Apple Patent Shows How Its Smart Glasses Could Tackle Recording Privacy Concerns

Apple's entry into the smart glasses market has been rumoured for some time now, and the first product is expected to arrive next year. Apple is yet to confirm the development of its first-generation smart glasses, but a newly revealed Apple patent suggests that privacy will be a key consideration for this wearable. The Apple Glasses could use audio indicators during recordings. This shows that Apple is planning to address growing privacy concerns around smart glasses, particularly about complaints of recording people in public without their knowledge.

Apple Patent Focuses on Privacy Protection for Smart Glasses

As initially spotted by Apple Insider, Apple has filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that indicates the use of audio indicators during recordings. The patent titled "Secure Audio Indicators For Electronic Devices" suggests usage of an indicator light included at or near the camera and activated to indicate that video or audio is being recorded.

"Because the information captured by the microphone(s) and/or camera can include private and/or personal information about the user and/or other people around the electronic device," says the patent application, "it may be desirable to be able to securely control and/or confirm the output of these audio indicators", the patent said.

The patent suggests that an indicator light will be used to show when a device is recording audio or video. However, on smart glasses, there may not be enough space for a visible light; "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", it said.

"For example, an audio and/or haptic indicator may be more effective at providing an indication than an indicator light," says the patent application, citing cases of sight-impaired users, indicating that Apple could use sound or vibration to let the wearer know when recording starts. However, this might raise concern that a user could start recording before entering a room, making the alert less useful for people nearby.

Apple aims to ensure that the wearer can start recording and that nobody else can secretly control the glasses. To avoid this, Apple suggests glasses could play a sound through their speaker and then use the microphone to confirm that the sound came from the glasses.  This "can help to securely ensure that the first audio indicator is, in fact, output by the speaker of a device," and it is not somehow being spoofed.

The latest patent hints that Apple wants to address the growing privacy concerns about smart glasses and their cameras and microphones recording people in public places without consent.

A recent report claimed that Apple will launch the smart glasses next year. It is likely to be previewed at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2027. It is expected to compete with Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.