App guide · 2026
The Meta glasses app: what Meta AI does, and what it asks of you.
Every pair of Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta and Meta-branded glasses runs through one phone app, and it is not called what most people search for. This guide covers what the Meta AI app (formerly Meta View) does, the account and phone it needs, which services it connects to, how to pair, and what changes if you pick glasses that use a different app. Everything about Meta's app is taken from Meta's own help pages and the official store listings, read on September 30, 2026.
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What is the Meta glasses app called?
The Meta glasses app is called Meta AI. It used to be Meta View, and a lot of search results, retailer pages and older videos still use that name. Meta’s own help page is titled “Meta View app is now the Meta AI mobile app”: updating Meta View installs the new version, and your paired glasses, settings and imported media transfer over automatically.
The name causes a second kind of confusion. Meta AI is also Meta’s general chatbot app, the same assistant that lives inside WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. The glasses features sit in its Devices section. So when you install “Meta AI” you are getting a full assistant app with the glasses companion built into it, not a small utility. If you were asking “what app is best for Meta glasses”, the honest answer is that there is no choice: Meta’s setup page says the app is only available on mobile devices and is required to support your glasses experience.
What the Meta AI app does for your glasses
From Meta’s help pages, the app does five jobs for Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta and Meta-branded glasses:
- Pairing and device management. The Devices tab is where you pair and manage glasses, install updates and learn about new features. Meta says you can pair up to 7 devices with the app.
- Importing photos and videos.Captures stay on the glasses until you import them. After import they are removed from the glasses and saved to your phone’s photos app, in a “Meta AI” folder.
- Settings and controls. Voice controls, touchpad gestures, notifications and the connections to other apps all live under Device settings.
- The Meta AI assistant.“Hey Meta” on the glasses, plus chat in the app, where you can also ask about photos you imported or edit them. A History tab keeps past prompts from the glasses and the app in one place.
- A Discover feed. Prompts other people have shared. Meta says your conversations are private unless you choose to share them there.
Two privacy settings are worth knowing before you set up. Meta says voice conversations with Meta AI are stored by default and may be used to improve AI at Meta; the option to switch off voice-recording storage is no longer available, though you can delete recordings in the app’s settings. And Meta AI with camera use comes switched on: asking about what you see may capture an image to answer you, and turning off “Hey Meta” disables that. For the features themselves, our guide to what Meta glasses do goes through them one by one.
The Meta account the app requires
“You need a Meta Account to use your AI glasses” is Meta’s own sentence. You do not need Facebook or Instagram: a Meta account can be created with just an email address, a password of at least 8 characters and a birthday, and Meta says you need to be at least 13 in most regions. If you sign up with Facebook or Instagram instead, the Meta account joins the same Accounts Center as those profiles.
The app then asks for a Meta AI username, which is required, and your name, which is optional. The username is how you appear if you share to the Discover feed. Two practical rules follow from Meta’s setup page: a pair of glasses can only be paired to one Meta account at a time, and it has to be factory reset before someone else can pair it. That matters when you buy a used pair or hand one down. If an account is the sticking point, our guide to smart glasses without a Meta account covers the alternatives.
Meta glasses app requirements: phone, country and cost
Here is what each official source said on September 30, 2026. Note that Meta’s product page and the App Store disagree on the iPhone minimum; the App Store figure is the one that decides whether the current app installs.
| Requirement | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Requires iOS 17.2 or later | Meta AI on the App Store |
| Android | Requires Android 10 and up | Meta AI on Google Play |
| Glasses spec sheet | iOS 15.2 and above; Android 10 minimum | Ray-Ban Meta Skyler (Gen 2) page on meta.com |
| Price | Free; Google Play lists in-app purchases of $0.99 to $199.99 per item | Google Play listing |
| Account | Meta account (email, Facebook or Instagram sign-up) | Meta Help Center |
| Countries | Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US | “AI glasses supported countries” help page |
| Tablet / web | iPad app has no Meta AI assistant and won’t support future devices; glasses can’t be managed on Meta.ai | Meta Help Center |
Meta also notes that some Meta AI features are only available in select countries and languages, and Spotify voice controls are English-only. Because the app does the heavy lifting, your phone is part of the product; our explainer on whether smart glasses need a phone covers what still works when it is out of range.
How to pair Meta glasses with the Meta AI app
These are the steps on Meta’s pairing help page, condensed:
- Install Meta AI from the App Store or Google Play and log in with your Meta account, or create one.
- Turn the glasses on by sliding the power switch on the left arm towards the front.
- Put them back in the case, pressing gently so the nose bridge touches the charging contact. The case light flashes blue when they are ready to pair.
- If it does not flash, hold the button on the back of the case for at least 5 seconds.
- Turn on Bluetooth, tap Glasses in the top right of the app, tap Add and follow the prompts.
To unpair, go to Device settings, choose the glasses, then General and Unpair glasses. Meta notes you may also need to “forget” the glasses in your phone’s Bluetooth menu to finish.
Meta glasses apps that connect: music, messaging and fitness
When people search “Meta glasses apps” they usually mean the services you can link inside the Meta AI app; connections are switched on under Device settings. These are the ones Meta documents in its help center:
| Category | Services Meta documents | What Meta says about limits |
|---|---|---|
| Calls and messages | WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, your phone’s own calls and texts | Voice messages stop after 3 seconds of silence or 1 minute |
| Music and audio | Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Shazam | Spotify in select regions; its voice controls in English |
| Fitness | Apple Health, Health Connect (Android), Garmin, Strava | Meta can access the last thirty days of fitness data; ages 18 and up |
| Golf | Arccos Golf, 18Birdies | Shares round data and GPS location during active rounds |
| Accessibility and more | Be My Eyes, calendar connection | Separate help articles for each |
Strava is the one most people ask about: Meta says it lets you add workout stats to photos and videos and share media from the Meta AI app to your Strava activities. Disconnecting a fitness app deletes its data from Meta AI.
Glasses that use a different app: OXIVUE and HeyCyan
Not every pair of smart glasses runs through Meta. Our frames, and a lot of other camera and audio glasses, use HeyCyan, a free app from Shenzhen Qingcheng Future Technology on the App Store and Google Play. It does the same core jobs as the Meta AI app (pairing, importing photos and videos, settings, translation and an assistant) with a different set of trade-offs. Our HeyCyan guide covers setup and fixes in detail.
| Meta AI app (Meta glasses) | HeyCyan app (OXIVUE frames) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in | Meta account, plus a Meta AI username | Free sign-up with email or phone; no Meta or social-media account |
| Price | Free; in-app purchases listed on Google Play | Free; no in-app purchases listed; no subscription |
| Assistant | Meta AI, “Hey Meta” | AI assistant in the app; “Hey Cyan” visual assistant on the M02C |
| Translation | Live translation in Meta’s listed languages | 40+ languages (M08, M02C, M08C) or 139 (M14), heard only by the wearer |
| Glasses price | From $224 (Gen 1 on sale) on meta.com, September 30, 2026 | M08 $149 · M02C $159 · M08C $169 · M14 $199 |
What you give up is just as clear. HeyCyan’s store listings do not mention Spotify, Garmin or Strava connections like the ones the Meta AI app documents, OXIVUE frames have no display, and we do not supply prescription lenses. Translation and the assistant both run through your phone and need a data or Wi-Fi connection. Every spec is side by side on the comparison page, and the frames carry a 2-year warranty on the frame, with free shipping from $99.
Bottom line
The Meta glasses app is Meta AI, the renamed Meta View: free to download, required for every Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta and Meta-branded frame, and tied to a Meta account. It is also the reason those glasses connect so neatly to WhatsApp, Spotify, Garmin and Strava. If you would rather not run your glasses through a Meta account, the OXIVUE M02C at $159pairs with the free HeyCyan app, weighs about 41 g, is rated IP65 and adds the “Hey Cyan” visual assistant; the M08 at $149 is the lowest-priced way in (currently $50 off one pair at checkout, applied automatically).
Frequently asked questions
What app do I need for Meta glasses?
The Meta AI app, from the App Store or Google Play. It used to be called Meta View; Meta renamed it and moved existing paired glasses, settings and media across automatically. Meta's setup page says the app is only available on mobile devices and is required to support your glasses experience, so there is no alternative app that replaces it for Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta or Meta-branded glasses.
How much does the Meta glasses app cost?
It is free to download. The Google Play listing does show in-app purchases from $0.99 to $199.99 per item for the Meta AI app, which covers the wider assistant app, not only the glasses. Meta's glasses help pages that we read do not describe a paid tier for pairing, importing photos or connecting apps. Check the store listing in your country before you assume either way.
Is Meta View the same as the Meta AI app?
Yes. Meta's help page is titled "Meta View app is now the Meta AI mobile app". Updating Meta View installs the Meta AI app, and your paired glasses, settings and imported media transfer over automatically. Imported photos also appear in a "Meta AI" folder in your phone's gallery, so if you back up with a cloud service, add that folder.
Can you use Meta glasses without a Facebook account?
Yes, but not without a Meta account. Meta says you need a Meta Account to use the glasses, and you can create one with an email address instead of Facebook or Instagram. You will also be asked to create a Meta AI username. The glasses pair with one Meta account at a time and must be factory reset before someone else can pair them.
How do I connect my Meta glasses to my phone?
Turn the glasses on with the switch on the left arm, put them back in the case and wait for the case light to flash blue, or hold the button on the back of the case for at least 5 seconds. Then open the Meta AI app, tap Glasses, tap Add and follow the prompts with Bluetooth turned on. Meta's help page has the current steps.
Does the Meta AI app work on iPad?
Partly. Meta says the iPad app keeps supporting Ray-Ban Meta and Ray-Ban Stories glasses, but the Meta AI assistant is not available directly in the iPad app and future Meta devices will not be supported there. Meta also says you cannot pair or manage glasses on the Meta.ai website, so a phone is the practical requirement.
What app do OXIVUE glasses use?
HeyCyan, a free app from Shenzhen Qingcheng Future Technology on the App Store and Google Play. It handles pairing, importing photos and videos, settings, translation and the assistant. It asks for a free sign-up with an email address or phone number, but no Meta or social-media account and no subscription. OXIVUE frames start at $149 for the M08.