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Blog · Scanning

Do you need LiDAR to scan a room?

· By the CamPlan team

Short answer

No. LiDAR gives the fastest and most precise room scan, but it is only on iPhone Pro and Pro Max models from the iPhone 12 Pro onwards and on iPad Pro models from 2020. On any other iPhone or iPad you can still make a floor plan: film a short video walkthrough and let AI draw it, or enter measurements by hand.

What LiDAR does in a room scan

LiDAR is a small depth sensor next to the camera. It sends out infrared light and measures how long it takes to bounce back, so the phone knows the distance to every surface in front of it. Apple's RoomPlan technology combines that depth data with the camera to find walls, doors, windows and furniture while you walk around the room. You see the plan build up live, and a typical room takes about a minute.

Which iPhones and iPads have LiDAR

DeviceLiDAR
iPhone 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max and every later Pro and Pro MaxYes
iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (standard models), mini, Plus, Air and e modelsNo
iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation, 2020) and every later iPad ProYes
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation, 2020) and every later iPad ProYes
iPad, iPad Air and iPad miniNo

To check your own device, look for a small black circle next to the camera lenses on the back, or find your model on Apple's iPad identification page or its iPhone tech specs.

How to make a floor plan without LiDAR

Video scan

Film a slow walkthrough of the room or the whole floor, and AI works out the walls, doors and windows from the video. It takes a few minutes to process instead of drawing live, and it works on any recent iPhone or iPad. In CamPlan's AI Video Scan you can also upload a video on a Mac.

Draw it from your own measurements

Measure the walls with a tape or a laser meter and type the lengths in. This is the most accurate option on any device, because the plan uses exactly the numbers you measured. Our guide on how to measure a room covers the method.

Start from an existing plan

If you already have a plan, as a photo, an estate agent's brochure or a PDF, an app can trace it into an editable plan. CamPlan's floor plan import does this with AI.

When LiDAR is worth having

  • You measure many rooms every week, for example as an estate agent, surveyor, contractor or EPC assessor. Scanning a room in about a minute is much faster than measuring it by hand.
  • You need doors, windows and wall lengths captured on site without extra steps.
  • You want a 3D model of the room straight away.

For a single renovation at home, a video scan or a hand-measured plan gives you the same floor plan, just a little slower. See how accurate iPhone room scans are for what to expect from each method.

FAQ

Does the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 have LiDAR?

Only the Pro and Pro Max models. The standard iPhone 16, iPhone 17, Plus and Air models have no LiDAR sensor.

Can Apple's Measure app make a floor plan?

No. Measure gives you point-to-point distances and works better on LiDAR devices, but it doesn't create a floor plan. You need a floor plan app for that.

Can I scan a room on Android?

Some Android phones have depth sensors, but Apple's RoomPlan, which many iPhone scanning apps are built on, only runs on iPhone and iPad. On Android, apps usually rely on the camera or on manual measuring.

Is a LiDAR scan more accurate than a video scan?

Usually, yes. LiDAR measures distance directly, while a video scan estimates it from images. For ordering materials, check one or two walls with a tape measure whichever method you use.

Try CamPlan

Scan with LiDAR, film a short video or draw by hand, and get an editable 2D and 3D floor plan. Free to start on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Download on the App Store

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