8 Cool Ways to Use LiDAR on Your iPhone and iPad

Your iPhone Pro and iPad Pro may have a useful and powerful feature that you may not know about. Built right into the latest generation of devices, the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner emits a laser to measure the distances of surrounding objects. This feature offers a few key benefits.

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First, LiDAR allows the camera to take sharper photos, especially in low-light conditions. Second, the scanner leverages augmented reality (AR) to combine the real and virtual worlds, acting as a virtual AR tape measure, showing you what new furniture would look like in your home, scanning and recreating 3D models, and immersing you in AR games.

Launched a few years ago, the LiDAR scanner is available on the Pro and Pro Max models of the iPhone 12, 13, 14, and 15, as well as the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models from 2020 and later. Nestled between the rear cameras, the scanner can detect objects up to 5 meters, or 16.5 inches, away.

1. Take a photo in the dark

Taking a clear photo with your iPhone can be difficult in low light conditions. In these conditions, the LiDAR Scanner detects the distance to your subject, allowing your camera to quickly activate autofocus.

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Apple says the LiDAR sensor allows the camera to autofocus up to six times faster, a plus when you want to snap a photo before it’s too late. There’s no special action to take. Just aim your phone’s camera and LiDAR will automatically trigger if needed.

2. Measure distances

Let’s say you need to measure a physical distance but don’t have a ruler or tape measure. You don’t have to worry when you can use a virtual measure. Included in iOS/iPadOS and available for download from the App Store, Apple’s free Measure app can determine the distance between two points, display the dimensions of an object, and tell you if a surface is straight.

To measure the distance between two points, open the Measure app on your device and position the starting point at the point inside the circle.

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Tap the plus icon, move your phone along the area you want to measure, then tap the plus icon again. The distance should appear on the screen.

To measure an object like a square, position your phone the same way. Tap the plus icon and move your phone along the first area you want to measure. Then double-tap the plus icon. Move your phone to capture the next area and, once again, double-tap the plus icon. Continue this until you’ve captured the entire object. Double-tap the plus icon at the end point and the distance should appear for all four sides.

To determine if an area is level, tap the Level icon in the app toolbar. Tilt your device horizontally or vertically along a surface until the screen displays 0 and flashes green to indicate you are level.

In addition to using Apple’s Measure app, check out other free AR measuring apps on the App Store, including Tape Measure and AR Measure.

3. Try out the furniture in your home

Are you thinking about buying a new desk, chair, table or other piece of furniture and wondering how it would look and fit into your home? Let the IKEA app help you.

Start by browsing or searching for a specific piece of furniture or other item, including chairs, beds, desks, sofas, lamps, mirrors, clocks, dressers, or bookcases. When you find an item you’re interested in, select it and tap the “Show in Room” button. Choose an area of ​​your home where you’d like to see the item. You can then move the item around the room by dragging and dropping it. When it’s in the right spot, tap the shutter button to take a photo.

Some other apps that allow you to virtually position and visualize furniture in your home are Wayfair, Housecraft, and Bob’s Discount Furniture.

4. Scan a room

Maybe you’re renovating an entire room and want to measure it to help with your renovation efforts. One app that’s up to the task is Canvas: LiDAR 3D Measurements.

After creating a free account, start a new home project, give it a name, and then start your scan. Move your phone around to capture every corner of the room you want to measure. Once the scan is complete, tap the check mark and you’ll be able to view the scanned area and save or share the scan itself.

5. Try on the glasses

Need a new pair of glasses or sunglasses but want to explore some options before heading to the store? The Warby Parker app lets you try on virtual glasses to see how they look. Browse through the different frames featured in the app. Find a pair you like and swipe down from the top of the screen to access the virtual try-on feature. The glasses will automatically appear on your face, where you can check out how they look.

6. Listen to the description of your surroundings

Designed for people who are blind or have low vision, Microsoft’s Seeing AI acts like a talking camera that can analyze and describe nearby people and objects.

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After launching the app, tap one of the icons at the bottom of the screen for the item you want to describe, choosing between a short text, a document, a product, a person, a motto, or a scene. Tap the shutter button and the app should display text and provide a spoken description of the item.

7. Scan a 3D model

If you want to capture a 3D image of an object in the real world, Scaniverse – 3D Scanner is an effective tool. Launch the app, press the shutter button, and then select the size of the object you want to scan: small, medium, or large. Move your phone around the object to capture as much of it as possible. Press the shutter button when you’re done. Then choose how you want to process the scan. You can view the scan of the object by moving it around the screen, and then edit and share the scan.

Other 3D AR scanner apps worth trying include 3D Scanner App, Polycam – LiDAR & 3D Scanner, and ARama!

8. Play a game

Finally, there are plenty of AR games available for iPhone and iPad. Here are a few you might want to check out.

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Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs offers a twist on Angry Birds-style gameplay by letting you superimpose a virtual island of pigs onto the real world and aim your slingshot to destroy their buildings.

ARia’s Legacy – AR Escape Room offers a twist on the usual escape room scenario by superimposing a virtual room into a real one. You must discover and use the right virtual objects to solve the underlying mystery.

Who doesn’t love watching robots battle? With AR Robot, virtual robots fight to the death in your home.

Pick the room, choose your mechanical champion and let the match begin. Strive for victory by building and customizing your robot and harnessing the right abilities in the heat of battle.

In Defend It! AR, you shoot a horde of robots before they take over your living room. The AR element here is that the robots burst through your wall while you struggle to catch them before they steal your magic power crystal.