Your iPhone’s camera can do much more than just take beautiful photos. It comes with a separate app called Magnifier. You can use it to enlarge and clarify text and objects, both up close (such as a label or letter) and from a distance (such as a sign or house number).
The Magnifier app comes pre-installed on most iPhones. If it’s not there, you can download it for free from the App Store.
Why is it more convenient than the regular camera app?
The Magnifying Glass app is specifically designed to zoom in quickly and easily:
- Use the large slider at the bottom to zoom in and out effortlessly.
- You can turn on the flashlight to illuminate the area a little better.
- You can adjust the contrast and colors to make the text easier to read.
There’s also a feature that tries to recognize what the camera sees and says it out loud. To be honest, that recognition doesn’t always work very well yet, so don’t expect too much from it.
Open the magnifying glass quickly
You don’t have to search for the app among all your other apps every time. There are three quick ways to open it. Choose the one that works best for you:
- Using the side button: Press the side button on your iPhone (the long button on the right) three times in quick succession.
- On the back: Tap the back of your iPhone a few times with your finger.
- Through the Control Panel: you can read more about this below.
What is the Control Panel?
The Control Center is a kind of quick-access menu on your iPhone. It’s hidden behind the edge of your screen, and you can bring it up by swiping down with your finger from the top-right corner of the screen. On older iPhones with a round Home button, you swipe up from the bottom of the screen instead.
The Control Center contains all kinds of shortcut buttons, such as those for your flashlight, volume, and Wi-Fi. You can customize the Control Center yourself and add buttons to it, such as the Magnifier button. You only need to do this once; after that, the button will always be there.
How to Add the Magnifier to the Control Panel
- Open the Settings app. It’s the icon with the gray gears.
- Swipe down and tap Control Panel.
- You’ll now see a list. At the top are the buttons that are already in your Control Panel. Below that, under “More Controls ” (or “Additional Controls“), are the buttons you can still add.
- Look for ” Magnifying Glass” in that list.
- Tap the green plus sign (+) to the left of the Magnifying Glass. The button will now move up to the row you’re using.
- All done! You can close the Settings app now.
From now on, here’s how to open the Magnifying Glass:
- Swipe your finger down from the top-right corner of your screen (or up from the bottom on an iPhone with a Home button).
- Tap the magnifying glass icon.
Tip: Would you like to use the side button or the back tap feature as well? You’ll need to set these up once via Settings > Accessibility. For the side button, select “Quick Action”; for the back of the device, select “Touch” > “Tap Back.” This will ensure the shortcut always works.
