In fact, ten years after its exclusive launch in Croatia in 2014, the app boasts over 100 million downloads and stellar user ratings around the world. It continues to empower users who tackle a wide range of mathematical challenges, from basic arithmetic to complex calculus. Simply by snapping a picture of an equation or word problem, users receive step-by-step explanations, making it a valuable resource for students and learners of all ages.
The Math Behind Google’s Move
This acquisition and “relaunch” once again signifies Google’s commitment to amplifying its AI prowess across its product line. Photomath’s AI is good for text recognition, problem-solving, and result interpretation. Thus, it could be seamlessly integrated into existing Google products like Lens and Search, significantly enhancing their text recognition and problem-solving abilities.
In today’s AI assistant race, Google faces very stiff competition from Microsoft’s leading product, ChatGPT. Photomath’s specialized math-solving AI, combined with Google’s own AI ventures like Gemini, paves the way for a truly comprehensive AI assistant capable of tackling a diverse range of tasks.
Learning While Solving Instantly
One great feature of Photomath, which has been the app’s foundational philosophy, is its step-by-step teaching process. The app will indeed solve a problem for you and can provide an answer when you take a snapshot of it. But it will also show the solving steps (even animated ones), allowing its users to also learn even if most of the legwork was already done for them. Teachers can even use it to check their students’ homework, with the benefits going both ways.
This significantly circumvents the potential issue for AI tools of not allowing the development of strong foundational math skills or critical thinking strategies. Though, of course, since the choice to check them up is still ultimately up to the user, the frequency at which step-by-step processes are actually studied might not be as high as ideally hoped.
The Next AI Step
While Google already offers problem-solving functionalities through Lens’ “Homework” filter and dedicated Search support for complex math topics, Photomath’s integration promises an even more integrated experience within the tech giant’s ever-growing suite of modern AI solutions.
As mentioned earlier, we can somewhat expect Photomath-specific features to be gradually incorporated into Lens and Search, creating a more unified problem-solving ecosystem. Though, of course, Photomath itself would most likely be kept as a standalone app for the foreseeable future, with the annual ($69.99) and monthly ($9.99) paid subscriptions providing other features such as custom visual aids, extra problem-solving tips, and more.
Want to instantly solve math problems yourself with the power of AI? Download Photomath for Android here.
