Posted on 2 How To

How to Use Loupe Detection Mode on iPhone and iPad

Things to Know Before Using Discovery Mode in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

  • Discovery Mode only works on iPhones and iPads with LiDAR sensors.
  • Your iPhone must be running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later to use the full features of Discovery Mode.
  • You can use all detection modes (door, people and image) together.

While the Magnifier app on iPhone and iPad can be used by many to magnify small text, you might be surprised to find out just how much more it can do. Since it will take forever to go through all its features (not quite literally, but it has a lot of features), I will help you to use the Loupe Detection Mode on your iPhone.

This feature is mainly aimed at visually impaired people. So if you know someone who would benefit from this feature, please read and help them use this great feature.

Apple devices that support discoverable mode in the Magnifier app

While people detection has been around for quite some time on the iPhone, Apple introduced door detection with iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. So, as you might guess, in order to use this feature, you have to make sure your iPhone or iPad is up to date with the latest version of iOS. or version for iPadOS.

Now, even after that, you have to make sure your device is equipped with a LiDAR sensor. In case this bit got technical, here is a list of iPhones and iPads with LiDAR sensors:

  • iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro max.
  • iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
  • iPad Pro (2020)
  • iPad Pro (2021)

And if your iPhone has successfully passed these criteria, let’s see what to do next.

How to Enable Discovery Mode in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

Although in most cases this option is enabled by default, it is recommended to double-check. Here’s how you can turn on discovery mode on your iPhone and iPad:

  1. Open the Magnifier app.
  2. Tap the gear icon.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Here, click the plus icon next to discovery mode.
  5. If you see a minus sign (-), this is already enabled.
  6. Click Done.

You will now see a discovery mode icon when you open the app itself.

Use Door Detection on iPhone and iPad

  1. Open the Magnifier app.
  2. Touch the discovery mode icon.
  3. Select the door detection icon.

You will see a confirmation message at the top. To discover doors, walk up to any of them and you’ll see your iPhone mention the door; he would also mention the distance and type of door.

Set up door detection in the Magnifier app

  1. Tap the gear icon.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Scroll down and click “Door detection”.
  4. On the Door Detection page, you will get the following setup options:
    • Units: meters and feet
    • Sound Step: Here you can set up audio feedback from your iPhone when it detects a door within a given distance.
    • Feedback: Enable any of the following options of your choice.
    • Sounds
    • Speech
    • Tactile
    • Color: Customize the color of the door outline.
    • Back Tap: Once enabled, you can use the double tap function to hear more information about the detected doors.
    • Door Attributes: Turn this on to get more information about detected doors.
    • Door Decorations: Provides information about door decorations.

Use people detection on iPhone and iPad

To use people detection on iPhone and iPad running iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 and later:

  1. Open magnifier.
  2. Touch the discovery mode icon.
  3. Select the People Detection icon.

You can see a confirmation message at the top, and when you bring your iPhone closer to a person, it will inform you about the person and how far away they are.

Set up people detection in the Magnifier app

  1. Tap the gear icon.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Scroll down and tap on People Detection.
  4. Here are the settings you will get for people detection:
    • Units
    • Sound Pitch Distance
    • Feedback

Fix Mode Detection not working on iPhone and iPad

Despite having this feature enabled, if you can’t use discovery mode on your iPhone and iPad, here are a few tips to check out.

  • Make sure you have enabled discovery mode.
  • Update your iPhone or iPad to the latest version of iOS.
  • Check if your device is equipped with a LiDAR sensor.
  • Restart your iPhone or iPad. If that doesn’t help, try a forced reboot.
  • While using the app, try moving away or getting a little closer to see if that activates the feature.

That’s all!

It’s great to see Apple taking care of its users with features like Medications, improved door detection, and the addition of people detection. And just like this feature, I hope this guide has been helpful to you as well. Let me know in the comments if you have any doubts.

CDN CTB