Have you ever gone out and saw a piece of furniture that you would like to put in your home but you weren’t sure if it could fit? Since not all of us walk around with measuring tapes or rulers in our pockets or bags, it would be rather difficult to get the measurements, but if you own an iPhone, you could be in luck.
This is because thanks to the use of augmented reality technology, Apple has actually developed an app called “Measure” that uses your smartphone’s cameras to help measure objects. You could even use it to measure your height or the height of someone else if you want, and the best part is that it’s actually pretty accurate.
Measure Objects With Your iPhone
- Launch the Measure app (download it here if you deleted it)
- If you’re using it for the first time or haven’t opened it in a while, follow the instructions on the screen to help calibrate the app and give it a frame of reference
- Once a circle with a dot appears on the screen, you’re ready to start measuring
- Point the circle with the dot on one end of the object and press the + button
- Move your phone until it reaches the other end of the object and tap the + button again
- The measurements should now be displayed on the screen
- You can make further adjustments by moving the starting and ending points
If you want to take multiple measurements at once, like maybe the length and width of an object:
- Follow the steps above to take the first set of measurements
- Point the circle with the dot on another area of the object and tap the + button
- Move your device and place the second dot along the existing measurement and tap the + button again
- Repeat the steps above
Do note that the second and subsequent measurements need to all end along the original measurements. If it doesn’t, then it will just end up creating a new set of measurements instead.
Measuring A Person’s Height With Your iPhone
- Launch the Measure app
- Calibrate the app if necessary
- Point your camera at the person
- Wait for the app to detect a person in your frame. You might have to step back a bit or move closer depending on how you’re positioned. The person would also need to stand facing you
- Once it detects a person in the frame, it will automatically show their height and you can tap the shutter button to take a photo with the measurements shown
Since the Measure app uses augmented reality, older iPhones and iPads might not be able to take advantage of it. According to Apple, supported devices for the Measure app include:
- iPhone SE (1st generation) or later and iPhone 6s or later
- iPad (5th generation or later) and iPad Pro
- iPod touch (7th generation)
While some iPhones and iPads can support the use of the app, not all of them can support the measuring of a person’s height. This is because with newer iPhones and iPads, Apple introduced the use of LiDAR which is needed for some features of the app to work.
This means that right now, the iPhones and iPads that support the measuring of a person’s height through the Measure app include the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation), iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Filed in . Read more about Augmented Reality (AR), iPhone and Social Hit.