Not for the things they are usually sold for.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology's systematic review found no evidence that visual training slows nearsightedness, improves farsightedness or astigmatism, or restores vision lost to eye disease. Studies showing "improvement" measured people getting better at interpreting blur - their tested acuity never changed. The AAO notes the only proven risk is financial. The real exception: doctor-prescribed exercises for specific eye-teaming problems like convergence insufficiency. Apps promising glasses-free vision are selling the first kind. Pymander's escalation routing is built and tested specifically for this class of decision; see the safety architecture working paper .
What to do
Common questions
Do eye exercises improve vision?
Not for the things they are usually sold for. A systematic review by the American Academy of Ophthalmology found no evidence that visual training slows nearsightedness, improves farsightedness or astigmatism, or restores vision lost to eye diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. Some people in studies reported sharper subjective vision, but their measured acuity did not change - they had learned to interpret blur better, not to see better. The AAO notes the only proven risk is financial, since these programs are rarely covered by insurance. There is one legitimate territory: specific, supervised exercises for diagnosed eye-teaming problems like convergence insufficiency, prescribed by an eye doctor - a different thing from apps promising to throw away your glasses. If your vision is changing, that is an exam, not an exercise program.