Meta is turning its glasses into a hearing aid. At Connect on Wednesday, the company announced Hearing Enhancement, a feature for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, and it has been cleared by the FDA. Engadget reported the details.
It comes to supported Meta Glasses later this year. The Ray-Ban models are not included, at least at the start, so this is a feature for Meta's own frames first.
You can get it two ways. It is part of a Meta One subscription, or you can pay a one-time $149. There is a 30-day free trial before you commit either way. The software is eligible for HSA and FSA reimbursement, though you would have to sort that out with your insurance carrier.
No prescription is needed, and you set it up at home. You turn it on or off with your voice: "Hey Meta, start Hearing Enhancement."
Meta already has a Conversation Focus mode that makes voices easier to hear in loud rooms. That is a convenience feature for anyone. Hearing Enhancement is different. It is built for people who would normally wear a hearing aid, and the FDA clearance is what lets Meta say so.
That puts Meta on the same path Apple took with AirPods Pro, where an over-the-counter hearing aid became a software feature on a device people already wear. The difference is the price model. Apple put its feature on the earbuds at no extra cost. Meta charges for it, or folds it into a subscription.
For someone who is putting off hearing aids because of cost or the look, glasses that already sit on your face are an easy sell. For someone who already owns Ray-Ban Meta, the wait is longer, since those frames are not on the first list.
Meta paired the news with other accessibility changes. Detailed Responses, the feature that describes the scene for blind and low-vision users, is getting better based on feedback from that community, and the glasses are getting new customizable audio and controls.