Fathom: Visual Assistance

Point at something and Fathom reads it. This is the big one. Point your finger at a label, a sign, a dial, a door, a screen, or handwriting, and Fathom names the thing first, then reads what is written on it. Because it leads with what the thing is, you can move on as soon as you have what you needed. Pointing is also harder to set off by accident now — a relaxed hand resting near the camera no longer starts a scan. Setting up Fathom is now a few taps. The first questions about your sight and how you get around are tap-to-answer instead of spoken, so you can set up without the microphone and without an internet connection. Every question is optional, and you can change your answers any time in Settings, under Memory. What you tell Fathom shapes how it describes things. If you travel with a cane or a guide dog, Fathom stops narrating what your cane or dog already handles. Notifications, if you want them. There are three kinds, each with its own switch in Settings. A few short tips about features that are easy to miss. A note when you have used most of your monthly AI allowance. And the occasional word from the developer about what is new. Fathom now runs the camera and depth sensors at their optimal rate during Lookout and Go, instead of full speed, which means less heat and better battery life on longer walks. It also pauses the camera and sensors entirely when you pull down the notification shade. Also in this release: refined contrast and visual polish throughout, including better support for larger text sizes. And when a Fathom Plus offer is running, a card for it appears on the home screen. You can dismiss it and it stays gone.