Newsroom

Meta Ray-Bans Public Beta Open to All!

hannah.griffin@aira.ioby Hannah Griffin•Posted October 14, 2024
A woman with brown hair smiling off to the left, wearing a pair of Meta Ray-Bans sunglasses. Text overtop reads "Explorer News: Meta Ray-Bans Beta Open to All!". Decorative teal triangle in lower left corner.

The Aira team is continuing to innovate with high quality solutions for hands-free visual interpreting, and are excited to update our community on the next phase of our Meta Ray-Bans integration. We’ve been hard at work testing and developing this integration, and are now inviting all Explorers to join the public beta! This public beta is open to anyone who is blind or low-vision and owns a pair of Meta Ray-Bans. Calls can be made using Five Minutes Free, Build AI, an Explorer’s plan minutes, or by using Access Offers. 

Building technology with our community is a fundamental tenet of how Aira innovates. While the integration is not yet in its final state as we don’t currently have a direct connection to Meta, we are eager to involve our Explorers, hear feedback, and expand access to hands-free visual interpreting. If you’re interested in advocating for a smoother integration, read more below. 

 

Here is how visual interpreting with the Meta Ray-Bans will work for Explorers at this public beta stage: 

  1. Download the Aira app in the Google Play or Apple App Store, and make a free account 
  2. Or, if you already have an account, make sure your app is updated to the latest version 
  3. Select “Meta Ray-Bans” in the new “customize call” option, which is below the “Call an Aira agent” button on the “Home” page, before the call 
  4. Once on the call, the Visual Interpreter will auto-launch a WhatsApp call and you can click the join button
  5. The Visual Interpreter views your surroundings through the glasses
  6. To end the session, you can simply close the WhatsApp call

Notes: The customize call button doesn’t yet direct you to a specific Visual Interpreter; instead it lets the Visual Interpreter know ahead of time what you plan on for the call. This may also allow your Visual Interpreter to transfer you to a more experienced navigator if needed. A free five minute credit is included with any transfer. Voice command to call Aira is not yet available. 

 

Advocating for a Direct Integration with Meta

Our Explorer community can make a real impact when it comes to advocating for a smoother integration with Meta. If you’d like to participate and use your voice to work towards more collaboration from Meta, there are three ways you can do so: 

 

1. Send an email to Meta

Access an email template here. Feel free to personalize it as you like, and include your name and contact details at the bottom. Then, send it to Meta using this page on their website.

2. Reach out to Care 

If you’d prefer, you can forward your email to Aira’s Customer Care team at support@aira.io, and we’ll send it on your behalf. Or call them through the number for your country on this page.

3. Send a message via the Meta View App: 

  • Open the Meta View app and then shake your phone which will cause a pop up at the bottom of the screen
  • Tap the “Report a Problem” button
  • Tap “Other” at the bottom then “Feature Request”
  • Write a message in the text field about your advocacy for Meta Ray-Bans being able to integrate directly with Aira and the value that would bring to you
  • Tap “Next” then select your preferred option for the final step
  • Select your preferred option on the “send your report” page

 

Testimonials from Explorers in the Initial Beta

Below are two testimonials from Explorers who have had great experiences using their Meta Ray-Bans with Aira! 

“Today, I had an incredibly empowering experience with Aira, seamlessly integrating my iPhone camera and Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses. On a conference preparation errand to Target, I utilized both Aira platforms for the first time and accomplished everything hands-free – shopping, checkout, a Starbucks pit stop, and even locating my Uber, all thanks to Aira and Target’s access offer. I fervently hope more retailers follow suit. Target’s Aira access consistently draws me in, and I’m grateful for agent Bethany’s tireless dedication to enhancing the Aira service. Having hands-free Aira access again is truly liberating.”

“The other night, I met up with a colleague who’s visiting Seattle this week. I used Aira on my Meta glasses to navigate to a new restaurant, and when I arrived, I got seated quickly while keeping the call active. What fascinates me most is how much passive information we can now access. Through my Aira feed, I received details about the table layout, the near-empty restaurant, and even the location of people around me. It’s incredible how technology like this is transforming our interaction with the environment.”

 

In case you missed it: Explorer Town Hall on Meta Ray-Bans

On September 17th, we hosted a Town Hall to discuss the Meta Ray-Bans integration. We shared important updates, challenges, and outlined how our community of Explorers can help move this initiative forward. If you didn’t catch it, you can watch the embedded recording below, or watch it on YouTube here.