ZuckOff Alerts Bystanders to Nearby Smart Glasses Over Bluetooth

Phones are becoming a new kind of bystander warning system for smart glasses. ZuckOff, a mobile app released in August, detects Bluetooth broadcasts from Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Snap Spectacles, then estimates how close the devices are.

Polish developer Pawel Szydlowski built the app. As of WIRED’s publication, it had reportedly exceeded 5,000 downloads in Apple’s App Store and reached 1,000 downloads on Google Play. Its premise is that a phone can recognize signals smart glasses already broadcast, giving people a cue that the devices are present.

Matching a device, not a person

The app works by comparing recorded Bluetooth signatures with manufacturer identifiers. That is a different task from visually recognizing a wearer: it flags compatible glasses in the area and uses signal strength for an approximate distance, rather than a precise location.

Free scanning versus a continuing record

The basic scan is free. ZuckOff Pro costs $25 and adds history logging, CSV exports, a home-screen widget, and background monitoring that can send alerts while a phone screen is off. Those paid features move the product beyond an on-demand check toward keeping a record of detections over time.

A response to a growing encounter

The launch lands amid scrutiny of smart-glasses recording. Reports have documented people being recorded without consent, while some schools and cinemas have banned the devices. The stakes extend beyond a niche gadget category: the article says roughly 7 million pairs of Meta smart glasses were sold in 2025.

ZuckOff’s value is therefore practical but bounded. It makes the presence of certain smart-glasses models more legible in places where people may otherwise not notice them, while leaving the question of conduct to the wearer and the rules around them.