Device Discovery & Control

Aria Studio automatically discovers and connects to Aria glasses when you plug them in via USB. This page covers how device discovery, connection, authentication, and multi-device management work.

First-time setup and device configuration

For initial device setup (installing the SDK, authenticating your device for the first time, and configuring your PC) and device configuration (Wi-Fi, recording profiles, hotspot), use the Client SDK. See Client SDK Installation for setup instructions and Device Authentication for the first-time pairing flow.

Supported device generations

Feature	Gen 1	Gen 2
Connection	USB via ADB	USB via Aria SDK
Discovery	Automatic (ADB polling)	Automatic (real-time detection)
Authentication	Not required	Certificate-based pairing via Companion App
Recording control	Not supported	Supported
Live streaming	Not supported	Supported

Connecting your glasses

Gen 1 glasses

1. Install ADB (Android Debug Bridge) and ensure it's on your system PATH.
2. Connect your Gen 1 glasses to your computer via USB.
3. Aria Studio automatically detects the device. It appears in the sidebar Glasses panel.

Gen 1 devices are automatically identified by ADB and are always treated as authenticated — no additional pairing step is needed.

Gen 2 glasses

1. Connect your Gen 2 glasses to your computer via USB.
2. Aria Studio discovers the device automatically.
3. If this is the first time connecting this device, you'll need to authenticate it.

How device discovery works

Gen 1 discovery

Aria Studio periodically polls adb devices to detect connected Gen 1 glasses. When a device appears or disappears, the UI updates automatically.

Gen 2 discovery

Gen 2 devices are discovered through two mechanisms that work together:

• Active scanning — On each refresh, Aria Studio scans for Gen 2 devices on the USB network.
• Real-time notifications — The system pushes instant updates when a device is plugged in, unplugged, or changes connection state.

This dual approach means Gen 2 devices typically appear in the UI within seconds of being connected. The sidebar and device selection dialog update automatically — no manual refresh is needed.

Multi-device support

Aria Studio supports multiple connected devices simultaneously. While all devices stay connected, only one is the active (selected) device at any time. All operations (recording, streaming, importing) act on the selected device.

Switching between devices

1. Open the Switch to other glasses dialog from the sidebar.
2. All discovered devices are listed, separated by generation:
   • Gen 2 Glasses — Each shows a radio button and serial number. Unauthenticated devices display an Authenticate link.
   • Gen 1 Glasses — Each shows a radio button and serial number (always authenticated).
3. Select the device you want to use.
4. Select Continue.

The dialog polls for device changes every 2 seconds while open, so newly connected or disconnected devices appear automatically.

tip

The Continue button is disabled if the selected device is not authenticated. Authenticate it first, then select it.

Auto-selection

When no device is selected and one or more devices are connected, Aria Studio automatically selects a device using this priority:

1. Authenticated Gen 2 device (preferred)
2. Gen 1 device (always authenticated)
3. First available device of any type

Authenticating Gen 2 devices

Gen 2 devices use certificate-based pairing for security. The first time you connect a Gen 2 device to a computer, you need to approve the connection in the Companion App.

In the Switch to other glasses dialog, an unauthenticated Gen 2 device appears with an Authenticate link — this is your starting point.

Step by step

1. Connect your Gen 2 glasses via USB.
2. The device appears in the Switch to other glasses dialog with an Authenticate link.
3. Select Authenticate — an authentication dialog opens with a spinner.
4. Aria Studio initiates certificate pairing with the glasses.

5. Open the Aria Companion App on your phone. A pairing request will appear.

6. Approve the pairing in the Companion App.
7. Aria Studio detects the approval and shows a green checkmark with "Authenticated successfully."

8. Select Done — the device is now selected and ready to use.

note

If authentication fails (rejected or timed out), select Try Again to restart the pairing flow. You can also select Cancel to dismiss the dialog.

Once authenticated, the certificate persists across sessions — you won't need to re-authenticate this device on this computer again unless the certificate is revoked.

Device status

The sidebar Glasses panel shows real-time status for the selected device:

Field	Description
Serial number	Device identifier
Battery	Current battery level (0–100%)
Wi-Fi	Connected network name, or "Not connected"
Storage	Available and total storage space

Gen 2 additional status

For Gen 2 devices, the sidebar also shows:

Field	Description
Recording status	Whether a recording is in progress, with elapsed time
Streaming status	Whether a live stream is active, with elapsed time

Recording and streaming controls

The Glasses panel includes action buttons for Gen 2 devices:

• Custom Recording — Navigate to the New Recording page to start a custom recording session.
• Streaming — Navigate to the Live Streaming page to stream live sensor data.

Disconnection handling

When a device is unplugged:

• The device disappears from the sidebar and Switch to other glasses dialog.
• If it was the selected device, the selection is cleared.
• If another device is still connected, Aria Studio auto-selects it.
• Any in-progress imports from that device are interrupted (but can be retried after reconnecting).

When a device is plugged back in, it's rediscovered automatically. If it was previously authenticated, it reconnects without needing re-authentication.

Device configuration

Aria Studio handles device discovery and connection, but device configuration is managed through the Client SDK. Use the Client SDK CLI to:

• Set up your PC — Run aria_doctor to configure ports and USB networking for device communication.
• Connect to Wi-Fi — Use aria_gen2 device wifi connect to connect the device to a wireless network.

See the CLI Quick Reference for a full command overview.

Next steps

• Start a new recording
• Stream live sensor data
• View recordings on your glasses

Troubleshooting

For device management issues and solutions, see Aria Studio Troubleshooting.