Now you can measure things on your Android mobile using AR

Google’s ARCore is its platform for creating augmented reality experiences. It allows your phone to sense the world around it and interact with the information it detects. This means if your phone is ARCore compatible it’ll be able to use apps like Google Lens, which can search the internet based on visual images. Google has just released another cool app for ARCore compatible apps, Google Measure.

To check if your mobile is ARCore compatible click here. If your phone is on the list, you can download Google Measure here.

Apple recently announced to huge fanfare that all iPhones would be getting the ability to measure things simply by aiming the camera at it. This is Google’s answer to that, and it works really well.

If you’re after a fairly accurate measurement quickly, all you have to do is whip out your Android phone, point it at what you need measuring, drag a line across it, and then note down your measurement. It might not be accurate enough for professional measurements, but it is certainly good enough for everyday measurements around the house.

Measure has been available for quite some time now, but only on Tango devices, which specialized cameras and sensors. AR technology has now advanced sufficiently that specialized equipment is no longer needed. Regular images from regular cameras can be used to sense environmental conditions. This means that over time we should expect to see more and more AR apps like measure coming to everyday smartphones.