Socratic by Google

What is Socratic by Google?

Socratic by Google was a free AI homework app that explained a school question from a photo. It began in 2013, launched as an app in 2016 and was bought by Google in 2018. The standalone app has been retired, and its features now live in Google Lens.

It worked by reading the question with text recognition, identifying the concept behind it and showing explanations, videos and step-by-step solutions. Most high school subjects were supported, and maths problems came with worked steps.

Key Features

Socratic by Google read a photographed homework question, identified the concept behind it and returned explainers, videos and worked maths steps. The app is retired, and Google Lens now provides the same step-by-step homework help.

• Photo questions: Read a photographed homework problem with optical character recognition, so students searched a printed or handwritten question without typing it out.
• Step-by-step maths help: Showed how an equation was solved one stage at a time. Wikipedia dates this feature to January 2017, a year after the mobile app launched.
• Concept matching: Predicted which concept would help with a question, using a model trained on millions of real student questions, then showed resources for that concept.
• Explainers and videos: Returned YouTube videos, definitions and question-and-answer content from the web, so each result came with material to study from and not only a final answer.
• Many subjects: Covered most high school subjects, including maths, chemistry, biology, physics, history and literature. Maths received worked steps, while other subjects received summaries and videos.
• Voice and text input: Accepted a typed or spoken question as well as a photo, according to directory listings written while the app was live.
• Now in Google Lens: Google Lens offers step-by-step homework help for maths, history, chemistry, biology and physics. It runs in the Google app, Chrome and Google Photos on Android and iOS.

Pros

Socratic by Google cost nothing, explained the idea behind an answer and drew on Google Search. Its replacement, Google Lens, is also free and does more than homework.

• Free: Socratic had no subscription, and directory listings from its live period report no adverts or in-app purchases. Homework help in Google Lens is free as well.
• Explained concepts: Results pointed to the concept behind a question with videos and definitions, which helped students learn the method instead of copying a final answer.
• Fast input: A photo of the question replaced typing, which mattered most for long equations and chemistry problems that are awkward to enter on a phone keyboard.
• Replacement does more: Google Lens adds text translation in more than 100 languages, text copying from handwriting and object identification alongside the homework feature.

Cons

Socratic by Google’s main drawback is that the standalone app is retired: socratic.org redirects to Google Lens, a general visual search tool with no dedicated study features.

• App retired: Socratic can no longer be downloaded, and socratic.org redirects to the Google Lens page. Wikipedia records that its functions were merged into Lens in 2025.
• Less focused: Google Lens is a general visual search tool that also handles shopping, translation and object identification, so it has no study-only interface like the old app.
• Needs internet: There was no offline mode, and Google Lens also needs a connection to return explainers, videos and web results.
• Limited depth: Coverage centred on high school subjects, so advanced university topics were not well served.
• Activity is saved: Google states that Lens activity is stored in My Activity on your Google Account while Web & App Activity is switched on. You can turn that setting off.

Who is Using Socratic by Google?

• School students: Check homework and understand methods.
• Parents: Help children with unfamiliar topics.
• Teachers: Point students to explainers.
• Self-learners: Review a subject quickly.

Pricing

Socratic by Google was always free, and its replacement, homework help in Google Lens, is free too (October 2026).

You do not need a subscription or an account upgrade to use the homework feature in Lens.

Disclaimer: Availability can change. Check the official Google Lens page.

What Makes Socratic by Google Unique?

Socratic by Google stood out for teaching through explanation. It was trained on millions of real student questions to predict which concept would help, then showed resources for that concept instead of handing over a bare answer. Google Lens keeps that idea but adds general visual search around it.

Compatibilities and Integrations

• Platforms: Google Lens on iPhone and Android.
• Website: socratic.org redirects to Google Lens.
• Account: Works with a Google account.
• API: No public API.

Socratic by Google Tutorials

You can get the same homework help today in a minute:

1. Open the Google app and tap the Lens camera icon.
2. Point the camera at the question and take a photo.
3. Read the explainers, videos and worked steps.
4. Try the problem yourself before checking the answer.

Tip: clear handwriting helps.

How We Rated It

Summary

Socratic by Google was one of the best free homework helpers, but you can no longer install it. Use Google Lens for the same photo-based help, or try a dedicated study app if you want guided tutoring. For most students, Lens covers homework questions well, while Photomath or Khanmigo offer more structure.