Your iPhone and iPad come with a handy in-built Magnifier that can help you enlarge anything that’s difficult to see. For instance, the fine print on a bottle of medication, a street sign that is too far away in the distance, etc. This Accessibility feature is packed with a range of extra options, such as the ability to adjust contrast and brightness, apply filters, and more. So let’s check out how to use Magnifier on your iPhone or iPad.
- How to Turn ON Magnifier on iPhone or iPad
- How to Quickly Access Magnifier
- How to Use Magnifier on iPhone or iPad
How to Turn ON Magnifier on iPhone or iPad
You first need to enable the Magnifier on your device by the following steps:
- Go to Settings → Accessibility → Magnifier.
- Toggle ON the Magnifier.
- You can also toggle ON the option for Auto Adjust Exposure to make the Magnifier adjust the brightness and contrast according to the ambient light conditions for a better visual experience.
How to Quickly Access Magnifier
Once you have enabled the Magnifier as explained above, there are two ways to launch it when you need to.
Firstly, if you are using an iPhone X and later, or an iPad with Face ID, you can quickly open the Magnifier by triple-pressing the Side button. To close the Magnifier, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
If you have an iPhone 8 or earlier, and iPad models with a Home button, triple-press the Home button. To close the Magnifier, press the Home button.
How to Add Magnifier to Control Center
Secondly, you can also use the Control Center to quickly access the Magnifier. To add the option:
- Go to Settings → Control Center → Customize Controls.
- Scroll down and tap the small green ‘plus‘ button next to Magnifier.
Now, you can tap the Magnifier icon in Control Center to launch it whenever you need to.
How to Use Magnifier on iPhone or iPad
Once you launch the Magnifier as explained above, there are several options you can use:
To adjust the magnification level, drag the slider at the bottom of the screen to zoom in and zoom out on the object.
Turn on the Flashlight for better visibility by tapping on the lightning bolt icon.
Enable focus lock by tapping the small lock icon. This will prevent your camera from continually refocusing.
To freeze-frame, tap the circular button at the bottom of the screen, and a yellow ring will appear around it. This will allow you to move your phone freely but still look at the image you have magnified. You can drag the slider to zoom in and out on the frozen image. To return to the live Magnifier, tap the circular button again.
To save the Freeze Frame image to your photo library or to share it with a contact, tap and hold on the screen. Then select either the Save or Share options.
To change the brightness and contrast in the Magnifier, tap the Filters button at the bottom right. It looks like three overlapping circles. Then, use the Sliders to adjust the brightness and contrast as you like.
To change the filters in the Magnifier, tap the filters icon at the bottom right. Then, swipe through the options to select different filters.
To invert the colors and filters in the Magnifier, tap the Filters icon, and then tap the button to the left with the curved arrows.
Summing Up
So, have you tried using the Magnifier on your iPhone or iPad yet? Share your experience with us in the comments below. You can also check out how to use Accessibility Shortcuts on your device.
You may also like to read these:
- How to Use Voice Control on iPhone
- How to Disable “Press Home to Unlock” on iPhone
- How to Turn ON Announce Calls on iPhone
I have been writing about tech for over 10 years now. I am passionate about helping people solve their tech problems with easy and practical solutions. At iGeeksBlog, I write and edit how-to guides and accessory reviews for all things Apple. My work has previously appeared in Live IT and Woman’s Era magazines. When not working, I love reading and traveling.