Try This Fourth of July Party Trick on Your iPhone

Today is Independence Day in the United States, and many Americans will be gathering to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with friends and family. If you are headed to a backyard BBQ, we have a fun iPhone party trick to share with you.

iPhone Measure Height Contact Shadow
If you have a compatible iPhone model with a LiDAR Scanner (see the list below), you can measure a person's height in Apple's built-in Measure app. This way, you can see how much your nieces and nephews have grown since you last saw them, or find out if your favorite uncle is as tall as he claims he is. This might sound silly (it totally is!), but many people have no idea that iPhones offer this neat little feature.

Steps

  1. Open the Measure app.
  2. Make sure the person is visible on your iPhone's screen from head to toe.
  3. Wait a moment, and a line should appear at the top of the person's head with their height measurement.
  4. To take a photo of the measurement, tap the shutter button (white circle in the bottom-right corner).

You can save and share the photo of the person with their height measurement if you prefer.

Tips

  • The app measures a person's height from the ground to the top of their head or hair. However, if the person is wearing a hat, the height measurement will be from the ground to the top of the hat.
  • You can also measure a person's seated height.
  • You can switch between imperial (feet and inches) and metric (centimeters) in the Settings app under Measure → Measure Units.

Compatible iPhones

The feature requires an iPhone model with a LiDAR Scanner:

  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 14 Pro
  • iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPhone 15 Pro
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • iPhone 16 Pro
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max

The feature is not available on any other iPhone models.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...

Top Rated Comments

Neewbee Avatar
26 weeks ago
What on earth kind of parties do you attend? ?
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Evan Davis Avatar
26 weeks ago
You bring out this “trick” when you want everyone to go home, right?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Channan Avatar
26 weeks ago
Nothing says 4th of July party like busting out your iPhone to measure your nieces and nephews.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Joe Rossignol Avatar
26 weeks ago

Nothing says 4th of July party like busting out your iPhone to measure your nieces and nephews.
Bet they'd think it's fun and be like wow I didn't know an iPhone could do that!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FlavorfulTreat Avatar
26 weeks ago
Conversely using it to measure how much my Nanas have shrunk
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechWhisperer Avatar
26 weeks ago
What a weird article.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)