There are a few ways to measure elevation on your iPhone. The most common way to measure elevation is to use the accelerometer. To use the accelerometer, you need to first set it up. You can do this by going to Settings and then General and then Bluetooth and then Accelerometer. Once you have set up the accelerometer, you can use it to measure elevation by pressing and holding on the top left corner of your iPhone until you hear a beep. The beep will tell you how high the iPhone is above the ground. Another way to measure elevation is by using GPS. To use GPS, you need to have an active phone connection and have your map open. To use GPS, you need to press and hold on the home button for about two seconds until you see a green light come on. Then, press and hold on your phone’s back button for about two seconds until you see a red light come on. This will tell you where your phone is located in relation to other phones in your area.
All iPhones from the iPhone 6 onwards include a barometer that calculates a device’s current elevation. The iPhone uses that data for multiple things, not least to help it know when you take a flight of stairs—gotta close those activity rings.
The Difference Between Altitude and Elevation
People often interchange the two words, but they do have separate definitions. Altitude is the height of an object or place “above a given planetary reference plane, especially above sea level on earth” as explained by dictionary.com.
Elevation relates to a position that is “above sea level or ground level” according to the same source.
Measuring Your Elevation
Finding your elevation is easy, and you don’t have to download anything new to do it. The Compass app is installed on all iPhones, which is all you need to get started.
First, open the “Compass” app. Next, locate the listed elevation, which appears at the bottom of the screen.
Elevation data is pretty basic information but super useful at times. If you need more information about your current position, you can download more detailed apps like My Altitude. That one is free with in-app purchases to unlock additional data.
Another Use for the Compass App
In addition to displaying your coordinates and elevation, the Compass app has one more trick up its sleeve: You can use it as a level. It’s surprisingly accurate thanks to the array of sensors built into the iPhone and handy for when a new shelf absolutely must be perfectly level.
