The iPhone Magnifier app is primarily used as a digital magnifying glass to read small text. However, if you own a “Pro” model iPhone equipped with a LiDAR scanner (such as the iPhone 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 Pro, or 15 Pro), the Magnifier app contains powerful hidden accessibility tools that can detect people, doors, and objects in your environment using augmented reality.
How to Enable the Detection Mode
Detection Mode utilizes your iPhone’s camera, LiDAR scanner, and on-device machine learning to map out your surroundings. This is incredibly useful for users who are blind or have low vision.
- Open the Magnifier app on your iPhone. (If you cannot find it, swipe down on your home screen and search for “Magnifier”).
- Tap the Detection Mode icon. It looks like a small square with a line running through it, located on the right side of the control panel.
- The interface will change, displaying three new icons on the left side of the screen: People Detection, Door Detection, and Image Descriptions.
Using People Detection
Tap the People Detection icon (it looks like two figures). As you point your iPhone camera around the room, the device will use audio feedback, haptic feedback, or a visual readout to tell you exactly how far away a person is standing from you (e.g., “3 feet”). You can configure the app in Settings to emit a specific pitch or tone when a person gets too close.
Using Door Detection
Tap the Door Detection icon (it looks like an open door). When you point your camera at a doorway, the Magnifier app will analyze the door and read aloud critical information. It can tell you:
- The exact distance to the door.
- How the door opens (e.g., push, pull, or slide).
- Whether the door has a knob or a handle.
- Any text written on or near the door (such as a room number or an “Exit” sign).
You can tap the Image Descriptions icon to receive a live, running audio commentary describing the objects in your camera’s view (e.g., “A brown wooden chair”).