Meta's Muse app can now talk back, with a cartoon face that reacts as you speak

Picture someone rehearsing for a job interview late at night. They speak their answer out loud, a small animated face nods along, and when the reply runs long they simply cut in. That is the experience Meta is now offering to people in the US who use its Muse app.

On 5 November, Meta announced that Meta Muse voice mode and expressive avatars are rolling out now, starting in the US. You tap the phone icon at the top right of a chat, and the conversation becomes a live, spoken one, on a phone, on the web or on a Mac.

Speaking is the most natural way most of us communicate, and for many people it is easier than typing. A voice and a face change how an AI feels: less like a search box, more like company. That brings real benefits, and some questions Meta has not answered yet.

How Muse’s new voice and face work

Muse is Meta’s AI agent and family of models, the same Muse behind its closer work with Nvidia. With this update, Meta says the avatar reacts while you talk and replies with “subtle expressions and gestures”. You decide how much of it you see: voice only, the avatar beside the chat, or the avatar full screen.

There are “hundreds of voices” to choose from, Meta says, from a New Yorker to a pirate, and you can change at any time. The Verge reports you can browse the list or simply ask Muse to switch. Meta says the feature runs on its own Muse Realtime Voice and Muse Realtime Avatar technology, and that you can interrupt mid-answer, as you would with a person.

Meta also says Muse keeps working “in the background” on tasks while you talk, such as planning a trip or practising for an interview. Meta first showed real-time conversations at its Connect event in September. Next, it says, voice comes “soon” to its AI Glasses and to the Muse Charm device, which The Verge and TechCrunch report is due before the end of the year.

A friendly face, and the details Meta left out

Early hands-on reports are mixed but fair. The Verge, testing on an iPhone, found replies quick, with occasional pauses while Muse looked things up. Its reviewer called one avatar, styled on Mark Zuckerberg, “quite weird”. TechCrunch reports the default avatar is nicknamed “Jolly”, and that Meta believes a face helps people feel more connected.

What the announcement does not say matters just as much. Meta didn’t mention a price, dates for other countries, age limits, or how voice recordings are stored. For a feature built to listen to your voice and respond as you speak, those are not small details. In our reading, this is a common pattern: big launches lead with the experience, and the rules follow later in help pages.

If you want to try Meta Muse voice mode this week

In the US, open the Muse app and tap the phone icon. If a moving face distracts you, start with voice only; you can add the avatar later. Outside the US there is no date yet; Meta’s own newsroom and the Muse app itself are the places to watch for one.

Before sharing anything personal out loud, check the app’s privacy settings and Meta’s privacy policy for how voice chats are kept. Parents should check what their teenager’s account can reach, because the announcement says nothing about age limits for this feature.

Why a voice helps, and why a face asks more of Meta

The good here is real. Speaking is faster than typing for many people, and for those with low vision, limited hand movement or less confidence in writing, a spoken assistant can open doors. Being able to interrupt, and to let Muse work on a task in the background, makes it feel useful rather than slow.

The harder questions grow with the realism. A friendly face can make people forget they are talking to software, and may draw some, especially younger users, into a closer bond than they intended. Voice is also personal data. On balance, this is a meaningful step towards easier AI, but trust will depend on Meta explaining, in plain words, what happens to your voice and who the feature is for.

The bigger test comes when Muse moves from the phone onto Meta’s glasses and the Charm. A voice you open on a screen is one thing; a voice that is always with you will need even clearer answers.