This one is long yet very interesting. As a visually impaired person, choosing the right apps can help you stay connected with friends and family, navigate new locations, and manage your daily responsibilities.
I am sharing a comprehensive list of the apps for blind and visually impaired individuals in this article. I will walk you through a variety of apps, from beginner-friendly to expert, that can significantly improve your quality of life. I’ve assembled and listed a selection of apps, ranging from productivity and entertainment apps to navigation and communication apps, to help you find the right fit.
Whether you’re looking for apps to help with daily tasks, increase access to digital material, or help with navigation, this thorough list has you covered. So, let’s go through this exhaustive list of accessible apps for the visually impaired together and elevate your smartphone experience.
Accessibility apps for the blind and visually impaired people
VoiceOver
VoiceOver is an accessibility feature on Apple devices that gives audio explanations and spoken feedback to visually impaired users in order for them to navigate the device, select and activate things, read the screen, and interact with apps using touch gestures. It is compatible with all pre-installed apps and accessible apps. VoiceOver makes Apple products more accessible and user-friendly for people who are blind or have low vision.
Availability: iOS
TalkBack
TalkBack is an accessibility feature incorporated into Android smartphones that allows visually impaired people to engage with their devices via touch gestures. Users can navigate by swiping left or right with a single finger and activating with a double tap. Additional gestures, such as two-finger swipes to scroll through content, are available. TalkBack also allows you to customize the feedback volume, speed, and pitch. TalkBack provides audio feedback and works with all apps that come pre-installed on Android smartphones.
Availability: Android
Google Assistant
Google Assistant is a virtual assistant that can be activated on Android and iOS devices by saying “Hey Google.” It employs voice commands to assist with tasks like setting reminders, making phone calls, and managing smart home devices, allowing blind and visually impaired individuals to engage with their devices without the need for a touch screen.
Availability: Android, iOS
Siri
Siri is an iOS virtual assistant that may be invoked by saying “Hey Siri.” It can assist with tasks like setting reminders, making phone calls, and controlling smart home devices, allowing blind and visually impaired persons to communicate with their devices without the need for a touch screen.
Availability: iOS
Communication apps for blind and visually impaired people
This software allows users to exchange text messages and voice messages and hold voice and video conversations. It also has accessibility features including iOS VoiceOver support and Android TalkBack support.
Availability: Android, iOS
FaceTime
FaceTime is an Apple video calling app with auditory cues that is simple to use with VoiceOver, making it perfect for blind and visually impaired users.
Availability: iOS
Snapchat
Snapchat is a fun and unique way to communicate with friends by disappearing photos and videos. Filters, lenses, and Bitmojis all be used to customize your Snaps. Accessibility features such as iOS VoiceOver and Android TalkBack compatibility, as well as Snap Assist for users with physical restrictions, are also included in the app. Join the Snapchat community to share your life in an exciting and original way!
Availability: Android, iOS
Skype
You can use this app to exchange text messages, hold voice and video conversations, and share your screen. It provides accessibility features such as high contrast mode, keyboard shortcuts, and screen reader support to iOS and Android users.
Availability: Android, iOS
Facebook Messenger.
This software supports text messaging, phone and video interactions, and group chats. It has accessibility features like high contrast mode, large letter sizes, and support for iOS and Android screen readers.
Availability: Android, iOS
Google Meet
This app for iOS and Android offers video conferencing with accessibility features such as captions, high contrast mode, and screen reader support.
Availability: Android, iOS
Zoom
This app for iOS and Android offers video conferencing with accessibility features like closed captions, screen reader support, and high contrast mode.
Availability: Android, iOS
Apps for Travel and Navigation for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Google Maps
Google Maps is a well-known application that provides accurate instructions for walking, driving, and taking public transportation. The accessibility capabilities of the software, as well as voice-guided directions, make it a perfect tool for visually impaired users. The app also provides information on nearby areas of interest, which can assist users in finding what they’re looking for.
Availability: Android, iOS
Moovit
Moovit provides real-time public transportation information and instructions, which is especially helpful for persons who are blind or visually impaired and rely on public transportation to move around. To assist users in exploring new regions, the software gives voice-guided walking directions.
Availability: Android, iOS
BlindSquare
BlindSquare is an iOS navigation software that uses GPS technology to provide detailed descriptions of your surroundings. It indicates local points of interest, intersections, and street crossings. BlindSquare can also be used in conjunction with popular navigation apps such as Google Maps to provide turn-by-turn directions.
Availability: Android, iOS
Ariadne GPS
Ariadne GPS uses GPS to provide information about nearby points of interest as well as voice-guided walking directions. Users can tailor the app’s voice prompts and other features by changing the app’s settings, making it easier to control their surroundings.
Availability: iOS
Lazarillo
Lazarillo provides blind and visually impaired people with GPS navigation and position information. Customers have applauded the app’s user-friendly layout, which provides information on surrounding areas of interest and businesses. Furthermore, the app offers voice-guided walking directions.
Availability: Android, iOS
Aira
Aira is a service that connects visually impaired and blind people with trained sighted agents who help them with navigation, reading, and shopping. The training is especially beneficial for those who require more thorough help.
Availability: Android, iOS
Transit Navigation
Transit Navigation provides voice-guided public transportation directions, which is especially valuable for blind or visually impaired people who rely on public transportation to go around. The software delivers real-time transit information, helping users to better plan their trips.
Availability: Android, iOS
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes is a free app that connects visually impaired and blind people with sighted volunteers who can help them with their vision via live video chat. The app can assist users with tasks like as item detection, label reading, and navigating their surroundings. Volunteers can help with several tasks, making it a useful tool for users who occasionally require visual aid.
Availability: Android, iOS
Uber
Uber is available in a variety of nations, making it a viable choice for persons who are blind or have low eyesight. The app is compatible with VoiceOver and TalkBack to book a ride.
Availability: Android, iOS
Lyft
Lyft is a ride-sharing app that is accessible in various countries and the app is accessible and compatible with VoiceOver and TalkBack and enable us to access the information and book ride.
Availability: Android, iOS
Productivity Apps for blind and visually impaired people
Evernote
Evernote is a multipurpose app that helps the blind and visually impaired take notes and organize information effectively. It accepts voice input and supports VoiceOver and TalkBack. Evernote provides features such as tags, notebooks, folders, and collaboration to help clients stay organized and productive. Because it is compatible with the JAWS and NVDA screen readers, you can even record voice notes and view them on multiple devices.
Availability: Android, iOS
Office Suite from Microsoft
The Microsoft Office Suite is a desktop and mobile productivity solution that is accessible to blind and visually impaired people. The suite includes applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that work flawlessly with screen readers such as VoiceOver and TalkBack. Users may easily create, edit, and share documents from their mobile devices, and they can also make use of various integrations with other productivity tools.
Availability: Android, iOS
Capti Voice
Capti Voice is a text-to-speech application for the blind and visually impaired. The app reads articles, documents, and books aloud in a variety of languages and offers features such as adjustable speech speed and loudness, as well as the ability to mark and annotate information. Capti Voice is compatible with Microsoft Office, Google Drive, and Dropbox, and it is available on a variety of platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows, making it a useful tool for anyone looking for a more straightforward way to view documents.
Availability: iOS
AccessNote
AccessNote is a mobile note-taking app designed specifically for blind and visually impaired people. The app supports braille displays and can be used with screen readers, allowing users to take notes, create outlines, and access files while on the go. AccessNote is a critical tool for blind and visually impaired users who rely on mobile devices to improve productivity and organization.
Availability: Android, iOS
Trello
Trello is a visually impaired and blind-friendly productivity tool that works with VoiceOver and TalkBack. Users can use high-contrast colors and crisp text to organize tasks, projects, and to-do lists. The app works with other productivity tools and is available on both desktop and mobile platforms.
Availability: Android, iOS
Notability
A note-taking application that lets users scribble, type, and record voice notes. It has accessibility features including voice and personalized keyboard shortcuts.
Availability: iOS
The Google Calendar
Google Calendar is an accessible calendar app that supports TalkBack and VoiceOver. A user-friendly interface allows users to organize their schedules and receive reminders and notifications. The app helps blind users to manage their schedules on mobile devices properly.
Availability: Android, iOS
An application that allows users to save articles, web pages, and videos to read later. It is compatible with screen readers such as VoiceOver and TalkBack.
Availability: Android, iOS
Dropbox
Dropbox is a cloud storage app for mobile devices. It allows visually impaired people to manage and exchange data across devices, collaborate on projects, and save files securely.
Availability: Android, iOS
OneNote by Microsoft
A note-taking application that lets users create and organize notes, drawings, and audio recordings. It works with screen readers like TalkBack and VoiceOver.
Availability: Android, iOS
Zoom
Zoom is a smartphone video conferencing app that incorporates closed captioning and screen reader support. Users who are blind or visually impaired can participate in online meetings and webinars with ease.
Availability: Android, iOS
Google Task
Google Tasks is a to-do list app that supports TalkBack and VoiceOver, allowing blind and visually impaired users to manage tasks across several devices. Its straightforward design and integration with other Google products make it an effective tool for staying organized and productive.
Availability: Android, iOS
Apps for blind and visually impaired students
Learning Ally
Learning Ally is an app that gives visually challenged students access to a large collection of audiobooks, including textbooks and literature. Its extensive reading options, such as highlight text, speed adjustment, and playback rate, allow students to tailor their learning experience to their specific requirements. These tools assist students in following along with the material, improving reading comprehension, and determining the best speed for their learning type.
Availability: Android, iOS
MathShark
MathShark is an app that provides a variety of math games for blind and visually impaired people that cover basic operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Availability: Android, iOS
Voice Dream Reader
Voice Dream Reader is an app for blind and visually impaired people that provides a customizable text-to-speech reader to help them read. It has configurable reading speed, voice, and pronunciation, as well as font and color options to improve readability. To aid discover certain sections of a text, navigation tools such as headings and page numbers are added. The app also interfaces with other services, allowing users to import documents from cloud services and bookmark web pages for later viewing.
Availability: Android, iOS
Beeline Reader
Beeline Reader is an innovative tool that helps children with dyslexia and other reading issues improve their reading skills. Its distinct color gradient produces a smooth transition between lines and words, and customization options allow the app to be tailored to individual preferences.
Availability: Android, iOS
Talking Scientific Calculator
The Talking Scientific Calculator software allows blind and visually impaired students to complete complex mathematical calculations using audio feedback and an accessible keyboard. It is compatible with a wide range of mathematical functions, making it a useful tool for mathematics, physics, and engineering.
Availability: Android, iOS
Voice Dream Writer
Voice Dream Writer is an accessible writing app that includes features like dictation and word prediction, making it a helpful tool for blind and visually impaired people. Its font modification features, spelling checker, dictionary, and thesaurus all help with writing. The app, which is compatible with screen readers, allows users to write with ease, increasing writing skills for all.
Availability: iOS
Google Keep
Google Keep is a note-taking app that lets you make and manage notes, lists, and reminders. It also allows for voice recording and is accessible from many devices. It supports screen readers and offers accessibility features such as voice commands.
Availability: Android, iOS
AudioNote
AudioNote is an app that assists visually challenged students in taking notes and reviewing lecture material. It allows users to record audio while also taking notes, making it easier to follow along and grasp the information. The software is voice-over-enabled and enables for note-taking customization, such as highlighting font size, and color. Furthermore, notes and audio recordings can be synced across multiple devices, allowing for easy access to study materials while on the go.
Availability: Android, iOS
Bookshare
Bookshare is an app that allows visually challenged students to access a large library of accessible books, such as textbooks and literature. It improves the reading experience by providing changeable font size and customizable display settings.
Availability: Android, iOS
Quizlet
Quizlet is a flashcard app for visually challenged students that includes audio recordings and other accessibility features. It allows students to make and study digital flashcards for better learning and retention, making studying more effective and individualized.
Availability: Android, iOS
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is an app that provides visually challenged students with accessible coursework, classroom discussions, and collaborative projects. It allows professors to publish and mark assignments while also serving as a platform for class discussion and organizing. The software facilitates simple access to instructional information and promotes a healthy learning environment.
Availability: Android, iOS
Talking Typer
Talking Typer is an app that teaches visually impaired people how to type using speech and audio feedback. It includes adaptable activities and adapts to the user’s learning approach, resulting in an efficient and personalized learning experience.
Availability: Android, iOS
BARD Mobile
BARD Mobile is an app that gives you access to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapper’s library of braille and audio resources.
Availability: Android, iOS
Audio Notebook
Audio Notebook is a notetaking tool for visually challenged people that includes voice input, text-to-speech feedback, and braille input. It also syncs notes across several devices, making it a convenient and personalized tool for taking and reviewing notes.
Availability: iOS
Dolphin EasyReader
Dolphin EasyReader is an e-book reader app for visually challenged people that includes text-to-speech, adjustable font size, and color contrast choices. It supports a wide range of formats and has a large library of accessible content. It enables the synchronization of reading progress and preferences across various devices for convenient access.
Availability: Android, iOS
Libby by OverDrive
An app that allows you to borrow audiobooks, e-books, and digital content from your local library. It has an easy-to-use interface and supports a variety of file formats, making it simple for visually impaired people to access and enjoy library content on their mobile devices.
Availability: Android, iOS
Legere Reader
The Legere Reader is a reading app for reading eBooks. It supports a variety of file formats, includes advanced features like highlighting and note-taking, and interfaces with cloud services.
The app is simple to use and customize, with settings for text size, font, and reading preferences.
It is suitable for visually challenged users due to the presence of text-to-speech and a high-contrast mode.
Availability: Android, iOS
Math Melodies
Math Melodies is a math learning app that employs music and sound to assist visually impaired children in learning math concepts. It includes interactive games and quizzes to teach basic math abilities.
Availability: Android, iOS
NFB-NEWSLINE
The National Federation of the Blind’s service allows access to newspapers, periodicals, and other publications.
Availability: iOS
Librivox
Librivox is a free public-domain audiobook service that is read by volunteers from all around the world.
Availability: Android, iOS
Blind Abilities
Blind Abilities is an app that offers a wide range of information for blind and visually impaired people, such as podcasts, articles, and resources.
Availability: Android, iOS
OCR apps for blind and visually impaired people
One Step Reader
This application recognizes and reads text from printed things such as books, menus, and signage using optical character recognition (OCR). It can also convert text to audio and supports a wide range of languages.
Availability: Android, iOS
Envision AI.
Using OCR, this tool recognizes and reads text from images or documents. It can also recognize faces and objects. It has a built-in magnifier and color detector, as well as multilingual support.
Availability: Android, iOS
Be My Eyes
While not an OCR tool, Be My Eyes connects visually impaired people with sighted volunteers who can assist them with tasks such as reading labels and identifying objects.
Availability: Android, iOS
Seeing AI
This tool recognizes and reads text from photos or documents. It can also distinguish faces and objects. It has a built-in magnifier and color detector, as well as multilingual support.
Availability: iOS
SuperVision+
Using OCR, this tool recognizes and reads text from images or documents. It can also recognize faces and objects. It has a built-in magnifier and color detector, as well as multilingual support.
Availability: iOS
Voice Dream Scanner
This software recognizes and reads text from printed things such as books, newspapers, and magazines using optical character recognition (OCR). It can also convert text to audio and supports a wide range of languages.
Availability: iOS
Prizmo
Using OCR, this tool recognizes and reads text from images or documents. It can also convert text to audio format. It has a text editor and supports multiple languages.
Availability: iOS
Aipoly Vision
This tool recognizes and identifies items, colors, and even emotions using optical character recognition (OCR). It has a built-in magnifier and color detector, as well as multilingual support.
Availability: iOS
TapTapSee
TapTapSee is not an OCR app, but it can recognize and identify items and colors. It may also contain additional information about the discovered object.
Availability: Android, iOS
BeSpecular
BeSpecular, while not an OCR app, connects visually impaired persons with sighted volunteers who can assist them with tasks such as label reading and item identification.
Availability: Android, iOS
Eye-D Pro
Using OCR, this tool recognizes and reads text from images or documents. It can also recognize faces and objects. It also contains a magnifier, a color detector, and support for multiple languages. It also has a unique feature dubbed “Personal Assistant,” which allows users to obtain personalized help with tasks like planning vacations or buying online.
Availability: Android
Text Scanner with OCR
Using OCR, this tool recognizes and extracts text from photos or documents, as well as translating text into multiple languages. It contains a text editor and handles a variety of file formats, including PDFs and JPGs.
Availability: Android, iOS
SuperSense
This application recognizes and reads text from printed materials such as books, signage, and labels using optical character recognition (OCR). It also detects monetary denominations and colors and includes a magnifier. It also has a unique feature called “Scene Description,” which uses artificial intelligence to describe the user’s surroundings, providing information about people, objects, and colors. SuperSense is designed for visually impaired people and is available in a number of languages.
Availability: Android, iOS
Google Lookout
Google Lookout is an AI-powered app that uses a smartphone camera to recognize objects, text, persons, barcodes, and currencies. It can send out verbal alerts about adjacent objects or obstructions and has multiple modes for different scenarios. It is free to download and use on Android devices, and it is useful for people who have vision impairments or are blind.
Availability: Android, iOS
Google Lens
Google Lens is a free app that uses a smartphone’s camera to provide environmental information. It can identify and describe things, words, and people, as well as recognizing goods, barcodes, and currencies. You can also use the application to translate text and search for similar items online. Google Lens can be very useful for people who have vision issues because it provides spoken information about the area.
Availability: Android, iOS
Entertainment apps for blind and visually impaired people
Spotify
This software provides a diverse variety of music and podcasts that are simple to access with screen readers.
Availability: Android, iOS
Apple Music
This app provides access to a large selection of music and podcasts that can be effortlessly explored on iOS devices using VoiceOver.
Availability: Android, iOS
Pandora
With VoiceOver, users can easily navigate and play songs in this app, which provides personalized music recommendations.
Availability: Android, iOS
YouTube
This app provides a wide range of videos, including music videos, that may be simply navigated using screen readers.
Availability: Android, iOS
Amazon Music
This app gives you access to a wide library of music and podcasts, which you may navigate with VoiceOver on iPhone and TalkBack on Android devices.
Availability: Android, iOS
Tidal
This app delivers high-quality audio streaming as well as accessibility features like big text and screen reader support.
Availability: Android, iOS
Netflix
This app provides a diverse selection of TV series, movies, and documentaries that are easily navigable with screen readers.
Availability: Android, iOS
Amazon Prime Video
This app provides a collection of movies, TV series, and original content that can be accessed via screen readers.
Availability: Android, iOS
Podcast apps for the blind and visually impaired
Apple Podcasts
This software comes pre-installed on iOS devices and gives you access to a large library of podcasts that you can effortlessly navigate using VoiceOver.
Availability: Android, iOS
Google Podcasts
This software is available for Android devices and provides a variety of podcasts that may be accessed via TalkBack.
Availability: Android, iOS
Spotify
This software provides a large number of podcasts that may be simply explored using screen readers.
Availability: Android, iOS
Pocket Casts
This app gives users access to a wide range of podcasts and allows them to navigate and play episodes with TalkBack or VoiceOver.
Availability: Android, iOS
Stitcher
This app delivers a variety of podcasts as well as accessible features such as large font and VoiceOver support.
Availability: Android, iOS
Overcast
This app delivers a range of podcasts as well as user-friendly features such as voice-activated playback and customizable skip intervals.
Availability: Android, iOS
This comprehensive list will be updated as new and useful apps for the visually impaired become available. If you know of any apps that should be included, please leave them in the comments.