Apple is launching a new Measure app in iOS 12 in the next few months that will let you size anything with just your iPhone.
You no longer have to go searching for a tape measure while hanging pictures or when trying to determine if a couch will fit in your living room.
I recently tried the new Measure app in Apple's iOS 12 developer beta. It uses the advanced cameras on newer iPhones like the iPhone X, and will presumably work on Apple's new batch of devices coming soon.
Other augmented reality apps — the type that let you interact with the real world through your phone — have been available in the iTunes App Store and for Android phones. But this is the first time Apple has introduced its own version.
Here's a preview.
First, you'll open the 'Measure' app in iOS 12. Again, this is only in the developer beta right now.
Then you'll move the phone around so it can sense the objects in the room.
Then you'll choose a point where you want to start measuring.
And then point your iPhone at the end to get a full measurement. In this example, I measured a couch.
And a TV in the office.
It can also automatically estimate the dimensions of rectangular objects, like this lamp shade.
You can tap on a measurement to copy it for saving into notes or another app, and it automatically shows the inches to centimeters conversion.
That's it. It's really simple to use and should be available soon with iOS 12. You can see how it works in the video above.