Best AR Measuring Apps for Android and IOS that actually works

Please note: Blinds Direct will remain OPEN DURING THE COVID-19 LOCK DOWN. Manufacturing will continue after lock down.  

 

There is a growing array of app and web-enhanced activities to pass the time while we find ourselves in social isolation. As the Corona-virus crisis deepens and we are all advised to stay at home, people are becoming increasingly creative about how to keep busy, and this is one way that the team at Blinds Direct are trying to help.

Accurate measurements are critical for mounting blinds, and if you’ve ever had to measure a window for this, you know that dealing with a tape measure is often a two-person job. This is why the idea of taking measurements with nothing but a smartphone is extremely appealing, and that’s why the likes of Google Play and iPhone’s App Store have revealed a host of third-party apps to choose from.

Technology has now made it very easy for anyone to measure an item without even having to leave their chair or purchase any extra tools. The measuring apps available for Android and IOS can help you to measure practically anything, from the length of a table to the distance between two corners of the room. To assist you in choosing the right measuring app for you and your operating system, Blinds Direct has done some trial and testing to bring you our recommendations of the best apps for both Android and IOS to aid you in measure for any situation.

Apple IOS

Measure (Apple)

Apple’s Measure app probably has the fewest features – and therefore is one of the simplest to use out of any of the apps we tried. There is a camera button built into the interface, so if the image you’re measuring can fit on the screen, making it easy to take a screenshot with the measurements included in the image. The only setting you can fiddle with is switching between imperial and metric measurements. Measure can also automatically measure rectangular objects when the iPhone is in a horizontal position, but always be sure to have good lighting on your subject to achieve accurate measurements.

Apple’s Measure app comes built-in with iOS 12.

Firstly, make sure that your device’s software is up to date.

The Measure app works on these devices:

• iPhone SE and iPhone 6s or later
• iPad (5th Generation or later) and iPad Pro
• iPod touch (7th generation)

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208924

AirMeasure

AirMeasure had the greatest number of different measuring tools to any other app, as well as the ability to activate your iPhone’s flash to act as a flashlight. AirMeasure keeps a history of previous measurements you’ve taken, along with the ability to group them into a certain project or file to keep them organised.

AirMeasure is very easy to use as it includes helpful video tutorials for both overall uses of the app and for each of the individual tools. It is also very convenient to use because the button that selects your start- and end-point of measurement is located below the focus ring and within easy reach of a thumb. Furthermore, the virtual tape measure that unspools on the screen as the camera pans is a nice touch too.

AR MeasureKit download link: https://apps.apple.com/za/app/airmeasure-ar-tape-ruler/id1251282152

AR MeasureKit has a good selection of tools, including Face Mesh – which creates a wireframe map of your face – sans emoji skin, along with a flashlight. The app provides detailed directions for each tool, but without videos. Making measurements with the ruler tool is difficult because the focus ring is also the button to tap to mark the starting and ending point. Covering the focus ring while tapping leads to a lot of uncertainty about the accuracy of the measurement.

Measured by Lowe’s

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/measured-by-lowes/id1277211092?mt=8&at=10l3Vy&ct=UUimUdUnU46952YYwYd

Measured is a simple app that only does very basic measuring, and provides a fairly sparse set of tips for using the app. Interestingly, one of the tips was to perform vertical measurements from the bottom to the top. A nice feature: haptic feedback as you move the camera and draw out the measuring line.

Android

Measure – Quick Everyday Measurements

Download link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.tango.measure&hl=en_US

Google’s augmented reality app Measure turns ARCore-compatible Android smartphones into digital measuring tapes. Using the app is rather simple. Simply launch Measure, point the phone’s camera to an object, then pick two points to measure the distance in between. The virtual tape measure can measure either height or length.

Measure is an official app by Google LLC. You can trust in the rule of this application as it has been designed and developed by Google by using AI. To use this app drag “Distance” or “Elevation” Option to use with Camera. This app comes with beyond features. Usually, the Measure apps only give you access to measure different things and compare them with the screen of the mobile but this changed. The Measure app by Google does not just turn your mobile screen into a ruler but allows you to measure things by using the camera of your Smartphone.

Overall this is an excellent app for Android users to measure objects and distance. It does come with some limitations, but the camera feature of this app makes it best among all the other measure apps available.

AR Ruler App – Tape Measure & Camera To Plan

Download Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.kosev.rulering

The measuring app inspires the basics of this app by Google, but the developer of this application has worked beyond them. That’s why this application is ranking high from other measure apps and even won more positive reviews than Measure app by Google.

Unlike other measure apps, this app is not just a regular app to tell you the height and width of an object, but it has some very advanced features which are hard to find in other applications. You can measure distance, angle, volume, path, perimeter and area with this application. The developer also included a simple on-screen ruler option too.

The AP Ruler app works by your camera. All you need to open the camera and move it toward the objective you want to measure. As per user experience, this app’s measurements are correct. Even if it gives you an estimate, it is still best because of its advance measure options.

ImageMeter – photo measure

Download Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.dirkfarin.imagemeter

ImageMeter provides tools that help you measure lengths, angles and areas in your photos. Instead of drawing sketches by hand, simply take a photo and annotate it with the dimensions on your phone or tablet.

What is also special about ImageMeter is that it enables you to measure within the image once you calibrate it with a reference object of known size. It often happens that after taking the photo, being back at home or in the office, one realizes that some important distances have not been measured. This is no problem anymore with ImageMeter because it enables you to measure the missing data directly from the photos, afterwards. Additionally, with this feature, you can also easily measure the dimensions for places which are too difficult to reach. The only thing you will need to do this is some kind of reference object to calibrate to absolute size. ImageMeter will take care of all perspective foreshortening and will still compute the measurements correctly.

About these AR measuring apps

Measurements done by these apps are not always accurate. For that matter, an accuracy range at the bottom of the screen shows the margin of error for measurements. App performance differs from phone to phone depending on how well the device implements the ARCore.

While measurements would still be best done with a physical tape measure or ruler, the app can at least act as a stand-in and provide an estimate. That together with Blinds Direct’s instant quote and you have a winning recipe!

Once the lock down is over, double check your measurements using a steel measuring tape following the below guide and you are good to go!

How to measure your windows

Inside Mount or Outside Mount

There are two ways to mount blinds, inside the window frame and outside it. For a clean, built-in look, use an inside mount. This also allows you to hang other window coverings, like curtains, over the blind.

Use an outside mount when you want to make a window look wider and longer, or when you have an unattractive window that you want to hide. It’s also a good option if you have a window that is not square.

When measuring, use a steel measuring tape. Don’t round your measurements.

Note which measurement is the width by marking a “W” next to it, and note the height with an “H.” Always put the width measurement first. Remember: W x H.

Unless told otherwise, don’t deduct for the mounting brackets or headrail. Provide the exact window size.

Tip: When using an inside mount, first, measure to make sure the frame is deep enough to accommodate the hanging hardware.

Inside Mount Blinds

Once you’ve determined your frame is deep enough for the hardware, take three measurements, one at the top of the window, one in the middle and one at the bottom. Use the narrowest width as your measurement.

For the height, measure left, right and centre, and record the tallest height.

Outside Mount Blinds

When measuring outside mount horizontal blinds, start by measuring the window’s width. Then, if possible, add at least 5-7cm to each side to ensure you’re covering the light gap and to maximise privacy.

Then measure the window’s height and add at least 5-7cm to allow the space for mounting brackets and overlap at the bottom of the blind.

Gone are the days of having to use a middleman to get the job done – you can now do it yourself in the comfort of your home! We hope to be hearing from you soon and hope that our blinds price calculator will help you work out the cost of your brand new blinds today! Our stylish, contemporary and traditional made to measure blinds are offered in a range of styles guaranteed to suit any interior, including roller blinds, Venetian blinds, roman blinds and vertical blinds.