Meta claims fix for Ray-Ban glasses’ unprompted audio recording issue

Meta states it has resolved an issue affecting Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses that caused devices to record private conversations without the required “Hey Meta” wake phrase. The company confirmed the fix after multiple owners reported finding unexpected recordings and transcripts of interactions they did not intentionally save.

According to Malwarebytes Labs, Meta addressed the problem without explaining the technical cause, the scope of affected users, or the disposition of the captured audio files. The tech giant’s statement indicates that users can now manage, review, and delete voice logs through their device settings, but lacks any deeper disclosure about the malfunction.

Context and Background

The privacy concerns emerged from complaints posted on Reddit, where owners described unintended activations occurring across multiple pairs of glasses. One user noted that the behavior began following a firmware update and persisted even after disabling the “Respond without Hey Meta” feature. This user also observed the internal notification light activating during normal conversations, suggesting the device was processing audio inputs.

Other commenters on the platform reported similar unexplained activations, reinforcing the pattern of unintended data capture. These reports highlight significant privacy risks for both the wearer and bystanders, as conversations were being recorded and transcribed without explicit user consent or awareness of the ongoing activity.

Who Is Affected

Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses owners are the group affected by this incident. The issues were highlighted by users who actively monitor their device settings and discovered recordings they had not authorized. Malwarebytes Labs notes that this incident follows previous reports in June regarding unreleased facial-recognition code found in Meta’s companion app, which raised concerns about wearable camera capabilities.

Meta Support reportedly advised one affected user to disable microphone and camera permissions, turn off Wear Detection, delete voice history, and disable automatic updates. These recommendations would significantly limit the core functionality of the smart glasses without resolving the underlying mystery of why the unprompted recordings occurred in the first place.

What should you do?

Meta has not provided a full explanation of what went wrong or how it will prevent recurrence. Until more information is released, users should remain cautious about the privacy implications of wearing recording devices in public. The lack of transparency regarding the audio data captured during the bug window remains a significant gap in the company’s response to these user complaints.

What to do and how to stay safe: Meta

• Review your voice history immediately to identify and delete any unrecognized interactions or transcripts stored in your account settings.
• Verify your voice-activation settings, but do not rely solely on disabling "Respond without Hey Meta" as a complete safeguard against unintended activation.
• Keep your smart glasses and companion app updated to ensure you have the latest security and privacy patches provided by the vendor.
• Always inform others before recording conversations, as their privacy rights extend beyond the technical functionality of your wearable device.

Step-by-step guide: Mobile Device Security: How to Protect Data Beyond Passwords

General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.

Frequently asked questions

Did Meta explain why the glasses started recording without the wake phrase?

No, Meta has not provided a public explanation of the root cause, the number of affected users, or what happened to the captured audio.

How did users discover the unprompted recording issue?

Users discovered the issue by finding unexpected recordings and transcripts in their device logs, often after firmware updates.

What did Meta Support recommend to affected users?

Meta Support recommended disabling microphone and camera permissions, turning off Wear Detection, deleting voice history, and disabling automatic updates.