call Controls: Here you can control your recording, mic, video, and hanging up the call. Recording requires consent from the other parties, so please warn them before starting it
- File Browser: Here you’ll find your main IMAJION folder along with any other folders if you’re integrated with either Procore, BIM360, Dropbox, or Slack
- File Viewer: Here you’ll find all your open files and you’ll be able to view them up close and switch between them
- Markup Tools: Here you’ll find the ability to take photos/videos, spatial scan of your space, pin, arrow, and measurement
- Shrink Menu: You can collapse your menu for a more clean experience of your environment without any interruptions