You can’t imagine some of the crazy searchesGooglesees every day. Why is the sky blue, who is the president right now, and the universal “why do I have a headache,” which usually results in the internetwarning youof impending death and doom. But even today, with all the information at our fingertips, there are still some hyper-specific questions that aren’t a Google search away.
I’m talking about right here, right now, questions. You can’task Googlehow many inches long a rock you found on the ground is. Luckily, that’s where app developers and phone makers get pretty clever.
Whenever I go on ahike, I love seeing how high I climb – not for any tracking data or anything. Sometimes pondering curiosity hits you in the moment, and getting the answer right away is a cute little dopamine hit that you’re able to turn around to your buddy and say, “hey, look at our elevation right now.”
So, here’s how to measure elevation with your iPhone.
You can use the compass app to determine direction, altitude, and location coordinates using GPS and a built-in magnetometer. It also has a leveling tool and can display elevation.
My 4 favorite iPhone apps for every outdoor adventure
For once, your iPhone can actually help you get away from it all.
How to measure elevation on your iPhone
Let’s see how high you are
All the models made in 2014 and after have a built-in barometer that your phone uses to determine its elevation at that moment.
If you have an iPhone 6 or over, you can do this nifty little trick.
It’s easy, fast, and right there on your iPhone. Like a lot of native features, it gets the job done. But there are plenty of other third-party apps out there that give you even more precise readings, plus some other bells and whistles.
Oura ring bearers, does your data ever make you upset?
Obviously, it’s not the wonderful golden ring on my index finger that’s making my quality of sleep worthy of an intervention. Snooze-ability wasn’t in my top five favorable skills even before I started sporting the smart ring – that’s actually why I bought it in the first place. It’s my favorite – and most stylish – fitness track I’ve ever used. However, unlike the Apple Watches and FitBits I’ve worn in the past, Oura rings don’t have a visible interface right on the device itself. On the one hand, it’s favorable because I don’t get distracted by its random dings and rings or even flashy notifications. In fact, I usually only check it once per day – right when I wake up in the morning, because I’m eager to see how I slept.
Could I just close my eyes and do a quick body scan to get an intuitive read on my restfulness? Absolutely. But do I instead slide down vigorously and refresh until I see a number that never goes above 80 to determine how I slept? Definitely. It’s almost always
What is a barometer?
And how it works
A barometer is a tool that measures atmospheric pressure – you probably built one using an old coffee can and a balloon back in elementary school. It’s often associated with predicting short-term weather forecasts, but it can also measure elevation.
As you ascend, the air pressure drops because there’s less air above pushing down. Barometers measure this pressure decrease to estimate altitude. But, weather changes can also have an effect on air pressure, so a barometric altimeter has to be recalibrated periodically using a known elevation – AKA, a fixed location.
How to use Garmin’s Skin Temperature feature
With a compatible Garmin watch, you can see how your skin temperature varies over time.
So how do we elevation?
From that fixed location
A barometer measures air pressure, which decreases as you go higher. Since we know how pressure changes with altitude, we can calculate how far we’ve moved up or down from that known elevation point. This is why hikers, pilots, and surveyors use barometric altimeters – they start with a fixed reference and can track their elevation changes accurately.
I’d recommend trusting your native iPhone Compass app here rather than breaking out the pen and paper on the hiking trail – unless you’re an avid hobby-physicist.
There are some pretty gnarly-looking mathematical calculations, so I’d recommend trusting your native iPhone Compass app here rather than breaking out the pen and paper on the hiking trail – unless you’re an avid hobby-physicist, that is.
