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Over 150 meg people in the Usa wear cosmetic eyewear, designed to compensate for issues such as nearsightedness and farsightedness.

If you're 1 of them, you know how expensive and time consuming it can be to go a prescription and new frames. Keep in mind that eyeglass prescriptions usually concluding from 1 to two years. If information technology's been that long since you got your prescription, it may be better to see an eye doctor for a health checkup and to get your near upward-to-appointment prescription and best fit.

If you have existing eyeglasses and you lot're confident the prescription is up-to-engagement, you can attempt a service such as the GlassesUSA Prescription Scanner app to get your prescription details.

Continue in heed that the accurateness of apps similar this to measure out eyeglasses is unknown and, depending on your prescription, this is non the best way to measure out the prescription of your eyeglasses.

In this article we'll go over the steps I took when trying to utilize the GlassesUSA Prescription Scanner app, as well as other options you have for figuring out the prescription of your glasses.

I'k a computer literate, older woman with a complicated prescription. I currently wear trifocal eyeglasses, which include a prescription designed to address presbyopia, an age-related eye condition.

Scanning lenses that GlassesUSA doesn't make

I knew that GlassesUSA wasn't designed for my blazon of prescription, but out of curiosity I completed the browse using my ain eyewear.

How the first browse went

After doing all of the steps, a screen came up indicating that my glasses were out of range and couldn't exist read.

Even though this confirmed that I couldn't use the app, it was proficient news because it showed that the GlassesUSA app read my prescription correctly, and gave me accurate information that it couldn't be filled.

How the second browse went

I tried it a 2nd time with my ain eyewear, so that I could get a improve handle on all of the screens.

I was surprised that this 2d try brought a dissimilar result. The app took me through the unabridged process and continued to attempt to read my prescription at 99 per centum complete for over twenty minutes. Information technology never finished and never sent me an mistake message.

Scanning lenses that GlassesUSA can make

Next, I borrowed a pair of eyeglasses from my son, who's nearsighted and has a unproblematic prescription that fits within the GlassesUSA range. This range is for single vision prescriptions between -half dozen.00 to +three.00 and cylinder up to -ii.50.

Next, I become over the steps I took with his glasses, using the GlassesUSA app.

You can read more than about the Prescription Scanner app on GlassesUSA.com.

Downloading the GlassesUSA app

  • From its website. Open up up the GlassesUSA website on your reckoner. Towards the bottom of the homepage there's a "download app" prompt where you lot can request the app link.
  • From the app store. Yous can also download the GlassesUSA app directly through the app store on your phone. It's available for both iOS and Android.

Scanning from the app

Once the app is opened, click "Start scan." The app uses vocalization prompts to become y'all from i step to the adjacent, which is very helpful.

What you lot'll need

The screen will bear witness the tools yous need to consummate the scan. These are:

  • computer with a screen that measures 12" x 27"
  • standard magnetic carte for scaling
  • your eyeglasses

Tech setup and calibrating

You'll receive a web address to log into from your figurer, where you'll run into a QR code to scan. This syncs your telephone to your estimator.

If your computer doesn't have functional cookies enabled, you won't be able to complete this step. While I did have cookies enabled I couldn't complete this step in Google Chrome. I tried Chrome on another computer but got the same effect. I had ameliorate luck with Microsoft Edge, and was able to browse the QR code through that.

Once the code is scanned, you're prompted to scale the exact size of your computer screen, using a magnetic card. This sounds easy, but may take several tries earlier it calibrates. If information technology doesn't work instantaneously, you'll have to hold the card flat against the screen. I had to conform the screen up and down many, many times before it calibrated. This took multiple tries on two computers for around 15 minutes.

Scan your electric current pair of eyeglasses

Once things are calibrated, the app is ready to scan your glasses. Yous practise this by property your glasses midway betwixt your phone and computer. You'll exist prompted to tilt your glasses repeatedly until they're read. This takes effectually three minutes.

Take a photo for your PD measurement

You'll be asked to take a selfie with the magnetic card held between your eyebrows. This is washed to measure out your pupillary distance (PD). This vital step ensures that the lens ability of your eyewear is correctly centered.

GlassesUSA will then request your account information, and will provide you lot with your prescription, so that you tin purchase glasses.

If you accept a prescription on mitt to compare your GlassesUSA prescription to, y'all tin can be ameliorate assured of its accuracy.

If information privacy is a concern to you, use any card that is credit-card sized (such as a library carte) or cover information like numbers and names.

Just recollect that you can request your prescription details from the role where you last had an eye examination. They're required to share a re-create with you.

If you're looking for other options to find out your prescription based on existing glasses, there are other scanning apps like the i GlassesUSA offers.

  • Liingo RX Reader. Liingo Eyewear also has an app that y'all tin can use to get the prescription of your current glasses, by downloading the app, calibrating hardware, and scanning your lenses.
  • GlassesOn app. 6over6 offers its GlassesOn app to take measurements similar to GlassesUSA Prescription Scanner to get PD and lens details.
  • Lens Scanner App. SmartBuyGlasses, an eyeglass retailer, partnered with 6over6 to offering its own version of an eyeglass scanning app.

In that location are several online retailers, including GlassesUSA, where you can have your electric current eyewear prescription read.

Some retailers likewise offer vision checks, which are assessed past ophthalmologists. However, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), these aren't as accurate as in-person exams and these vision checks don't assess centre health.

These services may be less expensive for purchasing eyewear than some brick and mortar retailers.

They are typically best for simple prescriptions. If you wear bifocals or have any other type of complex or potent prescription, seeing an eye doctor in person may exist your best offset footstep.

Once your prescription is in hand, you can use an online retailer, if y'all choose.

What the Prescription Scanner app isn't for

The app doesn't accommodate:

  • strong or weak prescriptions
  • prism prescriptions used to correct double vision
  • multiple prescriptions within one lens, such as bifocals or multifocals
  • contact lens prescriptions