Factory Reset Smart Glasses: A Complete Guide
When your sleek new pair of smart glasses starts acting like a temperamental teenager—refusing to connect, freezing mid-photo, or ignoring your voice commands—the “factory reset” is your ultimate peace offering. I’ve been there, staring at my Ray-Ban Metas, wondering why they suddenly decided they didn’t speak iPhone anymore.
Whether you’re using Android or iPhone, resetting your smart glasses is often the only way to clear out the digital cobwebs. In this guide, I’ll walk you through why you might need to do this, the step-by-step process for the most popular models, and the little “gotchas” I’ve learned the hard way.
Quick tip: If something’s wonky, try a regular restart first. It’s usually the easiest fix! If that doesn’t clear up the problem, then it’s time to go for the big one: a Factory Reset Smart Glasses.
This guide is here to walk you through exactly how to do both, step-by-step, for the most popular smart glasses, whether you’re rocking an iPhone or an Android. We’ve got the simple, friendly advice you need!
The “Why” Behind the Reset: A Personal Tale of Tech Woes
A few months ago, I was at a concert, ready to capture a killer POV shot with my Ray-Ban Stories. I tapped the button, and… nothing. The LED pulsed a weird, sickly orange. I tried turning them off and on. I toggled Bluetooth on my iPhone. I even yelled at them (don’t do that, it doesn’t help).
The culprit? A firmware update that had tripped over itself. The only solution was to Factory Reset Smart Glasses.
Common reasons you’ll need to Factory Reset Smart Glasses:
- Selling or Gifting: You don’t want the next owner seeing your weirdly angled brunch photos.
- Connection Loops: When your phone says “Connected” but the app says “Searching,” something is broken in the handshake.
- Battery Drain: Sometimes a background process hangs, eating your battery in 20 minutes.
- Software Glitches: Voice assistants that won’t wake up or cameras that refuse to snap.
Before You Do a Factory Reset, Try one of these options to Restart Your Smart Glasses.
Before you go nuclear and wipe all your data, I’ve found that about 80% of the time, a full factory reset is actually overkill. It’s like calling a plumber because your faucet is dripping when you just needed to turn the handle a bit tighter. First, try doing a Restart Smart Glasses.
Over the years of tinkering with different frames—from my early Google Glass days to my current daily-driver Metas—I’ve developed a “triage” list. Try these steps in order before you commit to the reset.
The “Soft Reboot” (The Tech Version of a Nap)
Just like your phone or laptop, smart glasses can get “thread-locked.” A process in the background gets stuck in a loop and eats up the processor.
- For Ray-Ban Meta/Stories: Toggle the power switch on the left temple to Off, wait for the white light to disappear completely, count to ten (slowly!), and flip it back on.
- For Xreal/Audio Frames: Simply unplug the USB-C cable or the Bluetooth connection, wait a beat, and reconnect.
- Why it works: This flushes the RAM without touching your saved photos or custom settings.
The “Bluetooth Handshake” Refresh
Nine times out of ten, the glasses are fine, but your phone is being stubborn. Bluetooth is a notoriously finicky protocol.
- Go to your phone settings and toggle Bluetooth off for 30 seconds, then back on.
- If that doesn’t work, go to your Bluetooth list, find your glasses, and disconnect (but don’t “Forget”) them. Then, manually tap the name in the list to reconnect.
- Personal Tip: I’ve noticed that if I have my smart glasses, a smartwatch, and Bluetooth car audio all trying to connect at once, my iPhone sometimes gets confused. Try turning off your watch’s Bluetooth for a moment to give the glasses a “clear lane.”
Force-Closing the Companion App
Sometimes the “brain” of your glasses isn’t in the frames—it’s the app on your phone. If the Meta View, Nebula, or Bose Music app hangs, the glasses will seem broken.
- On iPhone: Swipe up from the bottom, find the app card, and flick it away to kill it.
- On Android: Go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Force Stop.
- Relaunch the app and see if the glasses “wake up.”
The “Charger Jumpstart”
I once thought my glasses were bricked because they wouldn’t respond to any button presses. No lights, no sound. I tried to reset them, but you can’t reset a dead device.
- Plug them into a low-voltage power source (like a laptop USB port or a basic 5W wall brick).
- Leave them for 20 minutes. Sometimes, if the battery hits “True Zero,” the firmware needs a steady stream of power for a few minutes before it even has enough juice to show a charging light.
Update, Don’t Reset
Before wiping your data, check if there is a firmware update available. Manufacturers like Meta and Vuzix constantly release “hotfixes” for the very bugs that make you want to factory reset in the first place. If your app says an update is pending, plug the glasses into power and let it finish. It might just fix the glitch natively.
If you have attempted all 5 options for a Restart, and problems still exist – Go ahead and do a factory reset
How to Factory Reset – Ray-Ban Meta & Stories
Meta’s glasses are the most popular on the market, but their factory reset smart glasses process feels like a secret handshake.
For Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2):
- Fold the arms: This is a weirdly specific requirement, but it ensures the sensors are in the right state.
- The 5-Tap Trick: Press the capture button (on top of the right arm) 5 times rapidly.
- Watch the LED: The internal LED (the one you see near your eye) should turn a solid orange.
- The Long Hold: As soon as it’s orange, press and hold that same capture button for about 5 seconds.
- The Pulse: Once the light starts pulsing orange and white, let go. Your glasses are now scrubbing their brain.
For Ray-Ban Stories (Gen 1):
- Power On: Ensure the power switch on the left arm is in the ‘On’ position (showing green).
- The Combo: Slide and hold the power switch all the way to the right (the pairing position) and simultaneously press and hold the capture button.
- Orange Alert: Wait for the LED to turn solid orange, then release both.
Pro-tip: If you’re on Android, sometimes the “Fast Pair” pop-up won’t appear after a reset. If that happens, manually go into the Meta View app to trigger the setup.
Resetting Xreal Air & AR Glasses
Xreal (formerly Nreal) glasses are more like monitors for your face. Most of their “resets” happen via the Nebula App or a firmware tool.
- Connect to Phone: Plug your glasses into your Android or iPhone (using the adapter if necessary).
- Open Nebula: Navigate to Settings > Firmware.
- Force Update: There is usually an option to “Reinstall” or “Update” even if you are on the latest version. This acts as a soft factory reset for the glasses’ internal controller.
If the glasses are completely blacked out, Xreal’s official support recommends using their web-based firmware update tool on a PC/Mac.
Xiaomi & Huawei Smart Audio Glasses
For audio-focused frames, the reset is usually tied to the charging cable.
- Xiaomi: While charging, press and hold the touch areas on both temples for 7 seconds. You’ll hear a voice prompt confirming the reset.
- Huawei Eyewear: Place them in the case (or connect the charging converter) and hold the function button for 10 seconds until the light flashes red.
Troubleshooting a Factory Reset
Sometimes, the buttons just don’t respond. Here is what I do when my glasses are “bricked”:
- The “Deep Discharge” Fix: If they won’t turn on to even start a reset, leave them off the charger for 48 hours to let the battery hit zero. Then, plug them into a wall outlet (not a computer) and let them charge for 3 hours before trying the reset buttons again.
- Check the Pinhole: Some older or “off-brand” smart glasses have a tiny pinhole. Use a SIM tool to press it for 10 seconds.
- App Cache (Android Only): If you’re on Android and the reset glasses won’t re-pair, go to Settings > Apps > [Your Smart Glass App] > Storage > Clear Cache. This removes old pairing data that might be blocking the new connection.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Factory Reset Smart Glasses
Q: Will a factory reset delete my photos? A: Yes. It wipes the internal storage of the glasses. Always sync to your phone’s app before resetting.
Q: Can I reset my glasses without the app? A: Yes, most glasses have a physical button combination (like the Ray-Ban 5-tap method) that works even if the app isn’t connected.
Q: My glasses are stuck on a red/orange light. What do I do? A: This usually indicates a “critical error.” Try a forced restart first (holding the power button for 12-15 seconds) before proceeding to a full factory reset.
Q: Do I need to unpair from Bluetooth first? A: Ideally, yes. If you reset the glasses but don’t “Forget” them in your phone’s Bluetooth settings, you’ll likely run into pairing errors when you try to set them up again.
Q: How often should I reset my glasses? A: Only when necessary! It’s not like a weekly chore. I only do it if I notice significant lag or if I’m handing them off to a friend to try.
Final Thoughts from a Wearable Junkie
Smart glasses are still in their “awkward teenage years.” They are brilliant when they work, but they require a little more patience than a standard pair of headphones. Don’t be afraid of the factory reset—it’s not a sign of a broken product; it’s just the tech version of a “power nap.”
If you’ve tried all the steps above and you’re still getting a “no-go” from your frames, it might be time to check your warranty. Most major brands like Meta and Xreal have a one-year limited warranty for hardware defects.
Stay clear-eyed and happy wearing!
Additional helpful information:
- For details about resolving smart glasses charging problems – Smart Glasses Charging Problems – Suggestions and Solutions
- If you have trouble with Bluetooth pairing to your smartphone – Smart Glasses Not Pairing – How to fix it?
- Backup your smart glasses on a regular basis – How To Backup Smart Glasses?
External Authoritative Links
| Smart Glass Model | Source | Summary of Factory Reset Method |
| Ray-Ban Meta / Stories | Ray-Ban Stories FAQ (Ray-Ban Official Support) | You can reset the glasses either through the Meta View App (Settings > General > Factory reset) or manually by holding the power switch and capture button until the LED turns solid orange. |
| Google Glass | Factory resetting your device – Google Glass Help (Google Official Support) | Navigate through the device menu: Tap to activate Glass, then swipe to Settings > Device Info > Factory Reset. |
| Vuzix Blade 2 | How To Factory Reset The Vuzix Blade 2? (VR Expert Knowledge base, citing device instructions) | Go to the on-device Settings menu, select Personal > Reset, and then tap Factory reset. |
| Vuzix M400 / M4000 | Vuzix M400 Troubleshooting Guide (Troubleshooting Guide, citing device instructions) | Access the on-device Settings menu, select System (or Personal > Backup Reset for M4000), and then choose Erase all data (factory reset). |
