Prescription glasses and sunglasses company Warby Parker has unveiled a new ‘Virtual Vision Test’ app that allows users to renew their glasses or contact lens prescription without any need to visit a clinic. The new app is a revamped version of the company’s Prescription Check app. To use the app, users need to place their phone, stand 10 feet away from it and perform a familiar “can you read this” test. The test determines whether their glasses or contact lenses need updating or not after the results are sent to an eye doctor to review the results and give a verdict within two days. If the users see well enough, they just need to pay $15 to renew their prescription.
The app is currently available on iPhone as it relies on iOS’ Vision Framework to measure the users’ distance from their phone and ensure that they are far enough away from a proper test. Regardless, users need to meet specific criteria to use the app in the first place. You have to be between 18 and 65 years old, have no existing eye health concerns, and have a single-vision distance prescription. Warby Parker underlines that the app isn’t a replacement for optometrists.
