Ray-Ban Meta Glasses

What Is It, In Plain Words?

Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like ordinary Ray-Ban frames, but they have a small camera, tiny speakers, microphones and Meta's AI assistant built in. You say "Hey Meta", ask a question, and the answer plays quietly near your ears.

They connect to your phone through the free Meta AI app, which you need in order to use them. You can take photos and videos without holding a phone, make calls, listen to music and, if your eyesight is poor, ask for a spoken description of what's in front of you.

What You Can Use It For

• Hands-free questions. Ask about the weather, a recipe step or a word you've forgotten while your hands are full.
• Photos of the grandchildren. Say "Hey Meta, take a photo" and catch the moment without fishing for your phone.
• Help if your eyesight is poor. Meta AI can describe your surroundings out loud and can connect you to a Be My Eyes volunteer. Aira works with them too.
• Travel. The glasses can play a translation as someone speaks to you in another language.

Getting Started Step By Step

Choosing A Pair

1. Try them on at an optician or a Ray-Ban shop if you can, or use the virtual try-on on Meta's website.
2. If you need prescription lenses, you can order them through Ray-Ban.com or participating opticians. Not every prescription can be fitted, so ask first.

Setting Up

1. Charge the glasses in their case.
2. On your phone, install the Meta AI app from the App Store or Google Play and check it's made by Meta.
3. Open the app, sign in and follow the steps to pair your glasses.
4. Say "Hey Meta", then your question. You can also set a press-and-hold on the frame to start Meta AI instead.

Things To Try Typing

Say one of these out loud:

What It Costs

Prices checked 22 October 2026 on the official Meta store. Prices can change, so check there before you pay.

These are starting prices. Some lens options, such as Transitions, cost more, and prescription lenses are extra. The Meta AI app is free.

Privacy And Safety

• What it keeps. When you talk to Meta AI on the glasses, Meta stores the recordings and written versions by default to improve its products, and trained reviewers may listen to some. They're kept for up to a year.
• You can listen to and delete your voice recordings in the Meta AI app. Once deleted, Meta says they're no longer used.
• A small light on the front shows people when you're taking photos or video. If it's covered, the camera won't work.
• Ask before you photograph or film people, and take the glasses off in places like changing rooms, clinics and banks.
• Never type passwords, PINs, bank or card numbers, your National Insurance number (UK) or Social Security number (USA).

Good Points And Watch-Outs

Good Points

• Hands-free: no phone to hold.
• Look like normal glasses or sunglasses.
• Spoken descriptions for people with low vision.

Watch-Outs

• Expensive compared with an app on the phone you already have.
• Battery lasts up to 9 hours on the newest model, so you'll need to charge them most days.
• Voice recordings are stored by default. Check the privacy settings in the app.
• Some features depend on where you live. Meta says the voice services vary by product and location.

Similar Tools

• Meta AI: built into WhatsApp and Facebook.
• Be My Eyes: a volunteer or AI describes what your camera sees.
• Aira: live video help from a trained visual interpreter, for blind and low-vision people.

Common Questions

How much are Ray-Ban Meta glasses?

The newest Gen 3 model starts at $449 in the USA and £409 in the UK. The earlier Gen 2 starts at $379 or £379, and the camera-free Audio model at $349 or £319.

Do I need a smartphone?

Yes. You need the free Meta AI app on an iPhone or Android phone to set up and use the glasses.

Can I get them with my prescription?

Usually, yes. Prescription lenses can be ordered through Ray-Ban.com or participating opticians, within a set range of prescriptions.

Can they help if my eyesight is poor?

Yes. Meta AI can describe what's around you out loud, and the glasses can connect you to Be My Eyes volunteers or, through the Aira app, to Aira's paid visual interpreters.