This iPhone trick lets you measure someone's height instantly — here's how

How To
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Check your height with this useful iPhone Pro feature

iPhone 14 Pro
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Apple’s iPhone is notorious for its nifty tricks that can make everyday tasks that little bit easier. And the device’s ability to measure a person’s height is definitely a useful feature that can save you time, not to mention it’ll potentially save you from having to mark up the doorframes around your home. 

The ability to measure height uses the LiDAR Scanner found on the iPhone 14 Pro, as well as the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro. If you have one of these iPhones then this a feature you’ll definitely want to make use of. Sure, it’s probably not something you’ll need every single day, but it’s a lot more convenient than trying to use a tape measure. 

You'll find the ability to measure heights within the Measure app. This application comes pre-installed on the latest crop of iPhones, but if you’ve previously deleted it, you can redownload it from the App Store for free. 

An iPhone 14 app showing a height reading in the Measure app

(Image credit: Apple)

Once you’ve opened the Measure app, position your camera so the person you wish to measure is fully in the frame. They’ll need to be visible from head to toe. After a brief moment, a line should appear at the top of the person’s head accompanied by a visible height measurement. This reading can be displayed in feet/inches or centimeters depending on your preferred unit of measurement — just head to Settings if you wish to switch. 

The app will generally measure a person’s height from their feet to the top of their head. But if a subject is wearing a hat, or have particularly voluminous hair, this will be included in the measurement. It can also be used to measure the height of somebody when they are sitting down. And if you need photographic evidence of a measurement, a quick press of the shutter button on the bottom right corner of the screen will take a photo with the height measurement displayed.   

So next time you’re standing in line for a rollercoaster ride and you’re not sure somebody in your party quite meets the height requirement, your iPhone offers the perfect solution. Or you could use captured images to create a scrapbook that tracks the growth of a young family member. Of course, you might just find this height-measuring feature a fun novelty to showcase to your friends and family. Whatever you use it for, it’s a useful iPhone trick to have in your back pocket.  

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Rory Mellon
Rory Mellon
Senior Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is a Senior Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.