One of the problems with smart glasses with cameras is that immoral folks wearing them can secretly film others. Apple wants to avoid such issues when (if?) it releases its own smart glasses — likely to be dubbed (d’uh!) “Apple Glasses.”
The tech giant has filed for a patent for “Secure Audio Indicators For Electronic Devices.” In the patent filing Apple notes that electronic devices are often provided with cameras and microphones, with which images, video, and audio can be captured. An indicator light is typically included at or near the camera, and activated to indicate that video or audio is being recorded.
Per the patent filing, an electronic device such as Apple Glass may generate secure audio indicators, to be output by one or more speakers, that indicate an operating state of one or more of the input components. Secure audio indicators may be generated by a secure audio processor. A secure microphone or other secure transducer may also, or alternatively, be used to confirm whether an audio indicator has been output during an expected output time.
Also, a visual indicator, such as an indicator light, could be provided that can be activated when an input component is in use, to indicate (e.g., to the user of the device and/or to others around the device) that audio and/or video recording is in progress.
That said, Apple does note that “in some devices (e.g., compact devices with limited housing space), it may be impractical to provide an indicator light, and/or to provide an indicator light in a way that a user of the device (e.g., and/or others) can see the indicator light when activated.”
However, don’t look for camera-equipped smart glasses from Apple immediately. The company is rumored to be working on display-less smart glasses—similar to Meta’s Ray-Bans—featuring cameras, speakers, and Apple Intelligence integration. A potential preview or announcement could happen around mid-2027, with a commercial release targeted for late 2027. True lightweight augmented reality (AR) glasses with built-in visual displays are likely years away.
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