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 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Display Production Begins Ahead of Launch Next Year

Wednesday July 9, 2025 10:59 pm PDT by
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports. The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...

Top Rated Comments

Neewbee Avatar
1 week ago
What on earth kind of parties do you attend? ?
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Evan Davis Avatar
1 week ago
You bring out this “trick” when you want everyone to go home, right?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Channan Avatar
1 week 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
1 week 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
1 week ago
Conversely using it to measure how much my Nanas have shrunk
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechWhisperer Avatar
1 week ago
What a weird article.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)