I love my Kindle. I love it even more when I have the time to curl up on my favorite chair with my latest read and a cup of tea. I moonlight as a book reviewer and the advanced copies I get are almost always in digital form, so they are perfect for an eReader.
But, as a mom of three I rarely have the opportunity to sit still. So when Meta rolled out its new teleprompter feature for the Ray-Ban Meta Display smart glasses, I had a thought:
What if I could “read” while doing the dishes? Or laundry? Or ...just about anything?
I already do these things with audio books, but none of the advanced copies I read are in audio form or available yet on Audible. So I jumped at the opportunity to read with my smart glasses. They came in handy when I needed to translate Bad Bunny's performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, so I was curious to see what else they could do.
How I turned smart glasses into a book reader
Before I go any further, I want to be very clear: Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses are not an e-reader. They are not meant to do this. You can’t upload a Kindle file directly. There’s no EPUB import button. No built-in book app.
But the teleprompter changes things. Here’s how it works:
- I opened the book file from my email. If you are doing this and don'thave the files, simply open the book on your Kindle app.
- Copy the biggest section of text you can and then paste it into the Teleprompter section inside the Meta AI app.
- The text will apperar in the display immediately.
That’s it. It’s simple — but surprisingly powerful and incredibly useful.
What it’s actually like to “read” in your glasses
The first thing I noticed is that this isn’t passive. It takes a little more focus than what I was expecting, but I got used to it.
Unlike audiobooks where you can sort of check out and listen, with the Teleprompter going, you're still reading the words yourself. So your eyes are moving and your brain processes the text.
But I appreciated that instead of holding a device, the text floats in a small, private display inside my lens.
This meant that I could read while loading the dishwasher, folding laundry, waiting in the pickup line (with the car in park, of course) or even stirring pasta. Using Ray-Ban Meta Display smart glasses I could read just about anywhere without staring down at a screen or balancing a Kindle or my phone.
The teleprompter breaks text into chunks or “cards,” so I advanced through it manually because along with the glasses I wear the accompanying Neural Band to swipe. It’s not as fluid as swiping a Kindle page, but it’s functional and strangely impressive.
What this is NOT
Before anyone ditches their Kindle, this is not for deep or immersive reading sessions. The display is small. The field of view is limited and you're advancing and adding text manually.
This means, if I want to sink into a novel for two hours, I’m still reaching for my Kindle. But for “found reading time," it's kind of brilliant.
The biggest surprise here was how convenient the experience is and the easy setup. Normally, I don’t read during chores because it feels impractical. My hands are wet. My phone might get splashed. I’ll lose my page or have to squint the whole time because the book is too far away. With the Ray-Ban Meta Display smart glasses, the barrier disappears. I just glance up slightly and keep moving.
Final thoughts
If you're like me and are always looking for ways to unlock invisible minutes in your day, this is a fun and easy hack. It's probably not the future of reading, but it's a great way to get in a few extra pages.
Ray-Ban Meta Display glasses weren’t designed to replace e-readers. They’re built for notifications, directions, messaging and short bursts of information.
But the teleprompter quietly turns them into a wearable micro-reader. As a busy person trying to squeeze in a few extra pages between soccer practice and bedtime though, I'm here for it.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
