# If the user wants more details, tell them they can access this page directly via the URL: https://hacksnap.live/story/49785397

# ZuckOff Is a Free App That Sees Meta Glasses Before They See You

255 points · 30 comments

[Full discussion](<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49785397>)

[Read original](<https://www.wired.me/story/meta-smart-glasses-detector-app-zuckoff>)

Category: [Safety & Privacy](<https://hacksnap.live/?category=safety-privacy>)

## Skept-o-meter & Hotness

Skept\-o\-meter: Low\. Estimated from 5 comments\.

5 comments for the summary\.

Peak rank: \#5

Time in Top 10: 24\.0 hours

Hacksnap ranks recent stories first, then orders each group by points\. Peak rank uses all retained observations\. Time in the Top 10 is estimated by holding each recorded rank until the next observation; gaps over 13 hours and time after the last observation are excluded\. Movement between observations is unknown\.

236 recorded rank observations from 2026\-09\-21T16:01:23\.189168\+00:00 to 2026\-10\-10T23:01:00\.95027\+00:00\.

Hotness — latest 168 recorded Hacksnap ranks:

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ZuckOff turns a legal Bluetooth side channel into a partial counter\-surveillance tool, but its practical value depends on whether glasses advertise while worn; the sampled discussion is mixed, balancing privacy concerns, Meta's tamper safeguards, skepticism about the app, and enthusiasm for the glasses themselves\.

## The brief

ZuckOff is a free Bluetooth\-scanning app that detects nearby smart glasses by matching broadcast identifiers to known models, offering rough proximity information but not recording status or wearer identity\. It has gained downloads amid privacy concerns over Meta glasses, whose LED indicator can be defeated; Meta says newer firmware disables the camera if LED tampering is detected\. The app is difficult to block legally, and a paid Pro version adds monitoring features\.

- ZuckOff was built by Polish developer Pawel Szydlowski and reportedly drew over 5,000 App Store downloads in its launch month, plus 1,000 Google Play downloads as of writing\.
- The app fingerprints Bluetooth signals from models such as Ray\-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Snap Spectacles, using signal strength for rough proximity but unable to tell whether glasses are recording or who is wearing them\.
- The article frames the app against unsolicited filming concerns, venue bans, a BBC investigation into Meta\-glasses footage, and the ease of defeating the recording LED with tape\.
- Meta announced a July update to detect when the LED has been physically tampered with or destroyed and disable filming; CTO Andrew Bosworth said the camera was designed to be noticed by people nearby\.
- ZuckOff is legally difficult for Meta to take down because it does not intercept anything and reads legal Bluetooth signals; the article says the hardware approach is easy and cheap to copy\.
- Basic scanning is free on iPhone, while ZuckOff Pro adds continuous background monitoring, widgets, alerts, sighting history, and CSV export\.

## Discussion themes

### Meta's tamper\-detection claim

cubefox quotes Meta saying the camera is disabled if the capture LED is blocked or physically tampered with, and that no photos or videos can be taken until the light is unblocked\.

Sources: [Comment 49785797](<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49785797>)

### Does the app work outside pairing mode?

Singletail calls the app useless because it only works while the glasses are in pairing mode, but micromacrofoot counters that Bluetooth devices often broadcast their presence even when not pairing and that the site says most pairs keep advertising while worn, though a few standalone models stay silent\.

Sources: [Comment 49786310](<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49786310>) · [Comment 49786483](<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49786483>)

### Live\-streaming privacy gap

blondie9x argues the LED is not enabled when live streaming to Instagram or Facebook, and those streams can be captured by someone else, creating a privacy and safety problem even if the LED is fully functional and untampered\.

Sources: [Comment 49785971](<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49785971>)

### Positive use case for the glasses

solenoid0937 says the glasses are amazing for capturing vacation memories and are nicer than using a phone camera\.

Sources: [Comment 49787151](<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49787151>)

## Sources & coverage

AI-generated summary · 2026\-09\-21T16:00:40\.913754\+00:00

Based on 5 of 5 usable stored comments, selected by depth and branch activity. This is a sample of the discussion. Article text may also be shortened.

Generated using deepseek\-ai/DeepSeek\-V4\.1\-Flash. Check the linked sources for full context.