Feb 18, 2026 13:45:00

Details of Google's first smartglasses physical buttons and UI design language 'Glimmer' revealed in Android XR design document for app developers

Google's first AI smart glasses , compatible with Android XR, an operating system for cross-reality (XR) devices, are scheduled to be released in 2026. Design documents and development tools are available for developers of smart glasses apps, allowing them to learn how to design and operate the glasses.

Design principles | AI Glasses | Android Developers
https://developer.android.com/design/ui/ai-glasses/guides/foundations/design-principles

Here's how you'll control and navigate Android XR glasses
https://9to5google.com/2026/02/16/android-xr-glasses-ui/

The design document begins with the following 'design principles': 'Comfort and seamless integration with the user's daily life should be prioritized. Apps should feel like a natural extension of the user's awareness, allowing easy access to information without being intrusive.' Specific examples include the ability for wearers to quickly turn off the smartglasses display at any time, and all apps should function in voice-only mode as well as gesture mode to allow easy operation even when the display is off. The document also stipulates that on-screen distractions should be minimized, with UIs designed to appear only when necessary and disappear once the task is completed.

Distracting notifications, such as app UI overwhelming the user's visual field or audio alerts blocking out ambient sounds, are prohibited. The design document also includes UI components specifically for XR, all of which are designed with visibility and matching the field of view in mind, with Google stating that 'user comfort is our top priority.'

This design, which prioritizes visual comfort for Android XR glasses, is called

Jetpack Compose Glimmer UI (Glimmer). Glimmer is based on the idea that 'sharp corners in the UI will draw the user's eye to the corners,' and recommends that all UI elements be rounded. Additionally, a simple theme is provided that prioritizes visual ease of communication.

The design document also reveals the physical buttons on the smart glasses. Below is an image from the '

Input ' page, showing the touchpads on the left and right, the display button to turn the display on and off, and the camera button. The touchpad can be tapped to play/pause or confirm, swiped to advance pages, and pressed and held to call up AI. The camera button can be pressed twice to take a photo, and pressed and held to record video.

There are two LEDs near the lenses of the smart glasses, one on the outside and one on the inside. The inside LED is for the wearer, and the outside LED indicates the status of the smart glasses to those around them. For privacy reasons, the LED indicators indicate when the smart glasses are taking photos or recording videos.