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A developer built an iPhone app that finds nearby smart glasses with cameras.
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The app called Zuckoff has already reached about 5,000 users.
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It can guess how close the glasses are, but it cannot tell if they are recording.
Camera glasses raise new fears about secret filming in public. Many people worry that strangers could record them without warning. A Polish developer built a tool to fight this problem head on.
A new app turns Bluetooth signals into warnings
Pawel Szydlowski, a 30 year old software developer from Poland, built the app. He saw videos of people using smart glasses to film strangers without asking. This pushed him to create a fix, according to Business Insider and other media reports.
He named the app Zuckoff. It scans Bluetooth signals sent out by smart glasses nearby. Szydlowski bought several glasses models first. He then recorded each device’s unique Bluetooth signal.
The app compares any signal it finds to this saved list. This helps it recognize specific glasses brands quickly. Zuckoff can spot Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Oakley Meta glasses. It also picks up other brands, including Snap Spectacles.
The official Zuckoff website explains its method clearly. The app relies on maker signatures and Bluetooth details. It does not simply guess based on a device’s public name.
Zuckoff launched on Apple’s App Store last month. It has already gained around 5,000 users, Business Insider reports. Apple’s store page lists Szydlowski as the app’s official developer. The store describes Zuckoff as a tool for finding nearby camera glasses.
The app cannot confirm actual recording
Zuckoff has one clear limit. It cannot prove that someone is filming right now. A detection only means a matching device sits somewhere close by. The app uses signal strength to guess rough distance. It cannot show who wears the glasses. It also cannot show where the camera points. Most importantly, it cannot confirm the camera is active.
The developer’s website adds another warning too. No detection does not always mean no recording is taking place. Some devices send weaker signals at certain moments. Others may hide from detection under specific conditions.
This gap matters a lot here. Meta’s smart glasses already carry a small LED light. That light should turn on during recording. Zuckoff does not replace this built-in warning system. Instead, it gives people nearby another way to notice camera devices around them.
Growing privacy worries drive new detection tools
Camera glasses face heavier scrutiny as more people start wearing them. Ars Technica reports that Zuckoff belongs to a growing group of similar apps. These tools try to help ordinary people notice smart glasses around them.
The privacy concerns around smart glasses also fit into a wider rise in targeted surveillance threats. Apple has warned users in more than 100 countries about targeted spyware attacks, showing that privacy risks can extend far beyond cameras and wearable devices.
Szydlowski believes people deserve some basic awareness at least. He built Zuckoff to inform users, not necessarily to stop every recording. His main goal centers on giving bystanders useful information they lack today.
People have also noticed how the app handles data. Zuckoff needs no user account to work properly. It also skips any central server for its main task. According to the official website, the app processes all Bluetooth data directly on the phone. It also keeps a log of nearby Bluetooth devices for the user.
Reports about Zuckoff have spread well beyond English-language outlets too. Coverage has appeared in NY Post, IT Home, Europa Press, and Hardware Upgrade. This spread shows global interest in the privacy question Zuckoff addresses.
Zuckoff still remains an imperfect solution for now, though. It cannot catch every camera device out there, also cannot guarantee any recording is truly happening. It also cannot stop a determined person from filming. Even so, the app shows a real shift taking place.
As smart glasses spread further, more people want tools built just for them. Zuckoff gives everyday bystanders a small measure of awareness they did not have before. That shift may only grow stronger as more camera wearable devices reach the market worldwide.
