Be My Eyes Comes to the Mac
Janet Ingber
In July, Be My Eyes became available on the Mac. The app uses AI to describe screenshots, images, and photos with VoiceOver.
The Mac version focuses on the AI Image Description feature.
Installing the App
The app will appear in your Downloads folder as a DMG image. Copy the file into the Applications folder of your Mac.
Getting Started
The first time you use Be My Eyes, you will need to either log in with your Be My Eyes email address and password or create an account if you do not have a username and password. There also are options to log in using Apple, Google, Facebook, or SSO.
App Layout
Once the app is opened, a Quick Actions tab lists the app's hotkeys. This tab is selected by default. Next is a History tab, followed by a Get Started with Be My Eyes Tip button. The next control is a button labeled Dismiss Tip. Activating this button will allow access to the "Describe with Be My AI" group.
The group contains shortcuts to perform various actions. Since the shortcuts are global, they will work as long as Be My Eyes is open.
The shortcuts are:
- Screenshot: Command-Option-S
- Image: Command-Option-I
- Clipboard: Command-Option-C
- Take Picture: Command-Option-W
Using the App
Once a shortcut is pressed, Be My Eyes will play music and indicate it is waiting for a response. A few seconds after the music stops, use VO-Left Arrow to get a description.
Screenshot: Command-Option-S
I took a screenshot of this article. Be My Eyes read me the text and told me there were no errors. If I used VO-Left Arrow again, I got the time of the screenshot. If I used the same command again, I got the UTC time. Continuing to the left, there were options to delete the chat, share it, or keep it. If you do not choose to keep the chat, it will be deleted automatically after 30 days.
If you go back to the screenshot, there is a contextual menu available. Use Shift-VO-M to open it.
You can ask additional questions about the Be My Eyes response. The edit box is to the right of the original screenshot message. Next to it is the Send Message button. Use VO-Left Arrow to read the response.
I asked Be My Eyes if there was anything else on the screen. I learned that there were some emails visible.
Image: Command-Option-I
When the Image shortcut is pressed, a sidebar appears on the screen. Locate the image you want described and press the Return key. Be My Eyes will play music, and a few seconds after it stops, use VO-Left Arrow to read the description.
The image I chose was a photo of my guide dog and me standing on a rope bridge. Be My Eyes gave an excellent description:
The image shows a woman with light skin and medium-length brown hair walking across a rope suspension bridge with a large black guide dog in harness in front of her. She is holding the side rope with one hand and the dog's harness with the other. Her hair is being blown by the wind, and she is smiling. The bridge has wooden planks with netting on the sides and below, and it is high above rocky cliffs. In the background, there is a steep rock face with some green grass patches and metal stairs, and a person in a red top standing further back on the bridge. There are no visible messages or text in this image.
I asked Be My Eyes what kind of dog was in the photo. The response was: "The dog appears to be a large black Labrador Retriever-type guide dog."
Yes, my dog is large, and he is half Labrador Retriever and half Smooth Coat Collie.
Clipboard: Command-Option-C
Copy an image to the clipboard, and Be My Eyes can describe it.
Take Picture: Command-Option-W
I took several photos of myself with my head in different positions. Be My Eyes told me each time how I was positioned and how to improve the photo. I also took a photo of the shirt I was wearing, and the description was accurate. Review the photos by using the same commands as with screenshots and images.
History
As explained above, chats can be deleted directly from each result. The History tab is on the Home page.
Once the History tab is selected, use VO-Right Arrow to reach the filter option, which consists of three radio buttons: All, Kept, and Shared. The All button will display all your chats sorted by day. The Kept button will display only the chats you have chosen to save. Selecting an item will bring you into the chat.
In order to use the Shared feature, it is necessary to enable the share extension in System Settings.
Overall, Be My Eyes works very well on the Mac. The interface is easy to use, and the descriptions are very accurate.