Source-backed analysis7
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
7 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 11, 2026
How we review
Be My Eyes Review
Volunteer video calls and an AI describer for blind and low-vision users
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Be My Eyes is a free app for blind and low-vision people that puts volunteers, Be My AI and company support in one place. The catch is its data policy: calls are recorded, and the company may license the videos to AI developers.
Best for: Blind or low-vision people who need help reading labels, screens or household items
Skip it if: Anyone who needs real-time navigation: per the Double Tap podcast, the CEO said this is not the app's intended purpose
Pros
- Free, with unlimited calls per the official site
- Three kinds of help in one app: volunteers, Be My AI and specialized company support
- Interface in 43 languages on the App Store (English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Arabic, …); volunteers speak 185 languages per Google Play
Cons
- Calls, photos and AI queries are recorded and stored; call recordings are kept indefinitely unless deletion is requested
- The policy allows licensing call videos to AI developers and does not guarantee all personal data is removed
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- Rated 4.8/5 on the US App Store from more than 11,000 ratings
Cons
- Quality of help depends on the volunteer and situation; the CEO says the app is not meant for navigation
Best for
- Sighted people who want to volunteer to answer calls
Skip it if
- Anyone who does not want video calls recorded and stored
Experience & key features
What Be My Eyes is
Be My Eyes is an app from Be My Eyes ApS (Denmark), on the US App Store since September 2014 (Wikipedia gives 2015 as the first release). A blind or low-vision user starts a video call, and a volunteer hears them and sees through their camera to help with things like labels, expiry dates or screens. The homepage lists over 11.5 million volunteers and over 1.1 million blind and low-vision users across 150+ countries.
Three ways to get help
Beyond volunteers, the app has Be My AI (launched March 2023, based on GPT-4 per Wikipedia): send a photo and ask, and the AI answers in 36 languages per Google Play. The Specialized Help section connects users with official company representatives for product support. The homepage also lists desktop and smart-glasses versions.
Price and value
The homepage says the app is free with unlimited calls. Per Wikipedia, Be My Eyes raised a $2.8 million Series A in February 2020 to keep its visual support free for users. Business products (Workplace, Service Directory) exist, but no public price list appeared on the pages reviewed.
More analysis
Data and caveats
The policy says the service records and stores video calls, photos and Be My AI queries, and the company may license videos to organizations developing AI. Blind and low-vision users can request deletion, handled within 30 days. In an April 2026 Double Tap podcast episode featuring CEO Mike Buckley, the show said a small number of volunteers had recorded calls and posted them to TikTok, in breach of the terms of service.
Compared with alternatives
General AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Gemini can also describe images, but they do not offer a volunteer network or specialized company support. Be My Eyes fits when a person wants a real human to look for them, while a general assistant suits quick descriptions without calling a stranger.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 11, 2026
Free
PersonalFree
Free, with unlimited volunteer calls according to the official site.
- Free plan limits
- The homepage says the app is free with unlimited calls. Be My AI is available when logged in as a blind or low-vision user (per the Google Play description).
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
Not applicable: the pages reviewed show no paid plan for individual users. Business products (Service Directory, Workplace) are mentioned but no public price list was seen.
Privacy
Under the privacy policy (effective 1 September 2026), Be My Eyes records and stores video calls, photos and Be My AI queries. Its AI provider does not store or use users' photos and queries, and Be My Eyes says it does not sell personal data for advertising and does not train AI models on user submissions. Be My AI queries are deleted after 60 days; call recordings are kept indefinitely unless a blind or low-vision user asks for deletion. The company may also license recorded call videos to organizations developing AI and other products, and says it cannot guarantee removing all personal information from them. Users can opt out of video sharing with third parties and request deletion. GDPR rights are applied to all users.
Be My Eyes alternatives
7.5/10Gemini
Google's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Drive, Android and Google storage plans
7.5/10ChatGPT
OpenAI's flagship AI assistant for writing, research, coding, images and voice
Controversies & incidents
Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 11, 2026
- Medium impactConfirmedPrivacy ·
Policy allows licensing recorded call videos to AI developers
The privacy policy allows recorded call videos to be licensed to organizations developing AI and other products, without a guarantee that all personal information is removed. Wikipedia notes criticism of the app's data protection.
Read the full account
The privacy policy effective 1 September 2026 states that the service records and stores video calls and keeps recordings indefinitely unless a blind or low-vision user requests deletion. Videos may be licensed to organizations developing AI; the company warns it cannot guarantee removal of all personal information, and already-shared videos cannot be deleted from third-party systems. Users can opt out of video sharing. Wikipedia says the app's data protection was criticized as insufficient because it allowed data to be passed to third parties. When the licensing clause first appeared is not verified; September 2026 is the effective date of the current policy.
Vendor response
The policy says users can opt out of video sharing and that the company does not sell personal data for advertising and does not train AI models on user submissions.
- Medium impactConfirmedEthics ·
Some volunteers recorded calls and posted them to TikTok
According to an April 2026 Double Tap podcast episode with CEO Mike Buckley, a small number of volunteers recorded calls with blind users and posted them to TikTok. The company says it is taking content down, monitoring and educating volunteers.
Read the full account
The Double Tap podcast episode released on 22 April 2026 interviews CEO Mike Buckley. Its summary says a small number of volunteers recorded calls with blind users and posted them to TikTok, which the show describes as a breach of Be My Eyes' terms of service. The company's response is takedowns, monitoring and volunteer education on boundaries and privacy. The summary does not give the number of videos or users affected.
Vendor response
Per the episode summary, the company is taking down posted content, monitoring and educating volunteers.
Sources:Double Tap: Balancing Kindness and Privacy (2026-04-22)
Frequently asked questions
Is Be My Eyes free?
Yes. The homepage says it is free with unlimited calls, and Google Play says "Always free of charge".
Does Be My Eyes support Vietnamese?
Yes. Vietnamese is one of 43 interface languages on the US App Store. Per Google Play, volunteers speak 185 languages and Be My AI answers in 36.
Are calls recorded?
Yes. The policy says: "We record and store video calls, photos, and your Be My AI queries". Recordings are kept indefinitely unless a blind or low-vision user requests deletion, handled within 30 days.
Does Be My AI train models on submitted photos?
Per the policy: "We do not and will not train artificial intelligence models using your submissions". Be My AI queries are deleted after 60 days.
Review evidence & sources7
Scores
- Ease of use
- 8.4
- Features
- 8.3
- Value for money
- 9.0
- Performance
- 7.8
- Support
- 7.0
- Privacy & security
- 6.5
Why this score
The core flow is calling a volunteer or sending a photo to the AI. The interface is in 43 languages on the App Store and volunteers speak 185 languages per Google Play. User ratings differ: 4.8/5 on the US App Store but 4.3/5 on Google Play. This score rests on listings and public ratings, not hands-on use.
Why this score
Volunteer video calls, Be My AI answering questions about photos in 36 languages, Specialized Help connecting users with company representatives, plus desktop and smart-glasses versions (per the homepage and Google Play). Narrow scope, focused on one job.
Why this score
Free for blind and low-vision users, including Be My AI, and the homepage promises unlimited calls. Very high value; the indirect cost is a data policy that allows licensing call videos.
Why this score
Per Google Play, volunteers and Be My AI are available 24/7. No independent data on wait times or AI description accuracy was found, so the score stays conservative.
Why this score
The privacy policy lists an email contact and a US phone number. Specialized Help is support for other companies' products, not for the app itself. A help center or live chat could not be verified.
Why this score
Positives: a pledge not to sell data for advertising or train AI models on submissions, AI queries deleted after 60 days, GDPR rights applied to all users. Negatives: calls are recorded and kept indefinitely, and may be licensed to AI developers without a guarantee that all personal data is removed; some volunteers posted calls to TikTok, as discussed by the CEO on the Double Tap podcast.
What users say
- App Store (US)4.8/5 · 11,374
- Google Play4.3/5 · 34,100
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial homepageNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial privacy policyNov 11, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (US)Nov 11, 2026
- storeiTunes lookup API (US, rating and screenshots)Nov 11, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listing (rating 4.3, description)Nov 11, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: Be My EyesNov 11, 2026
- pressDouble Tap: Balancing Kindness and Privacy (2026-04-22)Nov 11, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Be My Eyes ApS
- Headquarters
- Denmark
- Launched
- 2014
Capabilities
- AI features
- Mobile app
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
Interface languages
- English
- Vietnamese
- Japanese
- Chinese
- Spanish
- French
- Korean
- German
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Thai
- Indonesian
Integrations
- Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses
- Be My Eyes for Desktop
Support
Change history
- Company.Partnership with Hilton for live video assistance for guests (per Wikipedia).
- Company.Partnership with Microsoft to share data for improving accessibility-focused AI models (per Wikipedia).
- Feature.Launched Be My AI, an assistant based on OpenAI's GPT-4 (per Wikipedia).
Full change history (5)
- Company.Raised a $2.8 million Series A (per Wikipedia).
- Launch.iOS app first appears on the US App Store (release date per iTunes lookup data). Wikipedia gives 2015 as the first release and notes a 2012 start-up event debut.
About the author
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