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How I use Microsoft Lens with low vision

Use the free Microsoft Lens app for iOS and Android to scan, save and share content with enhanced accessibility features and readability.

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As a person living with low vision and a print disability, I use digital scanning and OCR technologies to read text and enlarge other information so that I can see it more easily. One of my all-time favorite digital scanning apps is Microsoft Lens, and I have been using it since it was first released as Microsoft Office Lens back in 2016. While it’s not the only tool I use for making content accessible, Microsoft Lens has been a game changer for helping me quickly create scans and read information that I encounter in the classroom, in the workplace and in other environments. Here is how I use Microsoft Lens with low vision in a variety of different contexts, and more information about Microsoft Lens accessibility for visual impairment.

Overview of Microsoft Lens

Microsoft Lens (formerly known as Microsoft Office Lens) is a free mobile digital scanning app available for all users with a Microsoft account – no Microsoft 365/Office subscription required. Microsoft Lens offers multiple options for scanning digital copies of business cards, documents, photos, whiteboards and similar text-based content with the built-in device camera, and allows users to create high-quality OCR scans that can be exported into file formats that can be saved to the device or shared in another Microsoft application.

Microsoft Lens is available for iOS and Android devices and can be downloaded for free from the App Store/Google Play. It does not require an internet connection for scanning or saving directly to the device, however an internet or data connection is required for saving information to cloud services.

Scanning content with Microsoft Lens

As soon as users open Microsoft Lens, they are shown a live view of their device’s back camera along with options for scanning content or uploading recent saved images from their camera roll. The image resolution can be adjusted by selecting the More Options button (which looks like three vertical dots)- resolution options may vary depending on the device and scanning option.

To scan content in Microsoft Lens, position the camera so the desired scan area is within the image frame – this can also be adjusted when editing the image. Use the Camera button to take a picture/scan content, and then review the image before saving or taking the next image in the set. Switching to another image mode will discard/delete the current images in a set, as users cannot scan multiple types of content in one set.

Microsoft Lens offers the following options for scanning content:

Actions

The Actions menu offers options for scanning specific types of content that can be copied or opened in other applications, including:

Document

Document supports scanning printed text from a page, posters or flyers, pages from a book/menu, receipts or other text-based content. Users can scan multiple pages into one file and pages can be automatically or manually straightened/cropped to ensure that the text is in focus and easy to read.

As a side note, I prefer to scan tables separately with the tool in the Actions tab so that they are easier to read. This means that I might have tables in a separate file from other text, but they are easier for me to enlarge and read in this format.

Whiteboard

Whiteboard is optimized for scanning handwritten text from a blackboard, whiteboard, sketches or dry-erase board, especially in classroom or meeting settings. The background is automatically adjusted to improve the contrast of the writing and make it easier to read. Multiple whiteboard images can be scanned and shared in one file.

Business card

With Business card, users can scan a copy of a business card and add the text to their contacts, copy text into another application or zoom in on the image of the card. Business card is restricted to being exported as an image or as a Microsoft contact card.

Photo

Photo is the only option that supports the front-facing camera and can be used for scanning images or taking photos in real time. Users have the option of using a flash or using the pinch-to-zoom gesture to zoom in. Unlike other display modes, resolution cannot be adjusted for photos, but users can scan multiple photos at once.

Editing and exporting scans

After scanning content, users can edit their images in a few different ways:

Once users have adjusted their images, users can select the Done button to choose how they want to export content. Before exporting, users can edit the title of the file as well- the default file name is a timestamp with the phrase Office Lens. Options for saving and exporting content include:

Using Microsoft Lens with assistive technology/Microsoft Lens accessibility settings

Microsoft Lens with large print and screen magnification

Microsoft Lens supports Dynamic Text/system font sizes, and can scan in text in larger font sizes as well – one limitation of my scanning pen is that I can’t scan text larger than size 24 pt font, but this isn’t an issue with Microsoft Lens.

Some of the icons for the editing screen are small, but can be enlarged with system magnification. On Android, users can also long-press on the icons and a large print text label for the function will appear. After using the app for years, I have memorized the location of icons and can select the options I need without looking or relying on icon details.

Microsoft Lens with text-to-speech

For users that do not want to use a screen reader but still benefit from having information read out loud, text-to-speak features like Speak Screen/Speak Text and Select-to-speak can read text and icon labels out loud, which is helpful when learning the location of icons. Scanned text can also be read out loud with Immersive Reader or in another application.

Microsoft Lens with Talkback and VoiceOver screen readers

Great news – Microsoft Lens can be used independently by someone with TalkBack or VoiceOver screen readers! When scanning an image, Microsoft Lens provides information for users to position the page within a frame for easier cropping, and can provide information about items that are picked up by the camera. Text can be exported in an OCR format so that it can be read by screen readers or other assistive technologies in other applications.

Another free Microsoft application I recommend for screen reader users is Microsoft Seeing AI, which is available for iOS. I have a full post on this application linked below.

Microsoft Lens with peripheral accessories

Microsoft Lens doesn’t require any other accessories outside of a device camera, but there are still options for using it with other external accessories, including:

How I personally use Microsoft Lens

As a college student

I wish I had access to Microsoft Lens when I was in high school, but it was definitely a game changer when I started using it in college.

If I received a document, flyer, or other text-based content, I would scan it in with Microsoft Lens and zoom in on the scan with my phone or tablet so that it was easier to read, or I would copy the text into another application. This worked especially well for reading items that were posted on a bulletin board or that I couldn’t lay flat on a desk. I can also scan in assignments and save them as a PDF in OneDrive, and then edit/annotate them with Notability.

I used the whiteboard function in two different ways. When taking notes in class, I scan in copies of what my professor is writing on the dry-erase board to add to my notes, or copy what they are writing more easily. When doing homework, I use a small dry-erase board to show my work for problems and scan images of the whiteboard to attach to my assignment. This is especially helpful for math or assignments where I have to draw diagrams!

As an intern

I interned at Microsoft as a program management (PM) intern in 2019, and used Microsoft Lens on my phone in a few different contexts. Just like in college, I would scan in documents that I had trouble reading or things on the whiteboard, but I would also use it to save documents that I might need to access later that aren’t available online- things like the cafeteria menu, tech support documents, travel receipts or other relevant documents.

If other people were writing on my whiteboard, I would scan in copies of the whiteboard after they finished writing, and ask for clarity if needed so I could make sure I was reading information correctly. In retrospect, I wish I used the digital whiteboard application Microsoft Whiteboard more often so that it would be easier for me to read what people were writing.

As a writer and blogger

I attend conferences and networking events as a writer and blogger, and often get handed a lot of business cards and documents. Since I can’t read small print due to low vision, I will scan copies of business cards and crop the backgrounds so I can more easily save them to my camera roll. I prefer this over scanning contact cards, since I also have the option of copying the text from an image or using other built-in features with the Photos app. I will also scan documents and other handouts, and return the physical copy when possible so I’m not holding onto a ton of pages I can’t read.

For my creative writing projects, I have a dedicated OneNote notebook for storing ideas and research. If I come across something that I think will be helpful, I can scan it with OneNote and add it to my notebook so I can incorporate it into something later on. Instead of just taking a photo with the camera, I can crop the image and filter it to ensure all of the information I need is easy to access.

As a person living with vision loss

When I’m not at work, at school or pursuing other hobbies, I still use Microsoft Lens to help me with various tasks around the home. Some of the ways I’ve recently used the app include:

More tips for using Microsoft Lens

By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com

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