With math classes getting more difficult for most students, cheating in high school isn’t uncommon. However, is an app purposefully made to solve math problems step-by-step for you just with a photo really considered cheating?

A new app called Photo Math uses your camera to scan a math problem and give step-by-step instructions to the answer. Photo Math is said to be progressing in order to solve more difficult equations in the future.

When I downloaded the free app I was presented with a red screen showing me how to use the new app. The instructions were simple, but when it came to actually using the camera I found some difficulties.

The camera only works on problems printed and neat. When I tried it with a hand written equation, it would not scan or identify the problem. Though when I used it on a simple, printed equation, I was presented with the right answer in just a few seconds.

However, I was surprised to find that it can also solve more complex equations. According to the Photo Math app description, it can help with anything from simple adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing to solving mixed fractions, linear equations, complex fractions and multiple-step equations.

This app will be most useful for students in Algebra, who are either just starting with equations and need help or students in Algebra 2 who are starting to deal with higher-level equations that require more work.

However, if you are an A student who can keep up with your math classes pretty well, this app won’t do much for you. As classes progress you will learn more and begin to solve these problems on your own. Yes, it can solve difficult problems that you might get stuck on, but it is just a crutch. You can’t take out your phone during a test and scan the problem to get an instant answer and using this on every single one of your homework problems would take forever and most likely teach you nothing.

This app is just a faster and more convenient version of what the Internet can do in helping you check your answers. Every day new inventions are coming out that make students lazier. We continue to find loopholes to wedge our way around actually doing work when it would be a lot simpler to just learn to do the work ourselves and not have to rely on a new app.