MentraOS: The Cross-Compatible Smart Glasses Operating System

What MentraOS Solves for Smart Glasses Developers

Building a smart glasses app without a shared OS layer means writing hardware-specific code for each manufacturer: separate pairing logic, separate APIs for display, camera, microphone, and speaker, and separate distribution channels. MentraOS replaces that fragmentation with a single API that abstracts over the hardware differences between supported devices.

The README describes the development timeline reduction from months to days. That claim is specific to what MentraOS handles: pairing, connection management, data streaming, hardware access, and cross-device compatibility. Developers who use MentraOS focus on the application logic. The underlying hardware negotiation is handled by the platform.

The platform is Apache-2.0 licensed. Every component is described as open source, which means developers and businesses can self-host, modify, and extend it. The README notes that MentraOS is already deployed by Fortune 500 companies for field work, remote support, training, accessibility, and compliance-sensitive workflows. These are concrete use cases, not speculative applications.

Supported Hardware and the MentraOS Ecosystem

As of the latest README, MentraOS supports the Mentra Live, Even Realities G2, Even Realities G1, and Vuzix Z100. The NIMO device is listed as coming soon. Support varies by device and the README does not document which capabilities are available per model. Developers who need a specific hardware feature, such as a camera or a speaker, should verify that feature is available on the target device before choosing it.

The ecosystem extends beyond the OS itself. Manufacturers can integrate the Mentra Runtime into their own iOS and Android apps to reach the MentraOS ecosystem while keeping their brand, app, and customer relationship. This is relevant for hardware companies who want ecosystem access without giving up their existing app.

The Mentra MiniApp Store is the distribution channel. Apps are browsed and installed from a phone and appear on the glasses. The store hosts built-in apps for live captions, AI notes, proactive AI, translation, streaming, and more. Third-party developers publish to the same store.

The repository version is 3.3.0, with active pre-release development visible in the recent release history, including mentra-v3.3.0-dev.451 tagged on 2026-09-28. The default branch is dev, not main.

How the MentraOS Runtime Architecture Works

MentraOS runs glasses apps on a phone inside the Mentra Runtime. Multiple glasses apps can run simultaneously, sharing one connection to the glasses hardware. This design keeps the glasses hardware lightweight: the glasses receive rendered output and send sensor data, while the processing happens on the phone.

The architecture allows multiple apps to run together without conflicts. A user can run captions, notes, notifications, a dashboard, and AI tools at the same time. Each app communicates through the shared connection rather than competing for direct hardware access.

The package.json shows a monorepo structure with workspaces covering cloud packages, miniapps, the miniapp CLI SDK, and a mobile module. The version 3.3.0 family tracks releases across these workspaces together. The codebase uses TypeScript throughout, with Bun as the preferred runtime and ESLint with TypeScript ESLint for static analysis.

For developers who want to build a glasses app from scratch, the SDK and a developer console are available at console.mentra.glass. Documentation lives at docs.mentra.glass. The README links to a contributing guide that covers per-repo setup and conventions.

Repository Layout and Build Tooling

The MentraOS repository is a monorepo managed with Bun and pnpm. The package.json workspaces cover the cloud packages, miniapps, the miniapp CLI SDK, and the mobile module. The version 3.3.0 family tracks releases across these workspaces together.

The package.json includes a script to build the miniapp module:

bun run build:miniapp

The monorepo also includes release automation scripts for validating, preparing, and promoting release families. These scripts are invoked through the Node.js and Bun runtimes defined in the package.json.

For detailed per-component development setup and conventions, the README points to the contributing guide at docs.mentraglass.com. The repository contains a CLAUDE.md file and an AGENTS.md file alongside standard development configuration, and a CHANGELOG.md tracks formal release history.

The miniapp CLI SDK at `sdk/miniapp-cli` is the starting point for developers building MiniApps for the MentraOS ecosystem. The developer console at console.mentra.glass is the companion tool for publishing apps to the Mentra MiniApp Store.

Where MentraOS Is the Wrong Tool

MentraOS is not a general augmented reality SDK. It is a phone-side runtime that manages connections to supported smart glasses models. Developers who want to build for AR headsets such as the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest will not find support in MentraOS. It targets the category of lightweight smart glasses, not full spatial computing platforms.

The NIMO device listed as coming soon is not yet supported. Developers who have acquired NIMO hardware cannot use MentraOS with it until support ships. For the Even Realities G2, the README marks it with a green border in its hardware compatibility table, but the README does not explain what that visual distinction signifies.

The platform also does not support building directly on the glasses hardware itself. All app logic runs on the phone through the Mentra Runtime. Applications that require on-device inference or very low latency processing that cannot tolerate the phone-to-glasses communication round trip are not a match for this architecture.

License, Maintenance, and Contributing

MentraOS is licensed under Apache-2.0, owned by Mentra Labs, Inc. The Apache-2.0 license permits use, modification, and distribution in commercial products without requiring the same license on proprietary modifications, subject to attribution requirements.

The last push to the repository was on 2026-09-25, three days before this article. The most recent tagged releases are from the 3.3.0-dev family, with multiple pre-releases on 2026-09-28. The project is under active development.

The README invites pull requests and links to a contributor guide at docs.mentraglass.com. Issues tagged Help Wanted are listed on the repository issue tracker for community contributions. The community gathers in a Discord server at mentra.glass/discord.

Editorial conclusion

MentraOS is the right starting point for developers building smart glasses apps who want cross-device compatibility without negotiating per-manufacturer SDKs. The Apache-2.0 license, the MiniApp Store distribution channel, and the existing Fortune 500 deployments in field work and compliance workflows indicate a degree of production readiness. Developers should verify hardware compatibility before committing to a device, because support varies by glasses model and the NIMO device is listed as coming soon. The dev branch, not a main branch, is the active default.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. Official documentation
2. Official README
3. Project repository
4. Release notes