Google has officially brought the AI-based math-solving app Photomath under its banner on the Play Store. This comes more than a year after the company announced its acquisition of the popular app. Photomath allows users to take pictures of math problems and get step-by-step solutions. It launched in 2014 and has been downloaded more than 100 million times on iOS and Android.
The deal last year signaled Google’s intent to bolster its AI capabilities for math. Photomath’s AI is adept at recognizing handwritten text, diagrams, and symbols commonly found in math questions. It can interpret problems, provide step-by-step instructions, and offer visual explanations through animated videos.
Photomath will likely continue to offer its Photomath Plus subscription service within the app. For $9.99 per month or $69.99 annually, users can unlock additional features such as full textbook solutions, step-by-step animated tutorials, and more in-depth problem explanations. This could also provide an ongoing revenue stream as Google looks to monetize the app.
Photomath is now under the wing of Google
It seems that Google will look to integrate Photomath’s specialized math-solving capabilities into its products. Some Google services already offer math support, such as Google Lens and Gemini. For example, the Homework filter in Lens allows you to photograph problems, but the solutions are sometimes limited. Integrating Photomath could greatly improve Lens and Search’s ability to understand complex math concepts and provide more comprehensive answers.
Google will maintain Photomath as a separate app, giving it its own place in the educational technology market. Meanwhile, it will also reach a much broader audience by embedding the technology behind it into core Google experiences.
Google had previously acquired another educational app, Socratic. It also helps users solve math and other subject questions using their mobile cameras. However, Socratic hasn’t seen any updates since 2020, suggesting that Google may now be shifting its focus to Photomath.
2024-03-01 15:06:19