Most recommended so far
- Seeing AI from Microsoft
- Be My Eyes
- Aira, Overcast and YouTube
Recommended by Richard
Seeing AI
Microsoft’s free camera app that reads text and documents aloud, identifies products by barcode, describes people and scenes, and recognises currency and colours.
BARD Mobile
The Library of Congress app for the National Library Service’s Braille and Audio Reading Download service, giving eligible readers in the United States free audio and braille books and magazines.
Audible
Amazon’s audiobook and podcast service, with one of the largest catalogues of narrated books anywhere.
Amazon Music
Amazon’s music streaming app. A basic catalogue comes with Prime, and Amazon Music Unlimited opens up the full library and podcasts.
YouTube
Google’s video platform, and for many blind listeners as much a radio and podcast app as a video one.
Microsoft OneNote
A free notebook app for typed and dictated notes, lists and clippings that syncs across phone, tablet and computer.
Recommended by Camille
VoiceVista
A navigation app built from the open-source code of Microsoft Soundscape. It uses 3D audio beacons and spoken call-outs of streets and places to help blind pedestrians explore with confidence. iPhone only.
Voice Dream Reader
The long-standing text-to-speech reading app, now listed as Voice Dream, for documents, books and web articles, with fine control over voices, speed and navigation. iPhone and iPad only.
Overcast
A podcast player from an independent developer with strong VoiceOver support, plus Smart Speed to trim silences and Voice Boost to even out quiet audio. iPhone only.
Seeing AI
Microsoft’s free camera app that reads text and documents aloud, identifies products, describes people and scenes, and recognises currency and colours.
OKO
Points the camera at a pedestrian crossing and tells you, with sound and vibration, when the walk signal is on. It has since grown into a full navigation app with maps and turn-by-turn directions. iPhone only.
Recommended by Jamie
jKey
An alternative on-screen keyboard for iPhone designed around VoiceOver users, from the small developer Doxie Media. iPhone only.
PetalFeed
An RSS news reader built accessibility-first by the same developer as jKey, for following websites and blogs in one place. iPhone only.
Be My Eyes
Connects you with sighted volunteers or company support agents over a video call, and its Be My AI feature describes photos in detail and answers questions about them.
Santander Mobile Banking
Santander UK’s banking app for checking balances, making payments and managing accounts.
Rocket Money
A personal finance app, formerly Truebill, that tracks subscriptions and spending and helps you cancel the ones you no longer want. Aimed at the United States.
Lumin
A voice-first email app from Luminade that we have featured on the show. Tap once and talk: it reads, triages and replies to your mail without you looking at the screen. iPhone only.
Earshot
A podcast player built accessibility-first by blind developer Michael Babcock, with every screen, button and gesture designed to work with VoiceOver. iPhone only.
Recommended by Gavin
Aira
Connects you over video to trained, professional visual interpreters on demand, with free minutes at partner locations and an AI assistant for quick questions.
Be My Eyes
Connects you with sighted volunteers or company support agents over a video call, and its Be My AI feature describes photos in detail and answers questions about them.
Seeing AI
Microsoft’s free camera app that reads text and documents aloud, identifies products, describes people and scenes, and recognises currency and colours.
WhatsApp
Meta’s messaging and calling app, used by billions for texts, voice notes, group chats and video calls. Gavin uses it every day for work, friends and family.
Uber
Ride-hailing from your phone, with the car, driver and fare all confirmed before you get in. Gavin says he could live without it thanks to Edinburgh’s black cabs, but it is right up there.
Bank of Scotland Mobile Bank
Bank of Scotland’s banking app from Lloyds Banking Group. Gavin calls it really accessible and says he would struggle far more without it than without a taxi app.
Starling Bank
A UK app-based bank for personal, joint and business accounts. Gavin’s sixth pick: really accessible, and the bank card has a notch cut into it so you can tell it apart by touch.
Recommended by Dean
Be My Eyes
Connects you with sighted volunteers or company support agents over a video call, and its Be My AI feature describes photos in detail and answers questions about them.
Seeing AI
Microsoft’s free camera app that reads text and documents aloud, identifies products, describes people and scenes, and recognises currency and colours.
BlindSquare
The veteran paid GPS app for blind travellers. It describes what is around you, announces points of interest and intersections, and works alongside your usual maps app. iPhone only.
OOrion
Uses the camera to find everyday objects around you, such as a door, a chair or your keys, and guides your hand or your steps towards them with sound and speech. iPhone only.
Google Gemini
Google’s AI assistant. It describes photos, answers questions by voice, and with Gemini Live holds a natural spoken conversation.
Recommended by Debbie
VoiceVista
A navigation app built from the open-source code of Microsoft Soundscape. It uses 3D audio beacons and spoken call-outs of streets and places to help blind pedestrians explore with confidence. iPhone only.
YouTube
Google’s video platform. Debbie prefers it on the phone: she is usually listening as she drifts off to sleep, and a laptop does not belong in bed.
Zoom
Video meetings, calls and chat, now branded Zoom Workplace. Debbie finds it easier on the phone than on the computer.
Shipt
Same-day grocery and retail delivery in the United States, owned by Target. Debbie’s favourite shopping app: no markup on prices, and overall pretty good despite one long-standing quirk.
Overcast
A podcast player from an independent developer with strong VoiceOver support, plus Smart Speed to trim silences and Voice Boost to even out quiet audio. iPhone only.
Earshot
A podcast player built accessibility-first by blind developer Michael Babcock. Debbie has it installed and is still getting to know it. iPhone only.
Aira
Connects you over video to trained, professional visual interpreters on demand. Debbie uses it far more than Be My Eyes.
Recommended by Krasimir
WeWALK
The companion app for the WeWALK smart cane, but it works on its own too: turn-by-turn navigation, public transport information and exploring what is around you.
Envision
Reads text and documents, describes scenes, recognises faces and objects, and pairs with Envision Glasses. Works fully as a standalone phone app.
Microsoft Lens
Microsoft’s document scanner, long used by blind readers to capture printed pages and read them back. Microsoft withdrew it from the App Store and Google Play at the end of 2025, so it can no longer be installed fresh, though it may still run if you already have it.
No longer available to download.
Sullivan+
A free AI visual assistant from South Korean company TUAT: reads text, describes scenes and faces, detects colour and light, and doubles as a magnifier.
weZoom Magnifying Glass
A magnifier app for Android that turns the phone camera into a magnifying glass with zoom and image controls for low-vision reading. Android only.
Recommended by Barrie
Amazon Alexa
Amazon’s assistant app for setting up Echo speakers, talking to Alexa on the phone, and managing routines, shopping lists and smart home devices.
Soundscape
The community continuation of Microsoft Soundscape, maintained by the Scottish Tech Army. 3D audio beacons and call-outs build a picture of the streets and places around you as you walk.
Be My Eyes
Connects you with sighted volunteers or company support agents over a video call, and its Be My AI feature describes photos in detail and answers questions about them.
Dolphin EasyReader
Dolphin’s free reading app for accessible books and newspapers from libraries such as RNIB Reading Services, Bookshare and NLS, with speech and braille display support.
Seeing AI
Microsoft’s free camera app that reads text and documents aloud, identifies products, describes people and scenes, and recognises currency and colours.
Recommended by Gordon
lire
An RSS reader that fetches the full text of every article, so you can read without being sent to a website. Feeds sort into folders and it works well with VoiceOver. A paid app for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Dolphin EasyReader
Dolphin’s free reading app for accessible books and newspapers from libraries such as RNIB Reading Services, Bookshare and NLS, with speech and braille display support.
Overcast
A podcast player from an independent developer with strong VoiceOver support, plus Smart Speed to trim silences and Voice Boost to even out quiet audio. iPhone only.
Weather Fast
A free weather app built from the ground up for VoiceOver users, with no ads, tracking or subscriptions. You choose how much or how little detail the forecast includes. iPhone only.
Apple Music
Apple’s music app and streaming service, with a library of over 100 million songs, your own playlists and radio stations. Built in to the iPhone and also available on Android.
Recommended by Brian
Talking Tuner
A hands-free musical instrument tuner that listens for a note and then tells you out loud whether it is sharp, flat or in tune. It was written for a blind musician and works with or without VoiceOver. A low-cost paid app, iPhone only.
Audacity
A free, open-source program for recording and editing audio, from home-made music to tracks from your own library. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux rather than on a phone, and is widely used with screen readers.
Sound Stream
A skill for Amazon Echo speakers rather than a phone app. Link it to Dropbox, upload your own songs and recordings into folders, and ask the speaker to play them as playlists. Free to enable, with a paid tier for extras.
BARD Mobile
The Library of Congress app for the National Library Service’s Braille and Audio Reading Download service, giving eligible readers in the United States free audio and braille books and magazines.
Seeing AI
Microsoft’s free camera app that reads text and documents aloud, identifies products by barcode, describes people and scenes, and recognises currency and colours.
Recommended by Lena
Aira
Connects you over video to trained, professional visual interpreters on demand, with free minutes at partner locations and an AI assistant for quick questions.
Indigo
A social media app that merges your Bluesky and Mastodon timelines into a single feed, from the makers of the Mastodon app Mona. Free to download, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
BCC Text
Sends the same text message to many people at once without starting a group chat. Each person gets their own private message from your number. Free to download, iPhone only.
Uber
Ride-hailing from your phone, with the car, driver and fare all confirmed before you get in. Gavin says he could live without it thanks to Edinburgh’s black cabs, but it is right up there.
YouTube
Google’s video platform, and for many blind listeners as much a radio and podcast app as a video one.