ByteDance reportedly working on AI smart glasses to rival Meta

ByteDance might be getting serious about wearables. The company behind TikTok is reportedly working on its own pair of AI smart glasses, according to intel shared with The Information by two people familiar with the matter.

While ByteDance has dabbled in AI hardware before, such as earbuds and smaller gadgets, this would be their first real swing at something bigger. Sources say ByteDance has been hiring engineers with hardware experience to bring the ByteDance AI smart glasses to life.

The goal? “Decent-quality” image and video capture without killing the battery. ByteDance reportedly kicked off this project within the past year and is already in talks with suppliers to figure out the specs, features, and pricing of the glasses. No final details yet, but the fact that discussions have started suggests the project is picking up steam.

It actually makes sense when you consider ByteDance’s recent moves. At MWC 2025, the company teamed up with Qualcomm on a next-gen VR headset, signaling an aggressive push into the hardware space. Don’t forget that ByteDance also snapped up VR headset maker Pico back in 2021. That is more proof that they’re serious about consumer tech and AI-powered devices.

If these rumors are on point, the ByteDance AI smart glasses could be aiming straight at Meta’s growing lineup of wearables. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are the obvious rival here, but ByteDance might be looking to build something that stands apart, at least if early supplier talks are anything to go by.