Mar 03, 2026 14:23:00

An app has been released that warns you when someone wearing smart glasses is nearby

Smart glasses like

Ray-Ban Meta and Spectacles look very similar to regular glasses, so even if you know they exist, it's often hard to tell them apart at a glance. However, because smart glasses can easily record video, there's a risk that cases of people being surreptitiously filmed by smart glasses will increase in the future. An app has been released that detects and warns you about the presence of smart glasses.

This App Warns You if Someone Is Wearing Smart Glasses Nearby
https://www.404media.co/this-app-warns-you-if-someone-is-wearing-smart-glasses-nearby/

A new app alerts you if someone nearby is wearing smart glasses | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/02/nearby-glasses-new-app-alerts-you-wearing-smart-glasses-surveillance-meta-snap-bluetooth/

Nearby Glasses is an Android app that detects and warns about smart glasses. Nearby Glasses detects smart glasses using a company identifier included in Bluetooth signals, the wireless communication standard used by smart glasses.

Nearby Glasses - Apps on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.pocketpc.nearbyglasses

Nearby Glasses developer Yves Jeanrenoux says the idea for the app came from a 404 Media report that alleged Ray-Ban Metas were being used for immigration checks and to film and harass sex workers.

Jeanreno has released Nearby Glasses under the AGPL 3.0 license and has made the source code available on GitHub. Jeanreno warned that Nearby Glasses may experience false positives due to its use of company identifiers contained in Bluetooth data. Specifically, he explained that there have been cases where Meta VR headsets have been mistaken for Meta smart glasses.

GitHub - yjeanrenaud/yj_nearbyglasses: attempting to detect smart glasses nearby and warn you
https://github.com/yjeanrenaud/yj_nearbyglasses

Jeanreno called smart glasses 'an intolerable violation, a terrifying technology that ignores consent.'

Regarding reports that Meta will implement facial recognition as a default feature on its smart glasses, Jeanreno told TechCrunch, 'I think this opens a huge door to some kind of privacy violation.'

Nearby Glasses uses a corporate identifier in Bluetooth signals to detect Meta and Snap devices and alert users, but users can also add their own Bluetooth identifiers, allowing for detection of a wider range of wearable devices.

In fact, TechCrunch reports that adding a specific Bluetooth identifier (0x004C) allowed Apple devices to be detected.

Jean-Neau said he is currently developing new features for Nearby Glasses, and while there is demand for an iPhone app, it is unclear whether it will actually be developed.