Meta Pauses Plan to Cap Free AI Glasses Feature at 3 Hours Per Month

UPDATE 7/25:Following backlash, Meta has paused a test that caps the conversation focus feature to three free hours per month.

"Meta's AI glasses pack a lot of value for free, and some premium features will be subscription-based over time—and conversation focus is one we want to make sure we get right," Meta tells The Verge . "We heard the feedback, so we're pausing its subscription test for now."

Meta has made conversation focus available through the company's Early Access Program for early testers while it works "on a better approach."

Original Story 7/1:
Meta has taken the first step in nudging customers of its AI glasses toward a paid subscription.

As The Verge reports , the company has slapped a 3-hour monthly cap on its Conversation Focus feature. To use it for up to 15 hours requires a $20-per-month Meta One Premium plan.

The feature, announced alongside the Meta Ray-Ban Display in September, uses the on-device speakers to amplify the voice of the person you're speaking to. Meta began rolling out Conversational Focus with a software update in December, and you can enable it via a voice command or in the Meta AI mobile app.

Conversational Focus can be especially useful in situations where you're speaking to someone in a loud environment, such as a busy cafe or a street, or if you have a hearing impairment. According to The Verge, the feature uses on-device tech and can function without an internet connection, making the cap a little surprising.

On its Help Center page, Meta reiterates that its AI glasses don't require a subscription and that the free monthly usage applies only to certain features. For now, the page only mentions "rate limits" for Conversation Focus; we reached out to Meta about limits for other features.

For any free feature, the usage limit will be refreshed each calendar month. And if you've paid for a subscription, the expanded usage limit will be updated with each billing cycle, Meta adds.

The Meta One plan for AI glasses is still being tested and is limited to certain regions, including the US and Canada. It adds increased Meta AI limits and also unlocks benefits included with Facebook Plus, Instagram Plus, and WhatsApp Plus subscriptions.

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