Be My Eyes: A How Too

Have you ever been trying to do something only to need some extra help of the visual kind? It could be reading a label, trying to use an unadapted appliance or even to access the treat behind that pesky advent calendar door. Good news. There's a multitude of tools that can help.

One of the most known and widely used is Be My Eyes.

This guide will explain what it is, how it works and how to use it.

What is Be My Eyes?

Be My Eyes is a free accessibility app available on iOS, Android and Windows devices designed to connect people with visual impairments to sighted volunteers via live video calls.

There is an additional AI powered feature allowing users to take or share a photo and receive a detailed generated description. You can even ask specific follow up questions to the AI about the photo.

How it Works

Be My Eyes offers two main ways to get help depending on the situation.

Calling a Volunteer

  1. Open the Be My Eyes app
  2. Select the option to call a volunteer
  3. Wait to be connected (this is usually very quick)
  4. Once connected, your camera will turn on
  5. Show what you need help with
  6. Speak with the volunteer in real time

The volunteer will describe what they can see and help guide you through the task.

Using the AI Feature

  1. Open the app
  2. Select the AI option
  3. Take or upload a photo
  4. Ask a question or request a description
  5. Read or listen to the response

This option can be useful when you want a quick answer without making a call.

What Can it be Used For?

Be My Eyes is designed for short, everyday tasks where a bit of visual clarification is needed.

Some common examples include:

  • Reading labels or packaging
  • Identifying objects
  • Checking colours or settings
  • Looking at something unfamiliar
  • Getting a second opinion

Key Features

  • Free to use
  • Available on multiple platforms
  • Access to a large network of volunteers
  • Includes both live support and AI assistance
  • Quick and simple to use

Things to be Aware of

While Be My Eyes is very useful, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  • An internet connection is required
  • Volunteers may not always answer instantly
  • It is not suitable for emergency situations
  • You are sharing a live camera view when using the volunteer feature, so be mindful of privacy

Who is it Useful for?

Be My Eyes is useful for:

  • People with visual impairments
  • Anyone who needs occasional visual assistance
  • Situations where other tools, such as magnification or text recognition, are not enough

Summary

Be My Eyes is a simple and effective tool that provides quick access to visual assistance, either through real people or AI.

It is designed to support everyday tasks and make them easier to manage independently.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Usher Syndrome Story

Image
Just in case you hadn’t caught on — I have Usher syndrome. Specifically, Type 1D.  My parents tell me I was born profoundly deaf and received cochlear implants at 16 months old — though I obviously don’t remember that. Anna aged 16 months just after cochlear implant surgery. What I do remember is the frustration when the batteries would die. I’d just want to play with my friends, and suddenly my world would go silent. That feeling never really went away — it followed me from infant school all the way to sixth form. Ironically, some of those same friends are still in my life today — and they’ve pretty much appointed themselves my personal battery monitors! Early Support I’m lucky to have parents who put in countless hours of speech therapy. These days, most people don’t even realise I’m deaf unless I bring it up — usually during a laugh over the words I still can’t pronounce properly. (It’s a good reminder of how far I’ve come.) From sounds like th and f to words like shoulder ...
Read more

Comfort in Darkness

Image
Darkness has always felt like a contradiction to me: part threat, part refuge. And now feels like the right moment to share these thoughts—as the days shorten and we edge toward the clocks going backwards for winter. Being alone at night can be utterly terrifying—filled with uncertainty, hidden dangers, and a suffocating sense of unease. While I could go out alone at night if I absolutely needed to, it’s not something I would ever choose to do. There would always be someone else there willing to guide me. Even if I know the route by heart and could technically walk it alone, I still move closer to the person guiding me. The dark adds strain: scanning for obstacles like overhanging branches or bins sticking out on the pavement, flinching at sudden voices of passersby that appear without warning. The street at night feels unpredictable—every shadow a question mark. And yet, at the same time, there’s something deeply calming about the stillness that darkness brings after a long, chaotic ...
Read more

A Turning Point in Independence

Image
A blue Arriva bus similar to the ones I trained on  The day I was officially signed off to independently use buses marked a turning point for me. No longer do I need to plan events in advance around when someone is available to drop me off or pick me up. Now I have the freedom to say “I’m going to see my friends” or “I’m going shopping.” It’s opened up a world bigger than my immediate local area. But Getting Here Took Time But what about the journey to get to this point? Well… it took time. Why Bus Travel Isn’t Simple Bus travel can be unpredictable. It might be busy or quiet onboard. Announcements aren’t always audible, and skipped stops mean counting stops to yours isn’t a reliable method. Learning how to navigate all of this was just as important as learning the route itself. What Bus Training Gave Me Bus training provided me with: Consistency — repeating the route until I could indep...
Read more