Seeing AI turns a smartphone into a talking camera. Point it at printed text and it reads aloud, short text instantly or whole documents with guidance for framing the page. It recognizes products by scanning barcodes, identifies currency notes, describes colors, and detects light levels, helping with everyday tasks like finding the right can in a pantry.
More advanced channels describe scenes and people. The app can give a description of a photo or surroundings, recognize friends who have been added with consent, and describe their apparent expressions. Handwriting reading and image exploration by touch are available on supported devices, and newer versions use generative AI to give more detailed descriptions and answer follow-up questions.
Seeing AI is free and developed by Microsoft with input from the blind community. Descriptions can be wrong, so critical safety information should be checked in other ways. Be My Eyes provides volunteer and AI visual assistance, Google Lookout is a comparable app, and the built-in accessibility features on iPhone, such as VoiceOver and Magnifier, overlap. Seeing AI suits blind and low-vision users who want a versatile, free app.