19 Essential Apps for Blind or Visually Impaired Individuals
Empowering Independence Through Technology
For people with visual impairments, everyday tasks like reading, navigating, or using a smartphone can be challenging. Fortunately, technology is making the world more accessible with apps designed to assist with mobility, communication, object recognition, and daily living.
With 89% of visually impaired individuals owning a smartphone, they can use assistive apps to enhance their independence. At the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches we are always on the lookout for any technology that could help the visually impaired. Here are 18 essential apps that can help blind and visually impaired individuals in their daily lives.
*Note: The following list is a partial list of technologies that staff at the Lighthouse will use to train our participants. Training is based on the individual's needs, skills, abilities, and devices available.
Using an app does not replace the need for Orientation and Mobility training for personal safety apps should not be the sole method for wayfinding and street crossings.
1. Seeing AI
A multipurpose AI-powered app that helps users read documents, identify objects, recognize faces, and detect emotions. Just point the camera, and it will describe what it sees!
2. Lookout
The Android counterpart to Seeing AI, Lookout reads text, identifies objects, and recognizes money using the smartphone camera.
📱 Download Lookout (Android)
3. Be My Eyes
This app connects visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers for real-time assistance via video calls. Volunteers can help users with tasks like reading labels, checking colors, or navigating unfamiliar spaces.
There is also a service directory for assistance with a wide and ever growing list of companies and agencies providing assistance from banking to technical support.
📱 Download Be My Eyes (iOS & Android)
4. Ray-Ban Meta Glasses & App
The Ray-Ban Meta Glasses App could be a great addition to this list, especially for visually impaired users who benefit from hands-free AI assistance.
These AI-powered smart glasses integrate Meta AI and voice control, allowing users to:
✅ Get real-time spoken descriptions of their surroundings
✅ Take photos and videos hands-free
✅ Send messages & make calls via voice commands
✅ Access AI-powered assistance for navigation & object recognition
📱 Download Meta View App (iOS & Android)
5. Envision AI
This AI-powered app reads text, recognizes faces, and identifies objects using the smartphone camera. It even works offline, making it highly useful on the go.
📱 Download Envision AI (iOS & Android)
6. Supersense (fee based)
An AI-based app that scans text, identifies objects, and reads barcodes to help users recognize their surroundings more efficiently.
📱 Download Supersense (iOS & Android)
7. VoiceOver (iOS) feature in the settings
Apple's built-in screen reader reads emails, messages, app icons, and even images aloud. It also supports Braille displays and gesture-based navigation.
📱 Learn More About VoiceOver
8. TalkBack (Android) feature in the settings
The Android equivalent of VoiceOver, TalkBack provides spoken feedback, gestures, and Braille support for seamless navigation.
📱 Learn More About TalkBack
9. Markers Ai
10. Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant
A voice-controlled AI assistant that sends messages, schedules tasks, and controls smart home devices with just voice commands.
📱 Download Google Assistant (iOS & Android)
11. Siri feature in settings
Apple's voice assistant helps users call contacts, send texts, set reminders, and get directions—all hands-free.
12. Google Maps
A GPS navigation app that provides real-time directions, transit updates, and accessibility info to help users move confidently.
📱 Download Google Maps (iOS & Android)
13. Moovit
Ideal for public transportation users, Moovit offers real-time schedules, route planning, and stop announcements.
📱 Download Moovit (iOS & Android)
14. Evelity
Designed for indoor navigation, Evelity provides step-by-step audio guidance in museums, universities, and public transit stations.
15. MyMoveo
This app lets visually impaired users activate Accessible Pedestrian Signals and audio beacons for safer navigation at crosswalks.
16. Seeing Assistant Move
A GPS navigation app built specifically for blind users, offering detailed voice guidance and custom location markers.
📱 Download Seeing Assistant Move (iOS)
17. Lazarillo
A navigation app with real-time descriptions of surroundings, businesses, and transit routes.
📱 Download Lazarillo (iOS & Android)
18. Light Detector
This app converts light into sound, helping users detect whether lights are on or off in a room.
📱 Download Light Detector (iOS)
19. Aira
Similar to Be My Eyes, Aira connects users with professional agents who offer real-time assistance. Agents can guide users in navigating public spaces, reading documents, or identifying objects.
📱 Download Aira (iOS & Android)
Technology is Changing Accessibility
Innovative technology has opened new doors for blind and visually impaired individuals, allowing them to navigate the world with more confidence and independence. From AI-powered object recognition to real-time navigation assistance and smart glasses that describe the environment, these tools are reshaping accessibility like never before.
Whether it's reading printed text using Seeing AI, identifying objects with Lookout, or getting real-time human assistance through Be My Eyes, these apps remove barriers and empower users in their everyday tasks. Voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant help with hands-free communication, while GPS apps like Google Maps and Moovit ensure seamless travel. Indoor wayfinding solutions like Evelity make complex spaces more navigable, and cutting-edge devices like Ray-Ban Meta Glasses bring AI-powered descriptions straight to users' eyes.
As technology continues to evolve, the future of accessibility is brighter than ever. Developers are prioritizing inclusivity, creating smarter and more adaptive tools that integrate seamlessly into daily life. With these 19 essential apps, visually impaired individuals can stay connected, informed, and independent—whether at home, at work, or on the go.
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