A new Android app can warn you if someone wearing glasses like the Meta Ray-Bans is close by. 404 Media first spotted the tool, called Nearby Glasses. It works by picking up Bluetooth signals these devices constantly send out, then firing a notification when it finds one.
Yves Jeanrenaud, a hobbyist developer and sociologist, built it as what he calls “a tiny part of resistance against surveillance tech.” You can download it now from the Play Store or GitHub if you are uneasy about being recorded without knowing it in public.
How the smart glasses detector works
Nearby Glasses hunts for Bluetooth advertising frames, the small data packets devices broadcast as part of their routine operation. When it spots a frame from certain manufacturers, it alerts you. Jeanrenaud explained that the app simply checks for those frames and sends a notification when it finds a match.
To use it, grab the app from the Play Store or GitHub. You might need to adjust settings like enabling foreground service to keep it scanning in the background. Tap “Start Scanning” and a debug log shows you what it detects. If it thinks smart glasses are near, you get a message that reads “Smart Glasses are probably nearby.”
The false positive problem and its limits
The app is not flawless, and Jeanrenaud is honest about that. Its Play Store page warns of likely false alarms, especially from VR headsets. In one test, it spotted a Meta Quest 2 and sent a smart glasses alert, with the debug log correctly naming the device.
The developer keeps expectations grounded. He said this is a tech fix for a social issue blown up by tech, and he does not want people to feel falsely secure. It remains imperfect. Still, you are far less likely to run into someone wearing a VR headset than a pair of smart glasses while out.
What comes next for fighting smart glasses surveillance
This tool arrives as glasses grow more powerful. Meta is reportedly developing a facial recognition feature called Name Tag that would let wearers identify people and get information through its AI assistant. That possibility makes a detector like this more timely.
For now, Nearby Glasses gives you a way to push back, even with its flaws. You can find it on the Play Store or GitHub and start using it today. Just remember the creator’s advice: treat it as one small tool, not a complete shield. The goal is staying aware, not feeling invincible.
