Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3: How to Set Up Your Glasses

Quick summary: Setting up the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 takes a few minutes in the Meta AI app. Here’s how I pair them, which apps and settings I turn on, and how the buttons and voice commands work once you’re done.

Step 1: Pair the glasses in the Meta AI app

1. Download the Meta AI app from the Google Play Store or the App Store, open it and sign in.
2. Tap the plus sign in the top right and pick Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3. The glasses don’t need to be in the case. Tap No pull tab, then Continue.
3. Make sure the glasses are on, fold them closed, then press and hold the button for five seconds until the LED pulses blue.
4. Back in the app, tap your glasses when they show up (mine showed as “RB Meta”) and hit Pair. Once it says paired, put them on and hit Continue.

The app asks whether to share additional data. I share it because I turn on beta software, which gets me new features sooner. If you’d rather not, pick Don’t share.

Step 2: Connect your apps

The onboarding asks you to connect music (I use Spotify; Amazon Music works too), plus your phone app, WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. I keep announce messages and automatic message readout on, and I leave the calling features on so I can stay hands-free. Skip any app you don’t use.

If you skip past onboarding, tap the menu in the top left, go to Glasses, then the gear in the top right to get back to these settings. Under Apps you can also connect things like your calendar, Gmail or Audible.

Step 3: Settings worth changing

• Adaptive volume: I turn it off so the volume stays where I set it instead of changing with the environment.
• Rename your glasses: tap the pencil next to the name. It makes multiple pairs easier to tell apart.
• Wi-Fi: add your network so the glasses can update.
• Meta AI > Language and voice: pick the AI voice (I like Helio), the speaking speed and the language.

How the controls work

• Photos and videos: say “Hey Meta, take a photo” or “take a video,” and “stop” to end it. Or press the capture button for a photo, press and hold it for video, and press it again to stop.
• Touchpad: swipe forward or back for volume, tap to play or pause, double-tap to skip a track and triple-tap to go back.
• Action button: tap it once to bring up Meta AI, or just use the wake word.

Verdict

Setup is quick and easy, and these glasses are just fun. They look cool and sound great, and everyone I know who has a pair loves them.

• Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 at Meta
• Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 at Best Buy