Color2Sound Support

Hear the colors in a picture

Color2Sound turns the colors in a picture into sound. Choose a photo, take a new one, or turn on the live camera, then touch and drag your finger across the screen. The colors under and around your finger play as instruments, so you can trace shapes, find edges, and get a feel for a scene by ear. It was made to help blind and low-vision people explore pictures by sound.

Need help? Email support@rocolito.com. Please include your device model and iOS version if you are reporting a problem.

Getting started

Choose a picture from your library, take a photo, or open the live camera.
Touch and drag across the picture to hear its colors. A ring shows the area you are hearing.
Double-tap the picture to hear the colors under your finger spoken in a few words, such as "blue 60, green 30, black 10". You can turn this off in Settings.
Pinch to zoom in on small details, in photos and in the live camera. Drag with two fingers to move around a zoomed photo.
Color2Sound works with VoiceOver, with direct touch on the picture.

How colors sound

Every color has its own pitch, played by a violin to start with: dark colors sound low and light colors sound high.
Where several colors meet, you hear them together, louder or softer by how much of each is there.
Lighter shades sound higher and darker shades lower.
In Settings you can switch every color to a different instrument at once, or choose the instrument, pitch, and volume for each color separately. You can also set how much of the area around your finger is blended in, and how strongly brightness shifts the pitch.

Common questions

I don't hear anything.

Turn your device volume up and make sure the silent (ring/silent) switch or Action button is not set to silent. Check that the color's volume has not been turned down in Settings.

The camera doesn't work.

Color2Sound needs camera access for Take Photo and Live Camera. Open the Settings app, scroll to Color2Sound, and turn on Camera.

Does Color2Sound save or upload my pictures?

No. Pictures and camera images are used only on your device, only to work out their colors, and are never saved or uploaded. See the Color2Sound privacy policy.

Is Color2Sound a medical device?

No. Color2Sound is a creative and exploratory tool. It is not a medical device and does not replace professional assistive technology.

Requirements

iPhone or iPad with iOS 17 or later.

Credits

Instrument sounds come from the GeneralUser GS SoundFont by S. Christian Collins, used under its free license.

Notices

Apple, iPhone, iPad, VoiceOver, and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. Color2Sound is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.