Audioguide.London is a free audio guide for The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place. Point your phone's camera at a portrait and listen to an audio commentary in your language. No ticket, no rental desk, and no app download required.
The National Portrait Gallery's own free digital guide, 'Meet the Portraits' on Bloomberg Connects, covers highlights in 5 languages and needs a separate app download plus your own headphones. Audioguide.London works directly in your phone's browser, in 6 languages including Portuguese and Mandarin.
Here's how Audioguide.London compares to the National Portrait Gallery's own free digital guide and other museum apps.
| Audioguide.London (free) | NPG 'Meet the Portraits' (Bloomberg Connects) | Other museum apps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free, but requires an app download | Often £4-£8, or free with no audio |
| Portraits covered | Point your camera at any portrait on display | A curated selection of highlights | Usually under 100 |
| Languages | 6: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin | 5: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian | Varies, often English only |
| How it works | Take a photo of any portrait | Download the Bloomberg Connects app, bring your own headphones | Browse a list or map in the app |
Because Audioguide.London uses image recognition and AI-generated narration, it isn't limited to a fixed tour. Stand in front of almost any portrait on display at The National Portrait Gallery, from Tudor monarchs to modern figures, and the app can identify it and play a commentary.
Listen to commentary in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or Mandarin Chinese, two more languages than the Gallery's own digital guide. Switch languages at any time from within the app.
Yes. Audioguide.London is a free audio guide that works at The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place. There is no fee, no rental desk and no account needed.
Yes, a free 'Meet the Portraits' tour through the Bloomberg Connects app, covering a curated set of highlights in 5 languages. It requires downloading a separate app and bringing your own headphones. Audioguide.London works in your phone's browser, no app needed, in 6 languages.
Yes. General admission to the permanent collection is free for everyone.
No. Audioguide.London runs in your phone's browser, so there is nothing to install. Just open the site, take a photo of a portrait, and listen.