Apple made it possible to measure a person’s height whether standing up or sitting down using new technology found only in its iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max smartphones. While this isn’t a feature most people will need on a daily basis, it can be occasional useful and is at least a fun feature worth knowing about.
The iPhone 12 was announced near the end of 2020, with several exciting changes. Most obvious were the flat edges, whereas most every other iPhone has had rounded edges. This makes gripping the new iPhone easier and gives better tactile feedback. There were two new sizes introduced as well, with the smallest 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and the gigantic 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, the largest from Apple so far. Of course, the newest models are faster, have better screens and feature 5G support. However, the most notable tech upgrade was with the cameras that offer much better low-light photos.
The iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max have something no other iPhone has, LiDAR scanners. This enables the devices to identify the distance to any surface within about sixteen feet. Using this technology, Apple’s top smartphones can measure relative distances with great accuracy. The Measure app is included on most newer iPhone models and offers the same capability, but requires good lighting and must be set up before use by waving the phone side to side for a few seconds. With the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, the Measure app is instantly ready to help measure distances. Also unique to the Pro models, Apple built a special feature specifically for measuring the height of a person.
How To Measure Others With An iPhone
When using an iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max, the Measure app automatically recognizes when a person is fully in view and, within a few seconds, the phone will show a line on-screen above the top of the person’s head, hair or hat. At first a dotted line appears, then the line becomes solid and the height is displayed. Once the measurement is complete there is an option to snap a photo by pressing the shutter button that looks like a white circle near the bottom right of the display. Accuracy is generally very good, but if an exact height or official measurement is needed for biometrics, it’s best to use some physical measurement method.
As noted, any iPhone that has the Measure app can measure distances and heights as well, but they will require some setup. The app will instruct the user to wave the phone side to side so that it can identify surfaces using the regular camera instead of the more advanced LiDAR scanner that the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max use. If it can’t find surfaces within a few seconds, more light may be needed or possibly a less cluttered space. After completing setup, the user can tap the ‘plus’ button to place a point at the feet of the person then another at the top of their head to get an estimate of height. While most newer iPhone models can find a person’s height with the Measure app, it is dramatically faster and easier with Apple's iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max.
Source: Apple