How to magnify or get information about things around you with Magnifier on iPad

In the Magnifier app, you can use your iPad like a magnifying glass to zoom in on text or objects around you. With Apple Intelligence, you can also use Ask Magnifier to get information about your surroundings.

You can freeze the frame temporarily, switch between your default controls and custom activities, and get information about your surroundings.

Here’s how to magnify or get information about things around you with Magnifier on iPad.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Magnify nearby text or objects

1. Start the Magnifier app on your iPad.
2. Point the iPad camera at the text or object you want to magnify. Then drag the slider to zoom in or out.
3. You can also use any of the following default controls:
   • Tap the Activities button to switch between your default controls and custom sets of controls you’ve defined for recurring tasks or situations (called activities). See Set your preferred controls for an activity.
   • Tap the Ask button to get information about your surroundings.
   • Tap the Freeze frame button to temporarily freeze the frame.
   • Tap the Settings button to add more controls, including Get live descriptions of your surroundings, or edit activities you’ve created.

Quick tip: You can set up a shortcut that quickly opens Magnifier from Control Center or by clicking an iPad button. See our guide, Quickly turn accessibility features on or off.

Ask questions and get information about your surroundings

Apple Intelligence can describe your surroundings and answer questions about what your camera sees, such as the total on a bill or the color of a shirt. And you can set a default question that is answered automatically.

1. Start the Magnifier app on your iPad.
2. Point the iPad camera at the text or object you want to see, tap the Ask button. Do one of the following:
   • Select a default question: Select What is this? or a default question you created in your Ask Magnifier settings.
   • Type or speak a question: Select Type or Speak and then ask a question about your surroundings.

Temporarily freeze the frame

You can capture what’s in the frame temporarily, without saving it to Photos.

1. Start the Magnifier app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Capture button and then do one of the following:
   • Take one or more photos: Press and hold the Capture button and then select Single Photo or Multi-Photo to take a photo or multiple photos.

     If you select Multi-Photo, you’ll see a group of photos in the bottom right corner of the screen.

   • Capture text and reframe it: Press and hold the Capture button and then select Document. Follow the written and spoken instructions to get the text in frame or drag the corners of the box that appear around the text and then tap Confirm.

     After you tap Confirm, tap the Reader button to view the text with Accessibility Reader. See view your captured text in a format for easier reading or to listen to your captured text.

   • Customize and listen to text: If you’re magnifying text, tap the Reader button to view your captured text in a format for easier reading or to listen to your captured text.
   • Share captured images: Tap the Share button for more options, such as sharing the captured frame or saving it to your photos.
   • Stop viewing captured images: Tap the Close button to unfreeze the frame and return to the live Magnifier lens.

To reset Magnifier, press and hold the Capture button anytime and select Document, Multi-Photo, or Single-Photo.

View your captured text in a format for easier reading

When a frame you magnify contains text, you can switch to a format adapted for easier reading and even adjust its fonts, layouts, and background colors.

1. Start the Magnifier app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Capture button to capture the frame and then tap the Reader button.

   Magnifier alerts you if no text is detected in the frame you captured.

3. Tap the More button, then tap Customize Reader.
4. Select a theme, then tap Edit.
5. Do any of the following:
   • Text Color: Choose a color or tap Custom Color.
   • Background Color: Choose a color or tap Custom Color.
   • Text Size: Drag the slider left or right to make the text smaller or larger.
   • Font: Choose a font.
   • High Legibility Characters: Turn on High Legibility Characters.

     Note: This option is only available when using System Font.

   • Bold Text: Turn on Bold Text.
   • Line Spacing: Choose the Default button, the Loose button, or the Open button to customize the space between lines.
   • Word Spacing: Choose the Default button, the Loose button, or the Open button to customize the space between words.
   • Character Spacing: Choose the Default button, the Loose button, or the Open button to customize the space between characters.
   • Readable Content Width: Choose the Default button, the Loose button, or the Open button to customize the text width.
   • Hyperlinks: Turn Show Links on or off. When turned on, you can customize the color.
   • Playback: Turn Highlighting on or off. When turned on, you can customize the style or highlight color.
   • Rename: Enter a name for the settings you choose.
   • Reset to Default: Reset all themes to their default settings.

     Tip: Rename a theme with your custom settings so you can easily find it and reuse it later.

To customize the text in apps, there’s also Accessibility Reader. Check out our article, Read or listen to text in apps with Accessibility Reader on iPad.

Listen to your captured text

1. Start the Magnifier app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Capture button to capture the frame and then tap the Reader button.

   Magnifier alerts you if no text is detected in the frame you captured.

3. Do any of the following:
   • Listen to the text: Tap the Play button.
   • Pause the text: Tap the Pause button.
   • Skip backward or forward: Tap the Rewind button or the Forward button.
   • Increase or decrease the speed: Tap the Speaking Rate One Times button. Then select a speed.
   • Go to a specific time: Drag the slider left or right.

     Note: You can hide or show audio controls: Tap the More button, then tap the Hide Audio Controls button.

Get live descriptions of your surroundings

Detection Mode in the Magnifier app on iPad can help if you’re blind or have low vision: it scans your surroundings and gives you live descriptions, as text or speech, of the scenes detected in the camera view.

Important: Detection Mode should not be relied on in high-risk or emergency situations, in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, or for navigation.

1. Start the Magnifier app on your iPad.
2. Tap the Detection Mode button to start Detection Mode.

   If you don’t see the Detection Mode button, you can add it. See Customize controls.

3. Touch and hold the Detection Mode button and select Scenes. Then do any of the following:
   • On supported iPad models, detect doors, people, and furniture near you.
   • On all iPad models, detect text in the camera frame and have it read out loud or point your finger at text to have it spoken.
4. To temporarily pause detection, double-tap the screen with two fingers. Double-tap again with two fingers to resume detection. To stop Detection Mode, tap the Detection Mode button.

With VoiceOver, you can turn on Live Recognition from any screen on iPad, then get descriptions of your surroundings without opening the Magnifier app. See our guide, Get live descriptions of your surroundings with VoiceOver.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Accessibility features for vision on iPad