Photo math solver for iPhone
Last updated 2026-09-26
AI Math Tutor is a photo math solver for iPhone and iPad: point the camera at a printed or handwritten problem, or pick a photo or screenshot, and the app reads it and works it through step by step in real math notation. This page explains exactly what happens between the photo and the answer, what the camera reads well, and how to frame a shot so the read is right the first time.
How the photo math solver works
- Snap or pick. The camera button opens a viewfinder with a capture button. The gallery button picks any photo or screenshot already on your phone.
- Read. In the free tier the photo goes to a text extraction service and the app shows what it read on the thumbnail as an Extracted line, then sends that text to the tutor. In AI Math Pro the photo itself goes to the model, after a one-time consent screen, which reads handwriting, diagrams and multi-line work better.
- Solve and explain. The tutor returns the solution as numbered steps, each with a short reason, rendered as proper notation, with the answer last.
- Ask. The solver is a conversation. If the read is wrong, say so ("the fraction is 3/4, not 34") or type the problem. Ask why a step happened, ask for another method, or ask for a similar practice problem.
What it reads well, and what to type instead
| You point it at | Free tier (text extraction) | AI Math Pro (image to model) |
|---|---|---|
| A printed textbook or worksheet problem | Reads well when one problem fills the frame | Reads well |
| Clear handwriting in pen | Usually reads; check fractions and exponents | Reads well |
| Faint pencil or cursive | Often misreads; type the problem | Better, still check the read |
| A diagram, graph or geometry figure | Reads the labels only; describe the figure in words | Reads the figure |
| Several problems on one page | Confuses the read; frame one problem | Frame one problem |
| A screenshot from a PDF or website | Reads well after a tight crop | Reads well |
Whatever the tier, the rule is the same: check what the app read before you trust the answer, then check the steps against what your class taught.
A scanned problem, start to finish
Example 1: a worksheet line photographed on a desk
The photo shows one printed line, "Solve ", framed so nothing else is in the shot.
What the app read:
- Subtract 7 from both sides to isolate the term with :
- Divide both sides by 3:
So . Check: , which matches the original line.
Six ways to get a clean scan
- One problem per photo. Crop out the neighbours, before or after the shot.
- Square to the page. Shoot straight down; an angle stretches fractions and exponents.
- Fill the frame. A small problem in a big photo is read as noise.
- Light from the side. Overhead light and flash put glare on glossy paper and screens.
- Dark ink on plain paper. Pencil and ruled lines lower the contrast; press harder or go over the line in pen.
- Screenshot, do not photograph, a screen. A screenshot is already flat and sharp; a photo of a screen adds moire and glare.
The blog publishes a guide to scanning each kind of problem every week, starting with how photo math solvers work and how to take a picture of a math problem the app can read.
Free and Pro
Free includes a limited number of solves, camera and photo scanning with text extraction, the scientific calculator and history. AI Math Pro removes the solve limit and adds the full image solver, streaming step-by-step explanations and priority processing. Pro is sold weekly, monthly or for six months through the App Store, and the current price is on the paywall inside the app. The features page lists everything else in the app.
Privacy
No account, no sign-in. A photo leaves the device only to be solved and is not stored on our server afterwards. Recent solves stay on the phone until you clear them. The privacy policy names every third party involved.