A new Android app can alert you when someone wearing glasses like Meta Ray-Bans is nearby. 404 Media first discovered the tool called Nearby Glasses. It works by intercepting Bluetooth signals that these devices constantly emit and then triggering a notification when it finds one.
Yves Jeanrenaud, an amateur developer and sociologist, constructed it as what he calls “a tiny part of the resistance to surveillance technology.” You can download it now from the Play Store or GitHub if you’re concerned about it being recorded without being known to the public.
This is how the data glasses detector works
Nearby Glasses looks for Bluetooth advertising frames, the small packets of data that devices emit as part of their routine operations. If it detects a frame from certain manufacturers, you will be warned. Jeanrenaud explained that the app simply searches for these frames and sends a notification when it finds a match.
To use it, get the app from the Play Store or GitHub. You may need to adjust settings, such as: B. activating the foreground service so that it continues scanning in the background. Tap “Start Scanning” and a debug log will show you what it detects. If it thinks there are smart glasses nearby, you’ll get a message saying “Smart glasses are probably nearby.”
The false positive problem and its limitations
The app is not without its flaws, and Jeanrenaud is honest about that. The Play Store page warns of possible false alarms, particularly from VR headsets. In one test, a Meta Quest 2 was detected and a smart glasses alert was sent, with the debug log correctly naming the device.
The developer keeps expectations down to earth. He said this is a technological solution to a social problem exacerbated by technology, and he doesn’t want people to falsely feel safe. It remains imperfect. Still, you’re far less likely to meet someone wearing a VR headset while out and about than wearing smart glasses.
What’s next in the fight against smart glasses surveillance?
This tool comes onto the market as the performance of the glasses increases. Meta is reportedly developing a facial recognition feature called Name Tag that would allow wearers to identify people and receive information through their AI assistant. This possibility makes a detector like this more contemporary.
For now, Nearby Glasses gives you the opportunity to fight back despite its weaknesses. You can find it in the Play Store or GitHub and start using it today. Just remember the developer’s advice: treat it like a small tool, not a full shield. The goal is to stay aware and not feel invincible.
