Apple has a magnifying glass app for the iPhone and iPad. This iPad and iPhone magnifying app is a helpful way to magnify a screen, especially for the visually impaired. No third-party magnifier app needed; the Magnifier app for iPhone is free!

Why You'll Love This Tip

Use the free Magnifier app to make text and small objects more visible.
The magnifier on iPhone can adjust contrast, filters, and brightness. You can also use the magnifier with light, take a photo of the magnified text or object, or have the Reader read your magnified text for you.

How To Use the iPad & iPhone Magnifier

System Requirements

This tip works on iPhones running iOS 16 or later, and was tested on an iPhone 17 Pro running iOS 26. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.

Your iPhone and iPad have great accessibility features, but sometimes, they're hard to find. If you ever wished there were a magnifying glass on your iPhone: there is! Just open the Magnify app on your iPad or iPhone. Here's how to use the magnifier on iPhone and iPad.

Tap the Magnifier app to open it. The app is often in your Utilities folder, but if you can't find the app, search the App Library or ask Siri to open it.
The magnify app will show you everything your iPhone's camera can see. To maximize the view on your display, slide the yellow dot to the right, toward the plus sign. To minimize the view, slide to the left toward the minus symbol.
Below the plus/minus slider are the Brightness, Contrast, Filters, and Flashlight icons. The Filters icon offers a range of filter options, while the Flashlight icon can be used to turn your iPhone's flashlight on and off.
Swipe left across the controls to show the Lock option and Reverse Camera icon. Tap the Focus Lock icon to keep the image on your screen still, so you can examine it without needing to hold your phone absolutely still, and regardless if anything else enters the magnification field.
The Reverse Camera icon allows you to choose Front (selfie), Close-up, or Auto Camera lens.
Tap the Capture icon when you're ready to take a photo.
This image won't be saved to your Photos app like a regular screenshot, so tap the Share icon and send the image to an app or contact if you want to save it.
Tap the Settings to add or remove any of the Magnifier app controls.
Now, you can change your magnifying glass app controls. Tap the red circle with a white minus sign next to any controls you want to remove.
You can also add controls back by tapping the green circle with the plus sign next to each one. Tap the Check Mark in the circle when finished subtracting controls.

Now you know how to use the magnifying glass app on your iPhone and iPad. We've written about apps for the deaf and hard of hearing, and how to add accessibility features to your Control Center. For more great iPhone accessibility tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day.