Meta has open-sourced the firmware and SDK for Muse Gadgets, letting developers build their own hardware that connects to Muse, the company’s personal AI agent. The release was announced by Nat Friedman, who leads product at Meta Superintelligence Labs, in early October 2026. The code itself is ESP32 firmware paired with a Linux SDK, released under the Apache 2.0 license — anyone can grab an API token from the Muse Gadgets site and point their coding agent of choice at the GitHub repository to start building right away.
What makes this more than just a code drop is that Meta paired it with the launch of Muse Home Link, a smart-home connector device released at the same time. Together, they lay the groundwork for Muse to expand beyond a phone app into hardware people can actually hold.
What Are Muse Gadgets?
Muse Gadgets is an open-source firmware package for the ESP32 chip, paired with a Linux SDK, that Meta released so developers can build devices that talk to Muse — displays, buttons, sensors, or actuators of their own design. It ships under the Apache 2.0 license, which allows both free use and commercial adaptation.
Getting started is simple: grab an API token from the Muse Gadgets site, point your coding agent of choice at Meta’s GitHub repository, and start building. This turns Muse from a phone app into a platform that a community of developers can build hardware on top of.
Muse Home Link: Connecting Muse to Devices at Home
The other piece launched alongside the open-source code is Muse Home Link, a small USB-C powered device whose job is to connect Muse to a user’s home network so the agent can talk to smart-home devices like TVs and speakers, plus anything else that exposes an HTTP interface.
Meta manufactured 5,000 units of Home Link and says they should be ready to ship in a few weeks. They’re free for Muse subscribers while supplies last — which also signals that Meta’s own hardware push is still at an experimental scale, not a full commercial rollout.
Example Gadgets Meta Is Suggesting
Meta isn’t leaving developers to start from a blank page. It has suggested a few prototype ideas to try, including a dedicated E Ink display for showing information from Muse, an HDMI dongle for your TV, and a small touchscreen-enabled accessory.
These are just starting points — the released code doesn’t lock developers into any particular device shape. What gets built depends entirely on how developers choose to attach Muse to hardware.
From a Closed Platform to Muse’s Open Code
Until now, Muse operated within the boundaries Meta set for it, whether as a phone app or built into the company’s own smart glasses. Opening up the firmware and SDK shifts Muse’s role from a closed product into a platform anyone can build on.
| Factor | Muse Before Open Code | Muse Gadgets |
|---|---|---|
| Device form | Limited to Meta's own app and glasses | Extendable into many kinds of hardware developers design themselves |
| Code access | Closed, usable only as Meta defines it | Open under Apache 2.0, free to modify and extend |
| Entry point | No path for outside developers to build hardware | Request an API token and access the GitHub repo immediately |
| Target audience | General users of the app or glasses | Developers and makers who want to build hardware |
The key shift is that Meta is now letting outsiders design the hardware instead of building everything itself.
How Do Muse Gadgets Compare to a Ready-Made Smart Home Hub?
| Factor | Muse Gadgets (DIY) | Muse Home Link | A Typical Smart Home Hub |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Download the code and build the hardware yourself | A finished device from Meta, connected via USB-C | Buy a finished device from a general manufacturer |
| Connectivity | Whatever the developer designs | Connects Muse to anything exposing an HTTP interface | Connects via each manufacturer's own app or protocol |
| Availability | You have to build it yourself | Limited to 5,000 units, free while supplies last | Widely available for purchase |
| Best suited for | Developers and makers | Muse subscribers who want to link their home right away | General users who want something ready to use |
The difference is clear: Muse Gadgets is for people who want to build it themselves, Home Link is a shortcut for people who want to connect Muse to their home without assembling anything, and a typical smart home hub remains the most immediately usable option for anyone who doesn’t want to touch code.
What Developers Gain — and What Still Needs Watching
Open-sourcing the code lowers the barrier for anyone who wants to experiment with AI hardware, since developers no longer have to build the connection layer to Muse from scratch — they can start from the firmware and SDK Meta has already prepared.
What still needs watching is that Home Link is capped at 5,000 units, and DIY devices that developers build themselves still depend on each builder to handle stability and the security of data flowing to and from Muse. Meta is only releasing the starting code — it isn’t guaranteeing the quality of whatever device ends up on the other end.
Pros
- +Firmware and SDK are free under Apache 2.0, so getting started is fast
- +Muse Home Link offers a shortcut for people who don't want to assemble hardware themselves
Cons
- −Home Link is capped at 5,000 units and may run out quickly
- −Stability and security of DIY devices depend entirely on each individual builder
What’s Next for Muse After Going Open Source
What’s worth watching is what the developer community actually builds with this firmware and SDK — Meta has only offered starting ideas like an E Ink display or a TV dongle, and how varied the real results get depends entirely on who picks up the code.
Also worth watching is whether Meta expands Home Link production beyond its first 5,000 units. If demand outpaces that initial batch, it could be a sign that Meta is ready to turn Muse hardware into something more than an experiment.