The best starting point is free: Seeing AI from Microsoft for reading text and describing scenes on iPhone and Android, Be My Eyes for AI descriptions plus live help from volunteers, and Google’s Lookout on Android. Add the screen reader and magnifier already on your phone, and most daily tasks are covered. If privacy matters for what you point the camera at, like mail, medication or bank letters, an AI model that runs on the phone can describe images without uploading them.
The main options compared #
| App | Platforms | Cost | What it’s best at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seeing AI | iPhone, Android | Free | Reading text, describing photos, identifying products |
| Be My Eyes | iPhone, Android, desktop | Free | Live help from volunteers, plus Be My AI descriptions |
| Lookout | Android | From Google | Text, documents, food labels, currency, finding objects |
| VoiceOver and Magnifier | iPhone | Built in | Screen reading, magnifying the world through the camera |
| TalkBack and Select to Speak | Android | Built in | Screen reading, reading selected items aloud |
| Local AI app | iPhone, Android | Varies | Private, offline photo descriptions and questions |
Seeing AI #
Microsoft’s Seeing AI describes itself as “a free app that narrates the world around you,” built for blind and low vision users. It helps with reading, describing photos, identifying products and more, according to the Seeing AI site. It’s available for both iPhone and Android.
Good for: reading a letter or a sign, quick scene descriptions, product identification.
Be My Eyes #
Be My Eyes started as a way to connect blind and low vision users with sighted volunteers over a live video call, and it now includes an AI tool called Be My AI. According to Be My Eyes, it’s free for users, available on iPhone, Android and desktop, and its volunteer network covers 150+ countries and 180+ languages, around the clock.
Good for: situations where you want a human to look, like matching clothes or reading an appliance display, and detailed AI descriptions of photos.
Keep in mind: volunteer calls mean a stranger sees what your camera sees, so check what’s in frame.
Lookout by Google #
Lookout is Google’s app for Android. Its help page lists several modes: Text, Documents, Food labels (scan barcodes or recognize products), Currency, Explore (objects and text around you), Images (get a description of a photo) and Find (locate a chosen object). It requires Android 6.0 or later and supports 37 languages. The Food labels mode can work offline after you download extra data.
Good for: Android users who want one app with dedicated modes for common tasks.
The tools already on your phone #
Before installing anything, make sure the built-in tools are set up the way you like them.
- iPhone: VoiceOver reads the screen, Magnifier turns the camera into a magnifying glass, and Speak Selection and Speak Screen read text aloud. Live Text reads text in photos on the device.
- Android: TalkBack reads the screen, Select to Speak reads items you tap, and the magnification settings enlarge any part of the screen.
Our overview of offline accessibility features on iPhone and Android goes through them, and offline text to speech on your phone covers voice settings.
A private option that works offline #
Most AI description features send the photo to a server. For many photos that’s fine. For a hospital letter, a prescription label, a bank statement or a photo of your ID, you may prefer the image never leaves your hands.
Personal LLM runs vision-capable AI models directly on iPhone and Android. Add image support to a model, take or pick a photo, and ask: “What does this letter say?”, “What’s the expiry date on this label?”, “Describe this photo.” The image is processed on the phone, nothing is uploaded, and it works with no connection. Any answer can be read aloud with the phone’s own voice.
It’s a general-purpose AI chat app, not an app designed around blind users’ needs like the specialized apps above, and phone-sized models are less accurate than cloud AI on small or dense text. Think of it as a private second option for sensitive documents. More on what these models can read is in asking AI about a photo offline and copying text from a photo offline.
How to choose #
- “I want to read mail and signs.” Seeing AI or Lookout, with Live Text on iPhone for quick copying.
- “I want a person to help sometimes.” Be My Eyes.
- “I need it to work with no signal.” Check which features work offline in each app, or use an on-device model.
- “I don’t want sensitive documents uploaded.” An on-device AI model, or a volunteer you trust.
- “I’m mostly on Android.” Try Lookout first, alongside TalkBack.
Many people use two or three of these for different jobs.
Privacy tips for camera-based apps #
- Check the frame. Cameras catch more than you intend: other documents on the table, a screen, people in the background.
- Know where photos go. Read each app’s privacy policy to see whether images are stored and for how long.
- Delete what you don’t need. Clear photo history in apps that keep it.
- Use on-device tools for sensitive items like IDs, bank details and medical papers.
Frequently asked questions #
What is the best free app for blind people? #
Seeing AI and Be My Eyes are both free and widely used, and Lookout is Google’s option for Android. The built-in VoiceOver and TalkBack screen readers are free too. Many people use more than one.
Does Seeing AI work on Android? #
Yes. Seeing AI is available on both iPhone and Android.
Is Be My Eyes free? #
Yes. Be My Eyes says the app is free for blind and low vision users, including the volunteer service and Be My AI.
Which AI apps for low vision work offline? #
It varies by feature. Lookout’s Food labels mode can work offline after an extra download, and built-in tools like Live Text and screen readers run on the device. An AI chat app that runs its model on the phone can describe photos with no connection.
Is it safe to photograph documents with these apps? #
It depends on where the image is processed. Cloud-based descriptions upload the photo, and volunteer calls show your camera to another person. For sensitive documents, an on-device tool keeps the image on your phone.