Meta pauses $20 smart-glasses subscription plan

Meta has paused its plan to charge $20 per month for Conversation Focus, a feature on its smart glasses that helps users hear conversations more clearly. Spokesperson Tyler Yee confirmed the change to The Verge after backlash over the proposal.

Conversation Focus runs locally on the glasses and does not require a cloud connection. Meta had nevertheless planned to limit even subscribers to 15 hours per month. The Verge’s Sean Hollister says he disconnected his Meta Ray-Bans from the internet and found that the feature continued working.

“We heard the feedback so we’re pausing its subscription test for now. Conversation focus will remain available for free through our Early Access Program for early testers while we work on a better approach.”

The pause does not mean Meta has abandoned subscriptions for smart-glasses features. Yee said that “some premium features will be subscription-based over time,” while adding that not all premium features will require payment.

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Meta also declined to say whether it would remove the proposed rate limits from Conversation Focus. Asked whether the on-device feature would no longer be capped, the company said it had no further details and was “still exploring all our options for the best approach.”

Yee framed subscriptions as part of Meta’s hardware strategy. The company sells its AI glasses at “accessible prices,” he said, and plans to charge power users for expanded access to premium features to help sustain that model and fund future capabilities.

Hollister notes that the $299 Meta Ray-Bans are hardly free, and argues that charging for a feature that works locally could alienate existing customers. He suspects Meta may ultimately keep Conversation Focus free, while reserving paid subscriptions for other features.