Can Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses help you see better? Not exactly. They don’t magnify things or improve your sight.
But they can identify products, read menus, and describe what’s around you. Using a camera and artificial intelligence, the glasses describe what they’re looking at and answer your questions, all while leaving your hands free.
So how useful are they for someone living with vision loss? Hadley staff who’ve tried them answer 7 common questions.
1. Do I need a smartphone to use Meta glasses?
Yes. First, install the Meta AI app on your smartphone and follow its steps to connect the glasses to your phone. Trying to pair the glasses directly through your phone’s Bluetooth settings may not work. As Hadley practical specialist Steve Kelley says, “You have to do it the Meta way.”
2. Can Meta glasses read mail and menus aloud if I’m blind or have low vision?
Yes, but the Meta glasses tend to summarize rather than read every word. For more than a summary, try asking:
- “Read it from top to bottom.”
- “Look and read the text verbatim.”
Meta can still misread words or stop before finishing a longer document.
Hear Hadley experts Ricky and Steve demonstrate reading and other tasks with the Meta glasses in Hadley Presents Meta AI Smart Glasses: What Can They Really Do?
3. Can Meta glasses tell me what I’m holding?
Often, yes. Hadley staff member Lisa likes to use her Meta glasses to identify cans in her kitchen without having to hold up her phone.
For a quick demo, watch Hadley practical help specialist Steve Kelley use Meta glasses to identify a spice jar.
One thing to remember: When Ricky switched jars in a demonstration, Meta AI continued describing the first jar. She had to tell Meta she’d changed jars and ask it to look again.
4. How can I get more detailed information from the Meta glasses?
Ask follow-up questions. For example, after Meta AI describes a room by its furniture, Lisa might ask whether the TV is on or what color the pillows are.
Hear more firsthand experiences in Hadley Presents: Smart Glasses and Vision Loss.
You can also turn on Detailed Responses in the app’s accessibility settings.
5. Can Meta glasses help me get around safely with vision loss?
Not reliably. Meta AI can identify storefronts, read signs, and describe doors when you’re standing still. But it can’t reliably warn you about hazards, such as stairs or traffic, as you’re moving.
So never rely on Meta glasses to navigate safely. They are NOT a substitute for orientation and mobility training, a white cane, or a guide dog.
Hear Ricky and Steve put the glasses to the test in Hadley Presents Meta AI Smart Glasses: What Can They Really Do?
6. How accurate are Meta AI glasses, and can I fully rely on them?
Unfortunately, no. When Ricky used the glasses to read her dryer’s dials, Meta AI kept giving her incorrect information about the settings. Yet its answers sounded convincing.
Meta AI can sound confident even when it’s wrong. It’s important to double-check information when accuracy matters, especially with medication, appliance settings, or safety.
7. What can I do if Meta AI glasses can’t give me the information I need?
Sometimes, a real person can help when Meta AI can’t. Through the Meta AI app’s accessibility settings, you can connect your glasses to Be My Eyes, a free service where a volunteer can see through your glasses’ camera.
When Ricky dropped a pill, a Be My Eyes volunteer helped her find it while Ricky had both hands free to search.
For more on choosing between AI tools and human assistance, listen to Hadley Presents: Artificial Intelligence and Vision Loss.
Want to hear what others are discovering about technology and vision loss? Join Hadley’s Tech It Out discussion group to share experiences, ask questions, and learn from others.
Reviewed by Steve Kelley, CVRT, and Ricky Enger, access technology specialist.
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