If you just unboxed a pair of glasses, the Ray-Ban Meta privacy settings are worth five minutes of your time before you step outside. Four switches in the Meta AI app control what the glasses listen for, what gets copied to Meta’s servers, and whether your AI photos can be used for training. Most of them are on by default.
Here’s the quick version, based on a walkthrough from Engadget published on October 25, 2026.
- The four settings: “Hey Meta,” Cloud media, Share additional data, and visual data for AI training.
- All of them live in the Meta AI app on your phone.
- Cloud media lets Meta keep your gallery copies for up to 30 days when it’s on.
- The visual-data opt-out arrived in September 2026 and must be set for each pair of glasses.
Turning things off costs you a few features. Below is what you give up for each one, so you can choose what fits how you use the glasses.
Stop the glasses from listening for “Hey Meta”
Open the Meta AI app, pick your glasses, then go to Meta AI and “Hey Meta” preferences. Switch the toggle off and the glasses stop waiting for the wake phrase.
You can still summon the assistant with the right-temple touchpad, and the microphones keep working for calls and video. When you do use the assistant on purpose, Meta still processes that audio.
If you want a record of what you’ve said, check Glasses privacy and then the voice activity log. You can review and delete past voice interactions there.
Cloud media: keep your photos off Meta’s servers
Go to Glasses privacy, then Cloud media, and turn it off. While it’s on, Meta can keep copies of your gallery photos and videos for up to 30 days.
The catch is that you lose cloud-based extras like voice-controlled photo sharing and autocapture. Taking photos, recording video and importing them to your phone all still work.
One limit to know about: pictures sent when you ask the assistant a visual question still go to Meta. And if your phone backs up to iCloud or Google Photos, imported photos may upload there anyway.
Two more Ray-Ban Meta privacy settings worth flipping
The other two are quieter, but they matter more if you use the AI features a lot.
Share additional data
Find it under Glasses privacy and switch it off. It stops optional usage analytics, such as which features you use and how often. Photos, calls and music aren’t affected.
Meta still collects data it says it needs to run the glasses and keep them safe. And turning this off won’t delete anything it already has.
Store visual data from AI experiences
This is the one tied to AI training. In September 2026, Meta added an opt-out so visual data from your glasses’ AI interactions isn’t kept for training or shown to human reviewers. Before that, it could be stored, including for review by human contractors.
To use it, open the glasses settings under Meta AI and turn off “Store visual data from AI experiences.” Your glasses need to be out of the case and connected to your phone. Visual reminders, like asking the glasses to remember an object, may stop working.
This is part of a wider push to control how companies train AI on your data, which we covered in our guide to the shared robots.txt opt-out for AI training.
What these switches can’t fix
None of these settings is a full privacy shield. This table sums up where to find each one and what you trade away.
| Setting | Where to find it | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Hey Meta | Meta AI app, glasses, Meta AI, “Hey Meta” preferences | Hands-free wake phrase (touchpad still works) |
| Cloud media | Glasses privacy, Cloud media | Voice-controlled photo sharing and autocapture |
| Share additional data | Glasses privacy, Share additional data | Nothing noticeable; optional analytics only |
| Visual data for AI training | Glasses settings, Meta AI, Store visual data | Visual reminders may stop working |
Two limits are worth remembering. The visual-data setting doesn’t clear anything already processed, and you must change it separately for each pair of glasses.
Engadget also notes that in the US you can no longer stop Meta from storing recordings of your AI voice interactions in the cloud. You can delete saved recordings by hand, so build that into a monthly habit. For other privacy alerts worth acting on, see our post on Apple’s threat notifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Ray-Ban Meta glasses always recording?
No. They record when you press the capture button or ask the assistant to. With “Hey Meta” on, though, the glasses are listening for the wake phrase.
Can I stop Meta from using my glasses photos for AI training?
Yes, for visual data from AI requests. Turn off “Store visual data from AI experiences” in the Meta AI app, and repeat it for every pair you own.
Will turning off Cloud media delete my existing photos?
Engadget doesn’t say it does. It stops Meta from keeping gallery copies going forward; your phone’s own photo backups are a separate matter.
Will turning off Hey Meta break calls or video?
No. The microphones still work for calls and videos, and you can still wake the assistant with the right-temple touchpad.
Is the trade-off worth it?
For most people, yes. I’d turn off Cloud media, Share additional data and visual-data storage today, since you lose very little. Keep “Hey Meta” on only if hands-free voice is the whole reason you bought the glasses. And if you share them with a friend, check the settings again afterward.
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