Meta acquires Limitless to expand AI wearable ambitions beyond headsets and glasses

Meta has acquired Limitless, the startup behind the AI “Pendant,” signaling a push to broaden its consumer hardware lineup beyond VR headsets and Ray‑Ban smart glasses. Limitless — known for the Rewind desktop product and the Pendant clip‑on audio wearable that records and summarizes conversations — will join Meta to help build AI‑enabled wearables.

Limitless says it will continue to support existing Pendant customers for at least a year and will stop new sales of the device. Current users can access Pendant features without subscription fees for that period, and the company is offering data export and deletion options for anyone who wants to leave their data behind.

What Limitless made

• Rewind: Desktop software that recorded user activity and made it searchable via a chatbot interface.
• Pendant: A clip‑on Bluetooth microphone that records ambient audio and uses AI to transcribe and summarize — a wearable focused on hands‑free capture and recall.

Why Meta bought them

Meta frames the acquisition as part of its vision to deliver “personal superintelligence” via AI wearables. Pendant’s audio capture and summarization tech fits naturally with Meta’s goal of bringing AI assistants into everyday life without forcing users to wear glasses. The move follows similar industry activity — for example, Amazon’s acquisition of Bee — and Meta’s hiring of design talent like former Apple lead Alan Dye, hinting at a broader product roadmap.

Privacy and product concerns

Audio‑recording wearables raise obvious privacy issues. Critics have warned about continuous or ambient recording, consent, data storage and potential misuse. Limitless’ short‑term support and data export offers help, but seamless integration into Meta products will invite scrutiny over how audio data is processed, stored and shared. Regulators and privacy advocates will likely watch closely as Meta integrates Limitless technology.

What this means for customers and the market

• Meta may broaden its wearable lineup to include lightweight audio devices that deliver AI assistant features without glasses or headsets.
• Existing Pendant users get at least a year of support and options to export or delete their data.
• Expect increased attention on privacy safeguards, transparency about on‑device vs cloud processing, and how such features are marketed to consumers.

Limitless’ announcement is available on the company’s blog and Meta’s product updates may follow. For now, Pendant sales have stopped and Limitless customers can continue to use features for a transition period.

Discussion: Are AI audio wearables — devices that record, transcribe and summarize your day — a useful step toward personal assistants, or an unacceptable privacy tradeoff? What safeguards would make you comfortable using one?