Socratic by Google

What Is Socratic?

Socratic is a free homework help app developed by Google that uses AI and visual search to help students in grades 5 through 12 understand difficult concepts. The core experience is simple: point your phone's camera at a problem, equation, or question, and Socratic identifies it and returns step-by-step explanations, relevant videos, and concept overviews sourced from across the web.

How the Visual Search Works

Socratic's visual search engine uses Google AI to recognise handwritten equations, printed text, diagrams, and even photographs of science problems. The app then understands the subject area and difficulty level, and surfaces the most helpful educational content — not just a raw answer, but an explanation of the underlying concept so students actually learn.

Subject Coverage

Socratic covers mathematics (arithmetic through calculus), sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, earth science), history, literature, social studies, and more. The depth of coverage in STEM subjects is particularly strong, with the ability to parse and solve multi-step algebra, geometry proofs, and chemistry equations.

Free & Accessible

Socratic is completely free and available on iOS and Android. There are no subscriptions, no premium tiers, and no ads targeted at students. Google built Socratic to make quality educational support accessible to every student regardless of their school resources or ability to pay for tutoring. It has become especially popular in households where parents are not equipped to help with advanced coursework.