An iPhone app designed to alert users when smart glasses may be nearby has climbed to No. 3 on the US paid App Store chart. Its name, AntiZuck Smart Glasses Scanner, leaves little doubt about how the developer feels about Meta’s camera-equipped glasses.
The app costs $2.99 and scans for Bluetooth signals linked to smart glasses. It can spot Meta Ray-Bans, Snap Spectacles, Amazon Echo Frames, and RayNeo glasses, then sends an alert when it believes one is nearby.
Its rise comes as anxiety around being filmed in public continues to grow, particularly among younger people who have spent most of their lives knowing that an awkward moment could be uploaded within minutes.
How does the smart glasses scanner work?
AntiZuck presents detected devices on a radar-like screen, alongside a rough proximity estimate and confidence rating. It can remember repeat sightings, send local notifications, and let users mark familiar devices so they stop triggering alerts.
Unfortunately, the app cannot tell whether someone has started recording or taking a photo. It only detects Bluetooth signals broadcast by supported hardware, often during actions such as powering on, pairing, or opening a charging case.
Other Meta hardware, including Quest headsets, may also trigger a detection. Smart glasses can disappear from the scanner once they stop actively advertising over Bluetooth, so an alert is not proof that someone nearby is secretly filming.
Camera anxiety is already changing how people behave
A recent BBC report found that some young adults are becoming increasingly wary of cameras on nights out. Students said they watch for people holding up phones and club promoters recording content. Smart glasses make the situation harder because they can pass for an ordinary pair, so someone may not realize they are being filmed.
The discomfort is not limited to clubs or parties. A YouGov survey found that 54% of Americans consider filming and sharing strangers in public without consent usually or always unacceptable. Research also suggests people change how they behave when they know they are being watched. It helps explain why people are willing to pay for AntiZuck, since even the possibility of a discreet camera nearby can make it harder to relax in public.
