Meet 'Be My Eyes,' An App That Lets You Help Blind People Understand What They're Looking At

What if you could use your smartphone to see for a blind person?

That's the idea behind Be My Eyes, a new app that connects the blind with someone who can see.

By establishing a video stream between the two, people with a few spare minutes can inspect what the blind person is looking at and describe it to them while answering any questions.

Be My Eyes is a great example of how technology can make it easier for people to help each other out. The app is designed to encourage people to volunteer without guilting people into action.

"If you're in the middle of something, don't worry, someone else will step in," the app's video says, describing how Be My Eyes pings the entire network and connects to the next available volunteer if you're busy. If you know more than one language, you can add that to your profile too.

Be My Eyes is also easy to use, which is of vital importance for an app designed to be used while people are out and about.

A feature called Magic Tap allows blind users to request help by just double tapping the screen with two fingers, and volunteers only need to tap a button to signal their available. Sighted users receive a notification when their help is requested, so they don't need to sit around with the app open on their phone.

Users can also track how many people they've helped out in their profile, which serves as a nice reminder that could help people continue to return to the app.

You can watch Be My Eyes in action in the video below, or download the app over at the App Store.