Microsoft is now bringing its Seeing AI app to Android, available on the Google Play Store and supporting 18 languages, with plans to expand to 36 next year. The app narrates surroundings, assisting blind and low-vision users in tasks like reading mail and identifying products. Users capture images with their phone’s camera and receive spoken descriptions. With features like Short Text, People, Currency, and Scenes, Seeing AI offers a versatile experience, including reading handwritten text and identifying colors. Accessibility just took a significant leap forward.
The Seeing AI app, initially available on iPhone and iPad, now extends its reach to Android, catering to the extensive user base of over 3 billion active Android users globally. This expansion brings updated features to both Android and iOS versions, enhancing photo descriptions with more details. Users can now inquire about scanned documents, such as menu content or item prices on receipts. The app offers the capability to summarize articles and seeks user feedback for AI-powered improvements.
Seeing AI’s founder, Saqib Shaikh, emphasized the profound impact of reaching the Android platform, providing a broader blind and low-vision community with accessible technology for their daily lives. As additional versions evolve, customer input remains crucial for refining AI-powered enhancements in future iterations.
Tech giants like Google and Apple have also ventured into enhancing accessibility for users with visual impairments. Google’s Lookout app aids in object identification and document reading through the phone’s camera. The Guided Frame feature on Pixel assists users in framing selfies using audio cues and haptics. Apple introduces features like Point and Speak, reading text labels aloud as users point, and Door Detection on iPhone and iPad, aiding individuals in locating doors at new locations. These advancements collectively contribute to a more inclusive and technologically empowered experience for the visually impaired community.
