Meta Connect 2026 — Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3, camera-free glasses and all the latest news

Today (Sept. 23) marks the day of Meta Connect 2026, the company's annual keynote where Mark Zuckerberg reveals the company's newest innovations. Over the past few years, that's meant new smart glasses, and we expect more of the same this year — including a pair that doesn't have a camera, which should help address some of the privacy concerns that have dogged the company recently.We might also hear about a new set of mixed-reality glasses, though nothing on a new set of VR goggles, even though it's been a few years since the company released its last pair, the Meta Quest 3S. And, on the software side, we expect to hear more about Muse, Meta's recently announced AI, as well as something about holographic avatars. The Meta Connect keynote is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET / 12 a.m. BST), and will be livestreamed via Meta.com. Of course, you can also follow along right here at Tom's Guide, where we'll provide instant analysis with our two intrepid reporters on the ground at Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, California. What we expect to see Heading into Meta Connect, the rumors point to six possible products being launched, only some of which are hardware: Audio-only smart glasses: no cameras hereRay-Ban Meta gen 3: an update to Meta's most popular specsProject Phoenix: A new set of mixed-reality glassesMuse AI: more updates to Meta's artificial assistantHologram avatars: these were teased two years ago, and we might finally see them. Live: Latest updates 2026-09-23T10:02:25.864Z Privacy concerns (Image credit: Tom's Guide) One of the biggest things we’re curious about is how Zuckerberg plans to address the privacy concerns around smart glasses. Earlier this year, numerous reports came out showing how people were modifying Meta glasses to block or disable the recording light, and a rash of videos taken on Meta’s glasses depicted harassment of women.Meta did issue firmware updates to prevent wearers from blocking the recording light, and it did ban a number of Instagram accounts, but the moniker “pervert glasses” has stuck to them and pretty much every other pair of smart glasses that can record video. However, Meta did not help its cause by filing for a patent that would use AI and facial recognition to automatically identify the people around you. This news came just days after the previous announcement, which was unfortunate timing, to say the least. 2026-09-23T09:51:46.198Z Project Phoenix (Image credit: Luna Yian) Perhaps the most ambitious announcement today could be that for Project Phoenix, Meta's rumored mixed-reality glasses. This device, which might look something like the Viture Beast or something from XReal, would have two small displays that would project an immersive view — though not quite as immersive as the Meta Quest 3 — was rumored to launch in 2027, but it looks like that timeline might have been pushed up. 2026-09-23T09:33:45.655Z More on Muse AI (Image credit: Future) While Muse AI, Meta's new personal AI assistant, isn't exactly new, we expect that the company will reveal more about what it can do, especially in conjunction with Meta's smart glasses.Our AI editor, Amanda Caswell, took Muse AI for a spin when it launched in early September; unlike other chatbots, it can "open websites, fill out forms and negotiate on your behalf. It can book travel, send emails and make purchases." That last bit can be a bit unnerving, especially to those who have their doubts about Meta in general. However, Muse connects to Stripe's Link payment system, so you're not handing over your credit card information to Muse itself. 2026-09-23T09:19:14.946Z (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Perhaps the biggest announcement we expect out of Meta Connect are a pair of camera-free smart glasses. According to the rumors, the audio-only "Luna" smart glasses won't be able to record photos or take photos.Given that Meta has taken a lot of fire for not doing more to prevent perverts from recording people without their consent, this model could prove popular for those who want smart glasses, but don't want to be considered creepy. 2026-09-23T09:15:08.227Z Welcome! (Image credit: Getty Images)Welcome to our 2026 Meta Connect live blog. We'll be following all the build-up to Meta's annual event, covering what we expect to see, all the details on timings and how to watch Mark Zuckerberg's keynote.It's going to be a big day for fans of smart glasses, and there's sure to be some interesting takeaways — especially when it comes to privacy. Stay tuned!