Yes I Can Blog
#29 Phone Apps Help Low Vision
Thursday, January 30, 2025 by Deb Vellines
Readers, do you remember my mention of the Be My Eyes app (#23)? Yesterday I received my second help call. Both times I didn’t get to my phone in time to answer the call. So, both times the call was forwarded to someone else. What a disappointment because I was excited to be eyes to someone in need.
The reason I didn’t get to my phone in time was because the ring tone was different from my normal ring tone. Be prepared for the different ring tone if you sign up to be a volunteer. Over 44,000 blind people are signed up to use Be My Eyes. Over half a 1,000,000 people have volunteered to help. When a blind person uses Be My Eye, the call goes out to a number of volunteers (with the same language) and the first to answer is the one who helps. Be My Eyes on Android phone? Yes. Just recently added.
Let’s talk about more helpful apps on the phone for those with low vision.
- You don’t need to have low vision to enjoy the flashlight on your phone. When I swipe up from the bottom of my iPhone (the line under the very bottom – like the frame of the phone), one of the little icons is a flashlight. Very helpful and free. Especially with low vision, it helps to read menus in a dark restaurant. It can also be helpful when reading small print. Android phones have a flashlight app, too. It’s free.
- Another helpful app is called Vision Assist. It costs $1.99 but acts like a magnifier. It can magnify up to 20 times with a light.
- DescribeThat – This app will describe a picture for the blind and visually impaired.
- The BigNames app enlarges the names and contact info on your contacts. The cost is $1.99
- TapTapSee helps identify objects at no cost.. Double tap the screen to take a photo of anything at any angle and hear the app speak the identification back to you. This requires the Voice Over to be turned on. Android phones also have this free app.
One comment about this app is – “It’s like a sighted assistant that never grows tired of you asking, ‘what’s that?’”
Another comment – “Love this app, would have had soup on toast instead of beans if not for TapTapSee.”
*****
Readers, have you or a loved one used any of the above apps? What was your experience? Have you or a loved one used other low vision apps that I didn’t mention? Please tell us about apps you found useful. You never know how many other readers your comments might help ?.
Previous Posts
#78 Challenges at a Party
Deb Vellines
5/27/2025
#77 Alexa
Deb Vellines
2/1/2025
#76 Charles Bonnet Syndrome
Deb Vellines
2/1/2025
#75 Surviving without Driving
Deb Vellines
2/1/2025
#74 WayAround Tags
Deb Vellines
2/1/2025
#73 SYFOVRE eye injections
Deb Vellines
2/1/2025
#72 You Are Not a Burden!
Deb Vellines
2/1/2025
#71 Anger
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#70 Self-Confidence
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#69 Bright Focus Chats
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#68 Zoom Meeting Suggestions
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#67 Living Well with Low Vision by Prevent Blindness
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#66 The Hadley School for the Blind
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#65 AIRA
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#64 Fanny Crosby
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#63 Derek Daniel and Life After Sight Loss
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#62 – 8 Hints for Cell Phones
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#61 Retinal Implants
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#60 EyeSmart
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#59 Voice Commands
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#58 Grocery Shopping
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#57 Eye Appointments and COVID-19
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#56 Social Distancing
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#55 Be My Eyes Update
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#54 Blind Beatitudes
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#53 Seeing AI
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#52 Research & Development 2019
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#51 Yes I Can – Another 25
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#50 Yes I Can Times 25
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#49 Blind Parents
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#48 Audio Description at the Movies
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#47 3 Inspiring Blind People
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#46 Drug Update
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#45 Do You Volunteer?
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#44 5 Pinterest Pins
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#43 – Four Reference Books
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#42 Trust Instead of Worry
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#41 Depression
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#40 eSight 3
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#39 Bioptic Telescopes
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#38 – CentraSight
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#37 – 11 Bathroom Hints
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#36 Public Restrooms
Deb Vellines
1/31/2025
#35 Helen Keller Quotes
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#34 Six Tips to Choose Sunglasses
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#33 Another Be My Eyes Call
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#32 Be My Eyes Call
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#31 Quiz Answers
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
# 30 Quiz re: Sunglasses
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#29 Phone Apps Help Low Vision
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#28 News
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#27 – 9 More Ways to Help
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#26 – 9 Ways to Help
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#25 White Cane (continued)
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#24 White Cane
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#23 Be My Eyes
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#22 Dry Macular Degeneration Trials
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#21 Search Clinical Trials
Deb Vellines
1/30/2025
#20 Clinical Trials
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#19 Eye Injections (continued)
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#18 Eye Injections
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#15 Systems of Sight
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#16 Update on Systems of Sight
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#17 Knowledge is Power!!
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#14 Household Hints
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#12 Reduce the Risks of Macular Degeneration
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#13 Kitchen Hints
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#11 Beecher Binoculars
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#9 Volunteer Work
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#10 Talking Books and Magazines
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#8 Handicap Parking Permit and Restaurants
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#7 Visual Magnifying Machine
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#6 Amsler Chart
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#5 Handling Money (continued)
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#4 Shopping and Handling Money
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#3 I Have Low Vision Button
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#2 Sharing Items to Help
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025
#1 Welcome and Support Groups
Deb Vellines
1/29/2025