How to use your phone as a magnifying glass

What you will learn

In this guide, you will learn how to use your phone as a magnifying glass. Your phone has a built-in magnifier tool that uses the camera to zoom in on small text and objects. This is very helpful for reading medicine labels, restaurant menus, price tags, or any small print that is hard to see.

What you need

• An iPhone with iOS 10 or newer, or an Android phone with Android 10 or newer
• No additional apps needed (the magnifier is built into your phone)

Steps

Step 1: Open the magnifier on iPhone

On an iPhone, you can open the magnifier in several ways. The easiest is to swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Centre, then tap the magnifying glass icon. If you do not see it, go to Settings, then Control Centre, and add Magnifier to the list. You can also ask Siri: “Open Magnifier.”

Step 2: Open the magnifier on Android

On an Android phone, open Settings, then tap Accessibility. Look for Magnification and turn it on. Once enabled, you can activate it by tapping the accessibility shortcut (a small person icon) that appears at the bottom of your screen, or by triple-tapping the screen with one finger.

Step 3: Point your phone at what you want to read

Hold your phone about 15 to 25 centimetres away from the text or object you want to magnify. The screen will show a live, zoomed-in view of what the camera sees. Keep your hand steady for a clear image.

Step 4: Adjust the zoom level

Use the zoom slider to make the text bigger or smaller. On iPhone, drag the slider at the bottom of the screen to the right to zoom in more, or to the left to zoom out. On Android, pinch with two fingers to adjust the zoom. Find a zoom level where the text is large enough to read comfortably.

Step 5: Improve readability with brightness and contrast

If the text is still hard to read, use the built-in adjustments. On iPhone, tap the settings icon (a gear or sliders icon) at the bottom to access brightness, contrast, and colour filters. Try increasing contrast to make dark text stand out more. On Android, similar options are available in the magnification settings.

Step 6: Freeze the image for easier reading

If your hands are shaky or the object is hard to hold steady, you can freeze the image. On iPhone, tap the shutter button (the large circle at the bottom) to capture a still image. You can then examine it closely, zoom in further, and even save it. Tap the screen to go back to live view when you are done.

Tips

• Add the magnifier to your iPhone home screen for quick access. Press and hold the home screen, tap + at the top, search for Magnifier, and add the widget.
• Turn on the flashlight within the magnifier when reading in low light. Look for the flash or torch icon.
• The magnifier is great for reading medicine bottles, nutrition labels, serial numbers, and any small print you encounter daily.
• If you wear reading glasses but forgot them, the magnifier is an excellent temporary replacement.

Useful links

• Use Magnifier on iPhone
• Use magnification on Android