How to Use the Measure App on Android Devices

Unless you're very prepared, you probably don't travel with a measuring tape. That makes it hard to measure that piece of furniture you found at a flea market or figure out whether a shipping box will fit in your car's trunk. Fortunately, there's the handy Google Measure app.

How to Use the Google Measure App

Once you've installed the Google Measure app on your phone, it's easy to use. The first time will be a little different, because there are options you can set up (such as how you want Display Units displayed — Imperial or Metric). After that, can jump straight into measuring things when you open the app.

1. Download Google Measure from the Google Play store, then launch the app and give it permission to use your camera and phone storage.

   Google Measure works with any ARCore compatible Android devices, such as Pixel smartphones, Nokia 6+ smartphones, and most LG and Samsung smartphones running Android 8.0 and higher. Please check compatibility before using the Google AR Measure app.

2. Tap the three dots to open the settings. Change the units display as necessary.

3. Tap above the settings pop-up to return to the app.

4. Choose a well-lit, textured surface or item to measure. Items with defined edges work best. 

5. Move your phone around to activate the measuring features. 

6. Once you see a series of white dots appear over the item you're measuring and the hand disappears, the app is ready.

7. Tap Start measuring (if this is your first time using the app; otherwise, proceed to the next step). A yellow circle and dot appear on the screen.

8. Move the yellow dot to the starting point of your measurements by moving your phone. Tap the Plus (+).

9. Move the dot to the end point by moving your phone. The app shows the approximate distance between the start and end points.

10. Tap the checkmark to finish the measurement. You can now save your measurements as an image or continue to measure the height of an item.

11. To measure the height of an item, move the yellow dot to the starting point and tap the Plus (+). A white dotted line will appear.

12. Move your phone upwards to measure the height and tap the checkmark.

13. Tap the camera icon to save your measurements to your Google Photos app.

How Google Measure Uses AR to Work

The Google Measure app uses ARcore to translate real-world content virtually onto your phone. At a basic level, the AR functionality in Android is tracking the position of your mobile device as it moves, then builds its own version of the real world. From there, it can use the digital recreation to insert virtual images, items, and more from the app that's using it.

For example, you might try redecorating your living room with the AR feature of the Amazon Shopping app to see how furniture would look in your house. That way, you can visually decide if the new furniture will work in the space that's available to you.

Improve the Accuracy of Google Measure

There are a few tips you can use to increase the accuracy of the Measure app on your phone, including:

• Make sure your item is in a well-lit area.
• High-contrast items on a neutral background will work best.
• Avoid reflections on the item to be measured and any shadows.
• Update your Android device to ensure you've got the latest version of the OS. 
• Update your Measure app to ensure you've got the latest version.
• Try angling your phone to change the line the app is measuring.