Low Vision App Overview

By: Marlena Chu, OD, FAAO. Updated: August 14, 2020.

Here is an overview of useful Apps for people with Low Vision. This is a companion piece to the article by Marlena Chu from the UC Berkeley School of Optometry on Low Vision Aids. It includes Apps for the iPhone and for Android devices.

This overview was collated by Ashley Katsikos, OD, and updated by Marlena Chu, OD.

Low Vision Phone & Tablet Apps

Medication Management
App Name	Description	Android	Apple
Med Helper	Tracks prescription medication, treatment, and appointment schedules Alarm reminders and a log of past doses Get this App: Med Helper	Free	Free
My Med Schedule & Med Minder	Web-based application that sends text alarms as reminders for taking medications Get this App: My Med Schedule & Med Minder	Free	N/A
Glucose Buddy	Diabetes Helper 3.5.5 w/ BP & WT tracking: One of the unfortunate risks of being diabetic is loss of vision. Keeping track of blood sugar levels is vital to remain healthy, and Glucose Buddy is here to help. This award-winning app allows users to manually enter their numbers, exercise, and food consumption into a log that is uploaded to a private account on GlucoseBuddy.com. The online website also has other features such as an A 1 C estimator. If you are diabetic with low vision, this app is waiting to help you stay healthy! Get this App: Glucose Buddy	Free	Free

Accessibility

App Name

Description

Android

Apple

Talkback

This app from Android accessibility service helps individuals who are blind or have visual impairments use their devices with spoken, audible, and vibration functionality services
Get this App: Talkback

Free

Helpful Tools
App Name	Description	Android	Apple
Speaking Scientific Calculator (Android) Talking Scientific Calculator (Apple)	This is just that, a talking scientific calculator. It is easy to operate and very useful. It works with VoiceOver for the fully blind, or has a high contrast option for those with low vision Get this App: Talking Scientific Calculator	N/A	$4.99
Alarmed – Reminders, Timers, Alarm Clock	This is a very user friendly app and is fully accessible with VoiceOver. What makes it truly awesome to us is that it is really several important apps in one. It has a notes area with reminders and a “nag me” mode that repeats an alarm until you shut it off. It has a multi-feature timer, alarm clock with snooze option, and a sleep alarm. It also has a flashlight, if you triple tap on the open clock control panel, VoiceOver will say, “the flashlight is on.” Get this App: Alarmed	N/A	Free
VisionSim	Having low vision can be frustrating, especially when friends and family cannot relate. For those suffering from macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, or cataracts, there is now an app that will show sighted people the world through your eyes. VisionSim, developed by the Braille Institute, turns on the camera of the iPhone and filters the lens with distortion that mimics the selected eye condition. Get this App: VisionSim	Free	Free
Dragon Dictation	Simply speak, adding punctuation as needed verbally, and Dragon Dictation will type it up in an instant and copy it to your clipboard Get this App: Dragon Dictation	Free	Free
AutoRingtone Pro Text-To-Speech Ringtones for Talking Caller ID	This app allows you to personalize ring tones for each of your contacts and have the ring announce the caller. It is fully accessible via VoiceOver and the navigation and instructions are clear. You can even choose from different voices and control the speed that the voice speaks Get this App: AutoRingtone	$0.99	$4.99
Zello PTT Walkie-Talkie	Turn your phone or tablet into a walkie-talkie with this lightning fast free PTT (Push To Talk) radio app, which works between Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and PC. Zello features: Real-time streaming, high quality voice Contacts availability and text status Public and private channels for up to 1000 users Option to map hardware PTT (Push To Talk) button Bluetooth headset support (selected phones) Voice history Call alert Images Push notification Works over WiFi, 2G, 3G, or 4G mobile data Get this App: Zello PTT	Free	Free
TextGrabber	Easily extracts snippets of text from a variety of printed sources by using the device’s camera. You can digitize printed information and translate it into any of more than 40 languages anywhere anytime. You can scan and translate: Documents, Receipts, Notes, Articles, Book fragments, Manuals and instructions, Product ingredients, etc. Features: Captured text can be easily edited or copied to the clipboard Fast & convenient information sharing via email or SMS One-tap transferring of recognition results to other applications Get this App: TextGrabber	$9.99	$4.99
Prizmo	Prizmo is a universal photo-based scanner app that lets you scan and recognize text documents, business cards, and images, and then export them as PDF/Text, vCard, or JPEG/PNG. Prizmo is fully compatible with VoiceOver. It provides guidance to help position your iPhone when taking document pictures, and will find the text orientation automatically if its turned left, right, or upside-down. Prizmo quick capture mode provides a fast path from picture to speech synthesis for an improved workflow, and it provides high-quality voice reader Get this App: Prizmo	N/A	$9.99
KNFB Reader	Converts printed text into high quality speech to provide accurate, fast, and efficient access to both single and multiple page documents with the tap of a button on the iPhone. Allows users to capture pictures of virtually any type of printed text. Features: Synchronized text highlighting with high quality speech and Braille output Automatic text detection to enable hands-free operation Batch scan mode to process and read multiple pages Recognize and read text in multiple languages Tap and read function Get this App: KNFB reader	$99.99	$99.99
Brighter and Bigger	People with low vision can use this app to turn their device into a magnification device that will make reading material bigger, brighter, and of higher contrast Get this App: Brighter and Bigger	Free	Free
Be My Eyes	App establishes a live video connection between blind/visually impaired users and sighted volunteers. Half a million users across 150 countries 24 hour access in native language Get this App: Be My Eyes	Coming	Free

Out & About
App Name	Description	Android	Apple
Weather Radio	This will give you a five-day weather report and speak it to you. You can input different cities. In the settings, one can set up the different alerts such as rain, wind, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Get this App: Weather Radio	$4.99	$4.99
Digit-Eyes	This is a barcode scanning app. One can find the barcodes on manufacture store bought items, make your own barcode labels from Avery label sheets, and record an audio or text label. Get this App: Digit-Eyes	N/A	$9.99
VizWiz	One takes a picture of an item and then records a question. This is sent to a web worker (sighted individual) who will read what the item is and send it back to the phone. This can allow independence to determine what an item is without waiting for sighted assistance Get this App: VizWiz [Note: App no longer seems to be available. You could instead try TapTapSee].	Free	N/A
Yellow Pages	Yellow Pages is a free app that allows you to search via voice for a business or person nearby. Once located, the number and information can either be added to your contacts or called directly. It works in the United States. It also has a ratings feature for businesses and offers movie times for theaters Get this App: YellowPages	Free	Free
EyeNote	A mobile device application to denominate Federal Reserve Notes (US paper currency) as an aid for the cling or visually impaired to increase accessibility. Users can have the denomination of a note scanned and communicated back to the user. Includes continuous scanning, therefore the is no need to hold the iPhone still or capture a photo NOTE: this application does NOT authenticate a note as either real or counterfeit Get this App: EyeNote	N/A	Free

TapTapSee	Tap TapSee is designed to help the blind and visually impaired identify objects they encounter in their daily lives. Simply double tap the screen to take a photo of anything, at any angle, and hear the app speak the identification back to you Features: Rotor reader Flash toggle Auto-focus notification Identify images from your Camera Roll Repeat lat image identification Share identification via text, email, or social media Barcode reader Get this App: TapTapSee	Free	Free
CamFind	Take a picture of any object and learn more about it. CamFind is the very first successful visual search engine that can photograph, identify, and provide information on any object, at any angle. Features: Internet search results Related/similar images Price comparisons and online shopping Related places and address finder Instant sharing on Facebook, Twitter, email, and text Get this App: CamFind	Free	Free

Music

App Name

Description

Android

Apple

Music Zoom

Music Zoom is an app for the iPad designed specifically for visually impaired musicians. Move the zoom slider until your music is as big as you like it & scroll thru it using a wired or wireless foot switch
Able to invert the colors, add text, highlight, & insert repeats into your music
Requires iOS 6.1 or later, compatible with iPad
Compatible foot switches:

Air Turn BT-105
BillPro Page Turner
Get this App: Music Zoom

N/A

$19.99

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Reader Comments: "Low Vision App Overview"

from LikesToHelp (unverified) at February 10, 2021

Is there any app that helps read the expiration dates or best by stamps for example on canned goods?

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Marlena Chu, OD, FAAO

Dr. Marlena A. Chu received her optometry degree from the University of California School of Optometry, and then completed her Low Vision Residency under the mentorship of Drs. Robert B. Greer and Ian L. Bailey. She is one of 71 Low Vision Diplomates worldwide in the American Academy of...

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Low Vision App Overview

Low Vision Phone & Tablet Apps

Medication Management

Med Helper

My Med Schedule

Med Minder

Glucose Buddy

Accessibility

Talkback

Helpful Tools

Speaking Scientific Calculator (Android)

Talking Scientific Calculator (Apple)

Alarmed – Reminders, Timers, Alarm Clock

VisionSim

Dragon Dictation

AutoRingtone Pro Text-To-Speech Ringtones for Talking Caller ID

Zello PTT Walkie-Talkie

TextGrabber

Prizmo

KNFB Reader

Brighter and Bigger

Be My Eyes

Out & About

Weather Radio

Digit-Eyes

VizWiz

Yellow Pages

EyeNote

TapTapSee

CamFind