Daily Tips

How to use your iPhone or iPad as a magnifying glass

Did you know that you can use your iPhone or iPad as a magnifying glass? You can, thanks to the Magnifier app in iOS and iPadOS. Here’s how:

On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Accessibility.

Tap Magnifier, then turn it on. This adds Magnifier as an accessibility shortcut.

° On an iPhone X and later, or iPad with Face ID: Triple-click the Side button. Then drag the slider to adjust the magnification level. To close Magnifier, swipe up from the bottom of your screen.

° On an iPhone 8 and earlier, and iPad models with a Home button, triple-click the Home button. Then drag the slider to adjust the magnification level. To close Magnifier, press the Home button.

You can also add Magnifier to Control Center:

° Go to Settings > Control Center, then tap Customize Controls.

° Tap the add button  next to Magnifier.

Then from Control Center, tap the Magnifier button to use it.

When you have Magnifier open, you can do things like apply color filters or save a magnified object as an image. You can use the flashlight on your device to add more light to an object you’re trying to magnify. You can also turn on Auto-Brightness to adjust the brightness of Magnifier based on ambient light settings.

To To apply color filters:

° Tap the filters button (three overlapping circles). 

° Swipe across the different color filters to view their effects.

° To adjust the brightness and contrast, drag the sliders.

To invert the colors, follow these steps:

° Tap the invert filters button.

° Tap the filter button again to apply the filter you want and to return to the Magnifier screen.

To freeze a specific frame, tap the freeze frame button (a circle with a colored ring around it).

° To adjust the magnification, drag the slider. 

° Tap the screen to focus on the image.

° To save the image, touch and hold the image, then tap Save Image.

To unfreeze the frame, tap the freeze frame button again. To lock the focus of the object you’re trying to magnify, tap the lock button. Tap the button again to unlock the focus.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.