What They See

What They See

Vision Condition Simulator

36 ratings
4 reviews
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

Released
March 11, 2026
Updated
September 29, 2026

Features

What They See video #1 for iPhone
What They See screenshot #2 for iPhone
What They See screenshot #3 for iPhone
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What They See screenshot #6 for iPhone
What They See screenshot #7 for iPhone
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About

This app simulates various vision conditions and color blindness in real-time using your device's camera. Explore how different visual impairments and animal vision affect perception, with educational guides and sharing capabilities.

✓Real-time vision condition simulation
✓Colorblindness simulation
✓Animal vision simulation
✓Dyslexia text transformation
✓In-depth educational guides
✓Photo and video capture with simulation
✓Sharing capabilities
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What's New in What They See

2.0.1

September 29, 2026

This is the biggest update since launch, and it is timed for World Sight Day on October 8. Ten new vision conditions you can see live through the camera: glaucoma, macular degeneration (dry and wet), retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, keratoconus, presbyopia with an age slider from 40 to 70, floaters, visual snow, night blindness, and a drunk vision mode that shows how alcohol affects sight. Five animals join the animal section: deer, shark, octopus, fly, and spider. Deer vision arrives just in time for hunting season; deer are red-green colorblind, so blaze orange looks dull to them. Sharks are colorblind as well, with eyes built for dim water. Octopuses cannot see color either, but they can see polarized light. Flies see through a honeycomb of 4,000 lenses. Spiders have a razor-sharp center with a motion-sensing surround. Floaters drift slowly and react to your phone's motion, lagging behind like real floaters. Tool strips now page with arrows, so new filters are easy to find. Photo import: pick any photo from your library, apply any filter, and save the result. Nearsighted blur is more accurate at higher prescriptions now, based on feedback from optometrists and users. Achromatopsia now includes the reduced sharpness and light sensitivity that come with it. Every new condition has its own deep dive page covering what it looks like, how it works, and what helps. Thanks to everyone who sent in feature requests through the in-app form. Several of these came straight from you.

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Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

$4.99

All Vision Impairments

Unlock all vision impairment simulations

Events

Read more about World Sight Day 2026

World Sight Day 2026

15 new filters, live through your camera

Oct 5, 2026 — Oct 13, 2026

User reviews

Really Enjoying The App

I paid to unlock all the features and it was worth every penny!My kids love looking at the world through the eyes of different animals. And as a teacher the dyslexia and visual impairment views have helped me better understand what my students are facing while they learn to read.

Cool concept

I think this app is a really good concept for educating others on what their loved ones see. As a neuro-based occupational therapist, vision is something we often see impacted after stroke. I think this app would be even more useful to add in modes for neglect, homonymous hemianopsia, cataracts, glaucoma, and other medical visual deficits to allow a person’s village to have more empathy and understanding of their loved one’s experiences.
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Not a Free App

This app is basically unusable and useless unless you pay the full $15. The nearsighted vs farsighted views I was able to test for free looked exactly the same at 2.00. I wish this tool was more accessible, it could be useful and you’d actually profit more if the price was more affordable. If you want to develop software for opticians, opthalmalogists and optometrists to use… then do that and sell it to them!!! This app is meant to be accessible to common folk, to everyone, but it isn’t. Especially not in this global economy. Maybe one day I will pay only to be disappointed with the inaccuracy with the program in your app but until then, all I can say is this app is bunk.
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SUBSCRIPTION??

This app only lets you see myopia and hypermetropia until you have to pay a MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION to unlock astigmatism or presbyopia. MAKE IT FREE TO THE PUBLIC. this could be huge for optical development and i wouldve partnered with this for my store but alas it is unhelpful, I would use the astigmatism part daily. I will only delete this review if the subscription option goes away. Couldve been 5 stars and had huge opportunities but you decided to profit off of it for your own good. Come on.
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Developer apps

FAQ

What vision conditions can What They See simulate?

What They See can simulate myopia, hyperopia, cataracts (nuclear, cortical, posterior, mixed), astigmatism, baby vision, and various types of color blindness (Deuteranopia, Protanopia, Tritanopia, Monochromacy). It also offers dyslexia simulations and animal vision perspectives.

Can I use What They See to understand animal vision?

Yes, What They See allows you to see the world through the eyes of various animals, including dogs, cats, bees, eagles, snakes, owls, and mantis shrimp. This feature helps understand how different species perceive their environment.

Does What They See offer educational content?

Absolutely. Each simulation in What They See comes with an in-depth educational guide. These guides include statistics, interactive charts, diagrams, and world maps to explain the science behind each condition.

Can I capture and share simulations with What They See?

Yes, you can take photos and record videos with any active simulation. This allows you to share your simulated visual experiences with family, students, patients, or friends.

What devices is What They See compatible with?

What They See is designed for Apple devices and is compatible with iPhones and iPads.

How often is What They See updated?

The latest version of What They See is 1.0.2, and it was last updated on April 12, 2026. Updates typically bring new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements.

What is the age rating for What They See?

What They See has an age rating of 12+. This indicates it is suitable for users aged 12 and older.

Is What They See free to download?

Yes, What They See is free to download. However, it does offer in-app purchases for additional content or features.