Meta Opens Up Smart Glasses to Developers, Accessibility at the Forefront

Meta has announced a major shift for its line of smart glasses: developers will soon be able to access the camera, microphone, and speakers through a new ‘Access SDK’. The move, unveiled at Meta Connect’s Developer Day, means third-party apps will finally be able to access those cameras and audio.

One of the first confirmed partners is Microsoft and its popular Seeing AI app, which will use the new toolkit to bring real-time object recognition, text reading, and navigation support straight to Meta glasses. “For me, that’s the biggest news,” said Double Tap host Steven Scott. “This SDK really, really could be massive. If nothing else, it’s giving us the ability to buy an off-the-shelf product and, with app development and a bit of work from the companies themselves, get services like Aira on our glasses without all the extra steps.”

The Access SDK will enter preview later this year, with wider rollout expected in 2026. While Meta has yet to confirm details on screen reader support or display accessibility, the company has signaled that accessibility is central to its strategy — a notable shift in how mainstream tech firms approach wearable AI.