Your iPhone has a hidden feature that can measure furniture

When you’re choosing a new sofa, you’ll probably want to take a measuring tape to the store. Otherwise, you risk buying one that is too big or too small for your space. Although a tape measure is handy for shopping for furniture, it can be complicated to transport. Luckily, your iPhone has a useful feature that can do the job instead: the Measure app. This essential iPhone app is designed to measure furniture (and other objects) with the built-in camera.

It gives you an estimate of the length, width, and height of a piece of furniture, which is especially handy when you’re remodeling your home but aren’t sure if there’s enough space for your items. Or when you’re moving and want to know if everything fits in the truck. Since Measure only gives you a rough estimate, it’s best not to rely on it for projects that require precision, like creating a custom shelf or ordering a glass top for your table. But for more basic projects, Measure is a great alternative to a tape measure.

The iPhone Measure app is simple and intuitive to use. It works as follows:

1. Open the Measure app on your iPhone.
2. Make sure you are two to ten feet away from the piece of furniture you want to measure.
3. Move your iPhone so that the dot on the screen lines up with one end of the furniture.
4. Press the plus button to mark this position.
5. Move the iPhone to the end point you are measuring.
6. Press the plus button again.

A ruler with the measurement will then appear on the top of the furniture. To save a photo of it, select the little trigger on the right or just write it down. All measurements will be automatically deleted when you exit the app or delete it from your recent apps. When you are ready to measure another side of the furniture, press the Back or Delete button to clear the screen.

The tape measure is an essential gadget for any DIYer, thanks to its precise measurements. But even though the iPhone’s Measure app is considered the best for estimates, it’s actually quite accurate. I tested Measure on several pieces of furniture and found that the app’s measurements were only slightly different from those of a tape measure. For example, my bedroom closet measures 46.75 inches wide with a tape measure, but the app said it was 46 inches wide.

My home office is 31.6 inches wide with a tape measure and 31 inches with the app. Meanwhile, our couch in the living room measured 70.5 inches with the tape measure, but 71 inches with the app. It’s important to note that how you use the app can affect accuracy. First of all, the camera angle plays a role. When I tried to measure the table with the camera above it, the measurement was off by 1.5 inches. But when I moved the camera to the same level as the table, there was only a 0.5 inch difference.

Where you are when measuring is also a factor. Be sure to position yourself in the middle of the furniture rather than to the side and stay at least two feet apart. When measuring furniture with straight edges like a cabinet or table, you will get the most accurate figure if you align the start and end points with the yellow guide lines. These guide lines automatically appear along the edge of the furniture when your camera detects a straight edge. Just wait for it to appear before marking the start and finish points.