GoKawiilWhen I reviewed the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, one of my top frustrations was that there were only a handful of apps that could take advantage of the frames' impressive display and they were all made by Meta. Now, that's finally changing.
Meta is opening up the glasses to third-party developers, who are now able to experiment with display-enabled apps as well as the device's Neural Band controller. The platform will work with apps that have an accompanying iOS or Android mobile app and will also be compatible with web apps, the company said in an update.
With a 20-degree field-of-view, the glasses' display isn't totally immersive like other standalone AR glasses. And it sounds like Meta is looking for apps that would be well-suited to the monocular display like "information overlays." For example, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth shared a video of one early app called "Darkroom Buddy," an interactive guide for developing film that could serve as a "glanceable" reference.
The gap between idea and prototype has never been smaller. Add glasses and inputs like the Neural Band, and it feels like the early days of building in a way we haven't seen in over a decade. We're rolling out web apps and a mobile SDK on Meta Ray-Ban Display. Developer Preview... pic.twitter.com/OlDayAkozd — Boz (@boztank) May 14, 2026
The company also suggests that developers can build experiences for streaming media, "real-time data displays, like scores or status updates" and other kidneys of "micro-apps." The company is also apparently considering minigames. A video shared by Meta also includes a few such examples, like chess, snake and a brick breaker-style game. (The glasses already ship with one Meta-made puzzle game, though I didn't find it particularly compelling.)
The addition of third-party apps could open up significantly more functionality for the $800 glasses the company introduced last fall. Since launch, Meta has added some of its own new features like a built-in teleprompter and handwriting capabilities, but the glasses have still felt somewhat limited. For example, I was eager to use the glasses while cooking, but frustrated that my only option for seeing a recipe onto the display was to ask Meta AI for one. I kind of doubt any major recipe app developers are thinking about this device right now, but I like knowing that it's at least possible to do so.
It's unclear when any of these new third-party apps could actually be available. Meta announced third-party app support for its non-display smart glasses last year, but most still aren't available. One thing I will be watching closely is how these new experiences affect battery life, as I've found that display-intensive apps can drain the glasses' onboard battery fairly quickly.
The timing of Meta's announcement is also notable. The company just announced dates for its next Connect event, where we're likely to get a lot more updates on all of its smart glasses plans. CEO Mark Zuckerberg also teased a new pair of glasses that could be the next iteration of the Meta Ray-Ban Display frames.
For people who already have a pair, Meta is also rolling out a few significant updates that are already available. The previously mentioned "neural handwriting" feature, which allows you to respond to messages by tracing letters out with your fingers, is now available to everyone. The company is also adding display recording capabilities that allow you to record what's happening on the in-glasses display alongside your own view and share it with others. I've personally found that it's hard to exactly describe to people what it's like to use the heads-up display, so I'm looking forward to trying it out. And, finally, Meta is bringing live captioning to calls made through Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram.