Samsung's new safety app aims to protect your eyesight

Samsung has just released an interesting new application that's designed to protect user's eyes when using their mobile devices.

Called Samsung Safety Screen, the new app can be downloaded from both Google Play and Samsung's own app store. It's free for everyone, and the main idea is it encourages users to hold their phones or tablets at a safe distance from their eyes.

Samsung cites statistics from the Vision Council which point to an increase in a condition called myopia that could be linked to excessive smartphone use. Scientists themselves blame “a mix of genetic and environmental factors, which include the ever increasing near-range activities such as using our mobile devices too close to our eyes, as well as a tendency towards decreasing exposure to natural light through outdoor activities”. They're particularly worried about the effects of “digital strain” on children, but warn that people of all ages can suffer detrimental side-effects, and they might have to use eyesight correction glasses or myday dailies toric lenses.

The app is designed to help with this. It runs in the background and uses facial recognition technology to determine how far the device is from your eyes while using it. If the software thinks the devices is too close to your eyes (which could strain your eyesight), the app automatically locks the screen and keeps it locked until the device is moved to a safe viewing distance.

“We noticed that children spend extended time using their devices, holding them too close to their eyes, which is not ideal and might cause damage to their sight,” said Tarek Sabbagh, Head of IT and Mobile Division at Samsung Gulf Electronics. “Therefore, we are introducing today an innovative app that helps protect users eyes by reminding them to their devices at a safe distance.”

The Samsung Safety Screen App has already achieved recognition with a bronze award in the “Innovative and Important Health App” category at the recent Dubai Lynx awards.

Samsung has now released this promotional video showing how the app works: