How to use SightLine
A short, plain walkthrough — how the live room works, how to talk to it, and where everything is by feel. Listen to it read aloud, or read it below.
Reads everything below out loud. Press again to stop.
The live room
SightLine opens right into a full-screen camera. We call it the room. The screen stays clear on purpose — no buttons in your way. In the app, the microphone opens for you: just talk. Say “quiet” to pause her — she goes soft, and keeps listening. Say “stop listening” to close the open microphone. Double-tap the bottom-left corner to leave.
When the microphone is closed, press and hold anywhere on the screen, speak, and let go. And if you ever want to see the buttons, just say “show the buttons.”
The controls, by feel
Nothing is painted on the clear screen, but the controls are still there. They are the corners and edges of the screen, so you can find them by touch.
Talk — the middle of the right edge is the dedicated talk zone. It works like holding anywhere else: hold it and speak, then let go. If you use a screen reader or a keyboard, tap it once to start and tap again when you are done — it says “Listening” when it is your turn, so both ways work.
One honest thing: when the microphone is closed, she only sees while you hold to talk, or when you ask her to take a look. She cannot keep watch in between, and she will never pretend to see what she cannot.
Record a memory — the top-left corner. Tap to start. Tap again to stop and save. It records a real video of the moment — your camera and your voice — into your library, and she adds one short spoken line about the moment when it ends.
Take a photo — the top-right corner. One tap. It saves the picture and tells you what is in it.
Leave — the bottom-left corner. Tap it twice to leave. One tap only speaks a hint, so you will not leave by accident. With a screen reader, activate it once and she asks you to confirm — activate it again to leave, or wait and she says “Okay — staying.”
Zoom — the bottom-right corner. Each tap zooms in more — one, two, then four times — then starts over. You can also just say “zoom in.”
Flip the camera — the left edge. One tap switches between the back and the front camera.
The center is a hidden button. Tap it once to quiet the voice, or to hear the layout again. Tap it twice to turn the screen off or on — or just say “screen off.” The camera keeps seeing either way.
Share your screen — just ask. Say “look at my screen” and she sets it up; in the phone app the phone asks your permission first, every time, with one tap. On a computer there is also a Share-screen button at the top-center; while you share, a round camera button near the bottom-right takes you back to your camera.
Co-work: she reads your phone screen while you use other apps
In the phone app, share your screen and then press Home or open any other app. SightLine keeps running in the background and keeps seeing the screen you shared — and here you can just talk, no button needed. Ask her anything about what is on the screen. Say “take me back” to return to the room, or “stop sharing” and she stops the moment you say so.
The room fills your screen
On most phones the room hides the phone's own bars. That way a corner tap will not open something by mistake. To get the bars back, swipe in from the very top or the very bottom edge of the screen.
Your memory bank
Your memories stay on your own device. You can add them or delete them in Settings. SightLine remembers them for you, so you do not have to bring them up.
To hear them back, the sure way is the “Your memories” link on the home page — it plays your saved moments one after another. In the room you can also just say “Open my memories.”
Tips
- Hold the phone steady, about a foot from what you want to read.
- SightLine will tell you how to move the phone for a better look.
- If it talks too long, tap the center of the screen once to stop it.
- Not sure where a button is? Just ask — “Where is the Photo button?” — and she tells you which corner or edge it is.
Everything you can ask for
Here are the things you can say to SightLine. Point the camera and say, “What am I looking at?” and she describes what is around you. Say “Read this to me” and she reads text, mail, labels, signs, and screens aloud. Say “Where is my cup?” and she helps you find things and tells you where they are. She guides how to move the phone for a better look, and while she is looking she warns you about a step, a curb, or a hot surface the moment she sees it. Say “Take a photo,” “Flip the camera,” or “Zoom in” and she does it. Say “Remember this” and she saves a short written note on your device. Say “Record a memory” and she records a real video of the moment — your camera and your voice — into your library; say “Send it” afterward and your phone's share sheet opens with the clip. To hear your memories back, open the “Your memories” link on the home page — or say “Open my memories.” Say “Screen off” to darken the display while she keeps seeing — or double-tap the center of the screen. Say “quiet” to pause her, and “stop listening” to close the open microphone. Say “Look at my screen” and she reads what is on it, and “Stop sharing” ends it the moment you say so. Ask “Where is the Photo button?” and she tells you which corner it is. And she never pretends to see what she cannot.