9 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content

Meta

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, counts more than 3 billion monthly users across its family of apps. Now, it’s trying to build the next generation of services in virtual reality and the metaverse through Meta Quest headsets and Horizon Worlds — all while dealing with antitrust pressures, privacy concerns, and younger users shifting to other platforms.

Instagram hits 3 billion monthly usersInstagram hits 3 billion monthly users
Jess Weatherbed
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
We met the old-fashioned way.

And by “old-fashioned,” of course I mean the Facebook Dating AI assistant. I didn’t even know Facebook Dating was a thing, and it’s already worse than I could have guessed.

Nicholi:

I think “Meta’s dating assistant AI chatbot” might be the worst imaginable response to asking someone how they met their partner.

Get the day’s best comment and more in my free newsletter, The Verge Daily.

Meta’s quest to own your faceMeta’s quest to own your face
David Pierce
The strongest argument for smart glasses is accessibility

It’s reasonable to feel wary about this tech, but we can’t ignore how it can be a game-changer for disabled communities

Victoria Song
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
A native Discord app is coming to Quest VR headsets.

It will launch sometime in 2026.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Meta is working on a new “spatial” UI for VR.

CTO Andrew Bosworth showed a sneak peek of it during the Connect developer keynote. Looks a little Vision Pro-y!

Sorry this screenshot from the livestream is a little grainy!
Sorry this screenshot from the livestream is a little grainy!
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Meta’s developer keynote at Connect is about to start.

Perhaps we’ll hear more details about the new Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses or Meta’s plans for the metaverse. You can watch the show live on YouTube.

Meta Connect 2025: the 6 biggest announcements

We got a glimpse of Meta’s new AI glasses and a bunch more.

Emma Roth
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Zuckerberg came back in workout gear, then Diplo showed up, and now they’re going on a run. Show’s over!

I have no idea what’s going on.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
#SavetheThunderRound.

Look, James Cameron is an icon. A treasure. But we need to bring the Thunder Round sound effects from Hot Girl Vergecast Summer in to wrap this up. Kinda wish we got more Meta Ray-Ban Display demos, even if they did fail.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
James Cameron takes the stage.

Cameron is here to talk about VR and immersive entertainment, particularly Cameron’s passion for 3D filmmaking. “I’ve spent my filmmaking career really trying to engage people,” he says.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Zuckerberg is now talking about the VR and metaverse.

Including a new “immersive” virtual home. There won’t be an “8-bit Eiffel Tower,” he said, referencing a famous Zuck meme.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
We went from one to four AI smart glasses.

This is kind of nuts if you really think about it. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses launched in 2023, and now, two years later there are four glasses announced in a variety of styles and designs. One with a display. That’s a massive leap forward in such a short period of time.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Zuck is wrapping up the discussion of Meta’s AI glasses.

Which he calls Meta’s “fall 2025” lineup. See you next year?

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Oh my god, another failed live demo.

Hm. I swear that in MY DEMOS this stuff worked. But this is a good example of why we need real-life testing for reviews.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Mark Zuckerberg debates doing slides or a live demo.

After that first live demo fail, I get why. But the crowd has demanded a live demo and so... here we go!

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Here’s Zuck wearing the new Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses.
I regret to inform you Meta’s new smart glasses are the best I’ve ever tried
Play

The new $800 Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses have a screen that can show directions, pictures, translations, and more.

Victoria Song
The new Oakley Meta glasses are what athletes actually want

I may look like a jabroni, but IP67, new video modes, and Garmin integration are huge upgrades for the outdoorsy crowd.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Victoria Song
If you missed the transparent Ray-Ban Metas last year, good news.

There’s another transparent limited edition version in matte. Kewl.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
A live AI demo failed on stage.

Chef Jack Mancuso was attempting to ask Meta AI to help make a recipe in a live video, but the AI got a little tripped up and he had to stop the demo.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
Conversation focus is the first new feature on deck.

Zuckerberg introduced a small video showing how Meta glasses will be able to zero in on conversations and amplify voices in loud areas. It’s not quite like a hearing aid feature, but it does remind everyone that the second-gen Ray-Bans are an audio-first device.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Zuck says that super intelligence will be “the most important technology in our lifetimes.”

Meta has been investing a lot into AI as of late.

Victoria Song
Victoria Song
“It is no surprise that AI glasses are taking off.”

So says Mark Zuckerberg after showing a live feed of him walking onto the stage from AI glasses... with the hint of a display overlay. Note how he says AI glasses, not smart glasses.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Zuck’s onstage.

He was wearing a new pair of glasses that, according to a live video, have a display in the lens. He says he’ll talk more about them later.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
We’re seated for the Connect keynote!

Victoria Song and I are here and ready to go. Mark Zuckerberg is set to take the stage at 8PM ET.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Ray-Ban’s website posts a “We’ll be back soon” note ahead of Meta Connect.

Taking a move straight from Apple’s playbook.

During Mark Zuckerberg’s keynote tonight at 8PM ET, we’re expecting some more glasses. Come back then, as Victoria Song and I will be covering the show live.

Image: Ray-Ban