How to Use the Magnifier on iPhone and iPad

How to Use the Magnifier on iPhone and iPad.

Your iPhone and iPad have all sorts of features for calls, text messages, email, games, apps, and everything else you do on your device. However, Magnifier might be the best feature that you overlook.

From reading fine print to threading a needle, this handy built-in magnification tool lets you magnify everything you need. Magnifier also gives you the ability to customize the view, apply a filter, and save photos of what you’re magnifying.

When your reading glasses are in another room or your physical magnifying glass is lost, don’t forget to use the Magnifier on your iPhone and iPad.

Access the Magnifier

You can open Magnifier in several ways: using the accessibility shortcut or from the Control Center. Here’s how to make sure it’s set up for everyone.

Use the accessibility shortcut

If you want to quickly open Magnifier by triple-clicking the side button or the Home button (depending on your device), follow these steps to turn it on.

Open the Settings app and select Accessibility. Go to the last section “General” and select “Ease of Access Quick Access”. Select Magnifier to check the box next to it.

When you triple-click the button, the Magnifier app will immediately open. If more than one element is set for the accessibility shortcut, you will see a pop-up window where you can select the one you want.

Use Control Center

Another handy place for magnifying glass is in your Control Center. This allows you to open the tool with a simple swipe and tap.

Open the Settings app and select Control Center. Go to the More Controls section and tap the plus sign next to Magnifier. When it’s added to the top “Included Controls” section, drag it to the desired location in the list.

Then just open the Control Center and tap the magnifying glass icon to open it.

Use the Magnifier to Zoom In

When you’re ready to use the magnifier, open it in one of the places described above. The tool uses your device’s camera to capture the object you are viewing.

Use the Zoom slider, click the plus and minus buttons, or pinch your fingers on the screen to zoom in or out on an object.

Adjust the Brightness

To lighten the screen, tap the Brightness icon. Then drag the slider or use the plus and minus signs to increase or decrease the brightness.

Change the Contrast

Along with adjusting the brightness, you can change the contrast. Tap the Contrast icon and use the slider or the plus and minus signs to increase the contrast for a clearer image, or decrease to reduce the contrast.

Apply a Filter

If you have problems with color vision, applying a filter can help. Tap the Filter icon and swipe right to view options. Even if your color vision is fine, using filters can make some things better.

You can choose from shades of grey, red on black, yellow on black, yellow on blue, white on blue, inverted, inverted greyscale, black on red, black on yellow, blue on yellow, and blue on white.

When you hit the right filter, your screen is immediately updated. You can also choose which color filters to display, which we’ll describe in the “Customizing Magnifier Controls” section below.

Lock the Focus

When you move your device, you will notice that it tries to focus and focus again on the object you are viewing. While this is useful, it can also be difficult to enlarge exactly the part you want.

To lock focus on the magnified object, tap the focus lock icon. Then when you move your device the focus will stay. Tap the icon again to unlock focus.

Switch the Front and Rear Camera

The subject you want to enlarge may be easier to capture if you switch cameras. Tap the camera icon to switch between front and rear cameras.

Add More Light

Increasing screen brightness isn’t always the best way to add light. Tap the flashlight icon to use your device’s built-in flashlight. This gives you more light on the subject itself.

Customize the Controls for the Magnifier

You can remove each of the controls described above from the Magnifier screen while using it. You can also reorder and put the ones you use the most at the top. In addition, you can choose which filters to display if you wish.

Tap the gear icon to open the control customization screen. You will then see the following sections:

Basic Controls: These appear at the top of the control window on Magnifier. Additional controls. They appear directly below the main controls. Other controls: These are controls that you don’t want to use, but will remain available if you want to add them later.

To remove a control, tap the minus sign on the left and select Remove on the right.

To add a control, tap the plus sign on the left.

To reposition controls, drag the three lines from the right up or down to position the control where you want it. You can shuffle them between the Basic and Advanced Controls sections, or within each section.

To change the filters displayed for the magnifier, click Filters under More Controls. Click to check the box next to the filter you want to display. This allows you to show only those filters that are useful to you.

Freeze the Frame

If you get to a point on the item you want to freeze and save, tap the Freeze icon. This feature can also help you make a magnified image of something when you can’t directly look at the screen. For example, perhaps you are trying to photograph a sometimes too small label on the inside of a computer or a splinter on the back of your hand.

You will then see an image of the frame you have frozen. To freeze additional frames, tap the rectangle icon, move your device or object, and then tap the freeze icon again, which will appear as a plus sign.

Tap View next to the rectangle icon to view the images you’ve captured. These screenshots are not saved in the Photos app by default. If you want to save or share them, tap the share icon in the top right corner. Then choose an option like “Save image” or share it in messages.

When you’re done viewing your images, click End in the top left corner.

Detect People Around You

If you have an iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, or iPhone 13 Pro Max, you can also use the Magnifier to detect people near you. This will help you maintain a safe social distance.

Tap the People icon to enable this feature. Move your iPhone so that your camera captures the people around you. Your device notifies you with sounds and speech to those around you. When you’re done, click End to return to Magnifier.

To learn more about people detection, contact Apple Support.

The camera on your iPhone or iPad is obviously useful for taking photos or videos. However, it’s also a great way to magnify objects, so keep the handy Loupe tool in mind!