Written by Dave Gentry

As a low-vision user of assistive technology for over 30 years, it’s hard to beat Microsoft’s Seeing AI. I have been using Seeing AI for the past five years on an Apple phone and now it’s available for Android.

One of the best things about this app is that it is FREE. Gone is the need for a scanner, computer and software to read a document. Seeing AI can do that and more. One of its best features is “short text”.  In this mode, the phone or tablet doesn’t need to be connected to internet. Just point the camera toward any text and it will start reading. This works well when the phone or tablet is in a mount, and you can turn the pages as the app reads to you.

Another feature that makes Seeing AI 21st century is the fact that it can read handwriting accurately. The currency reader is good for straightening out your dollar bills. Another feature I use is the bar code reader.  It works for round products that may be harder to read (like cans).

There are a number of other features that I don’t normally use, but you can explore. It is very liberating to have options on a phone. You no longer need expensive equipment to be able to read with low vision or blindness!