At-Home Vision & Hearing Self-Tests
Free and low-cost tests you can run on your phone, in plain English. A first check before you book an appointment.
Read this first — these are screening tools, not a diagnosis
Every test on this page is a screening. They give you a hint about whether something is off — they cannot replace a real eye doctor or audiologist. If a test shows a concern, if your vision changes suddenly, if you see flashes or floaters, or if you have ear pain, ringing, or sudden hearing loss in one ear, please book an in-person appointment that week. A home test is a first step, not the answer.
1. At-home vision tests
Three picks: a free phone app, a low-cost device that estimates a glasses prescription, and a printable grid that catches early macular degeneration.
Mimi Vision Test
A quick on-screen vision check that estimates your visual sharpness and color sensitivity. Takes about 3 minutes per eye.
How to use it
- 1Download Mimi Vision from the App Store or Google Play.
- 2Hold the phone at the distance the app shows (usually 16 inches), cover one eye, and read the letters it displays.
- 3Repeat for the other eye and save your result for later comparison.
EyeQue VisionCheck
A small plastic eyepiece that clips onto your phone screen. Walks you through a refraction test that estimates a glasses prescription.
How to use it
- 1Order the EyeQue VisionCheck from eyeque.com (about $30) and download the EyeQue app.
- 2Clip the eyepiece over your phone screen and tilt the phone until two colored lines line up — repeat for 9 angles, both eyes.
- 3The app gives you a refraction score you can take to an optician for glasses.
Amsler grid (paper test for macular degeneration)
A simple square grid with a dot in the middle. Used by eye doctors for over 75 years to spot early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
How to use it
- 1Print the grid from the American Academy of Ophthalmology site (link below) and tape it to a wall at eye level, 14 inches away in good light.
- 2Wear your reading glasses if you use them. Cover one eye and stare at the center dot.
- 3If any lines look wavy, blurry, or missing — call an eye doctor that week, not next month.
2. At-home hearing tests
Three free picks. Wired headphones and a quiet room give you the most accurate result on any of them.
Mimi Hearing Test
A 6-minute hearing screening that gives you a personal hearing profile. Built with audiologists.
How to use it
- 1Download Mimi from the App Store or Google Play and plug in wired headphones (Bluetooth can throw off the test).
- 2Find a quiet room and tap the screen each time you hear a tone, even faint ones.
- 3Mimi shows your hearing age and a profile you can save or share with a doctor.
HearingTracker.com online test
A 5-minute web-based hearing test from a respected hearing-aid review site. No app or download needed.
How to use it
- 1Open hearingtracker.com on your phone or computer and click the free Online Hearing Test button.
- 2Plug in headphones (wired works best) in a quiet room.
- 3Listen for tones at different pitches and tap when you hear each one. You get an audiogram-style chart you can email yourself.
AARP free hearing test
A 3-minute speech-in-noise test from AARP and the National Hearing Test. Plays sentences with background sound — closer to real life than tones in a silent room.
How to use it
- 1Visit nationalhearingtest.org or call 1-866-223-7575 and use the free AARP access code (renews every six months).
- 2Wear headphones in a quiet spot and repeat the numbers you hear — each ear is graded separately.
- 3You get a result by email with a recommendation on whether to see an audiologist.
When to skip the home test and call a real doctor
- •Sudden vision loss, flashes of light, a curtain across your view, or new floaters — call an eye doctor that day or go to urgent care.
- •Hearing loss in only one ear, ear pain, dizziness, or constant ringing — see an ENT or audiologist within a week.
- •Wavy lines on the Amsler grid or missing letters on a vision app — book an ophthalmologist.
- •Anyone with diabetes — get a yearly dilated eye exam regardless of what a home test says.
Related
Quick Tip: run the same home test every 3-6 months and save your result. A small change you would not notice day-to-day shows up clearly when you compare two screenshots.