Meta Lens owners hit a paywall to use the built-in feature.

Owners of the Meta AI glasses have been told they will have to pay a monthly fee if they want full access to the previously free feature.

Users must pay $19.99 per month to use “conversation focus,” which uses the microphone on the glasses to hear people they talk to for more than three hours a month.

According to Meta, people who reach their “free monthly usage limit” must wait for their free hours to renew each month unless they subscribe.

The social media giant declined to comment, but a spokesperson said the move was part of an experiment to free up core services and offer subscriptions to some features.

Meta’s plan was to test “premium” subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. It was first revealed in January.

The organization It was confirmed later, External The tests will include testing paid access to expanded AI features, including those on the smart glasses.

A Meta spokesperson told the BBC on Thursday that glasses users will still be able to access other built-in AI features, such as live translation and voice assistant, without needing to sign up.

“All owners of AI glasses will get free monthly use of certain features,” says a Help page, External.

The company says Meta One Premium tier subscribers can use Chat Focus for 15 hours per month.

Meta One subscriptions are only available in certain countries – excluding the UK.

“Having conversation focus behind a paywall feels wrong,” said one user. who wrote, External To Meta Ray-Ban Product Leader David Woodland.

“I’d happily sign up for Meta One, but only if it offered truly unlimited access.”