Ray-Ban’s smart glasses can now make calls after software update

The smart glasses were produced in partnership with social media giant Meta and retail at £299. (Meta)

Wearers of Ray-Ban Stories will soon be able to make calls to friends and family with the smart glasses after the release of a new software update.

The update allows users to send messages to contacts or make calls to them using WhatsApp, by making voice commands such as “hey Facebook, send a message to Kate,” or “hey Facebook, call Joe.”

First released in September 2021, Ray-Ban Stories features two cameras and a microphone, allowing users to capture their daily experiences and post them to Facebook.

The smart glasses were produced in partnership with social media giant Meta and retail at £299.

In a Facebook post with a picture of him sporting the glasses, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg said: “Launching more hands-free features for Ray-Ban Stories today. Now you can make calls, hear message readouts, and send end-to-end encrypted messages with WhatsApp.

“Soon you’ll also be able to directly reply to Messenger or WhatsApp messages with voice commands.“

The initial launch of the product raised concerns over the invasion of privacy and data protection in relation to images and audio captured by the devices.

Meta says the messages and calls will be secured by end-to-end encryption, and voice transcripts and audio recordings of voice commands related to WhatsApp calling or messaging will not be stored on any server.