A free Google homework-help app that lets students photograph a question and get explanations, videos, and web results for math, science, history, and more.
About
Socratic by Google is a free mobile application built to help students work through homework questions when they get stuck. Instead of typing a problem into a search box, a student takes a picture of it with a phone camera, and the app returns explanations, videos, and relevant web results drawn from Google Search. It covers subjects including math, history, chemistry, biology, and physics.
The app is made by Google and is closely tied to the company's broader visual-search technology. Google Lens, the camera-based search feature in the Google app, offers similar homework help: pointing the camera at a problem and asking a question out loud returns step-by-step guidance and related resources. Socratic packages this kind of visual question-answering into a standalone study tool, making it straightforward for students to move from a confusing problem on a page to curated learning material.
Key Features
Pricing & Fees
- Pricing: Socratic by Google is free; the related Google app and Lens features are also free to use.
- Platform availability: Available on Google Play and the App Store; Lens is additionally accessible on desktop and inside Chrome on desktop.
- Regional limits: Shopping results in Lens are offered only in a specific list of countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Japan, and others; other Lens features have broader availability.
- Source of results: Answers are drawn from Google Search results, including explainers and videos, rather than generated solely by the app.
Who It's For
Socratic by Google is aimed primarily at students in middle school, high school, and early college who need help understanding homework problems in math and the sciences. It also suits parents who want a quick way to support their children's studying, tutors looking for explainers and videos to share, and self-learners reviewing unfamiliar material. Because it works from a photo, it is practical for textbook exercises, worksheets, and handwritten problems alike. Learners studying a second language can also benefit from the translation and text-recognition capabilities built into the underlying Google Lens technology.
FAQ
What is Socratic by Google?Socratic by Google is a free homework-help app that lets students take a photo of a question and receive explanations, videos, and web results for subjects such as math, chemistry, biology, physics, and history.
Is Socratic by Google free to use?Yes, the app is free, and the related Lens and Google app features it builds on are also free.
Which platforms does Socratic by Google run on?The app is available for Android on Google Play and for iOS on the App Store, while the underlying Lens features also work on desktop and in Chrome.
Does Socratic give answers directly or explanations?The app surfaces explainers, videos, and results from the web, and its homework features are designed to provide step-by-step help so students can follow the reasoning, not just receive a final answer.
Are all Lens features available everywhere?No; for example, shopping results in Lens are limited to a defined list of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and Japan, while availability of other features may vary by region and device.
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