Nowadays, cell phones have so much variety in what they can do. With the evolution of smartphones, no longer is having a phone just about making calls and sending texts. Now you can use your cell phone for gaming, work, banking, and photography.
You can use a phone’s camera for many different applications. Nowadays, you could even upgrade it to a portable microscope.
While these won’t have the exact specs you can expect from a real microscope, it’s still great for practicing microscopy and everyday tasks.
So, here is a list of applications you should consider if you want to install apps for magnifying and microscopes. We have included links to where you can download them and whether they’re available on Android or iPhone.
These have all been compiled based on the number of positive reviews available, and I should inform you that this is not a definitive list.
Before you download any microscope, you should make sure that you read the selection down below carefully. If you want an accurate reading from a microscope, you should use a real microscope and not an app.
After all, microscopes can zoom in far more efficiently on a cellular level.
However, if you simply want to learn more about microscopy, feel free to download these apps to practice.
What You Should Know Before You Download
These apps for your phone are virtual microscopes and magnifiers so that they won’t replace the use of a real microscope.
Microphone apps can optimize your camera’s zoom functions for more stable and efficient image captures, specifically when looking at small objects.
They will only be as good as your phone’s specs, so you should keep your phone’s camera quality in mind.
If you don’t have a good camera that produces grainy photos in low lighting or has poor focus, your chosen app won’t improve your photography.
When you get a microscope app, you should include a high magnification range, and you should be able to adjust the brightness of your phone’s flashlight in the app.
Ensure your controls are easy to use and that you can make any adjustments and navigate the app easily.
Additional features that are nice but you could live without are color filters, image contrast, and using photos saved to your cell phone’s gallery.
However, these aren’t essential and are only a few extra adjustments that could make your experience more fluid.
Now that you know this let’s look at our recommended choices of magnification and microscope apps available on the market.
Cozy Magnifier & Microscope
Cozy Magnifier & Microscope is a two-in-one app you can download on Google Play.
While it is a simple magnifying app, it also works as a sophisticated microscope for your cell phone. So, it’s highly recommended for reading and for taking a look at a variety of objects.
Like all magnifying glass apps, it has the necessary lighting and zoom features but also includes extra controls for contrast and brightness. Therefore, you can manipulate the image without opening it in a separate app.
Cozy Magnifier & Microscope also includes a powerful zoom that surpasses other magnifier apps and has numerous free photo filters.
However, you should remember that it is designed specifically for smartphones and won’t function as well on your tablet.
Magnifying Glass
Magnifying Glass is a free and easy-to-use app that you can get for Android phones.
It has every feature you would expect from a magnifying app, including a few extras. Despite having multiple components, it’s not difficult to navigate.
When using the app, you can activate your phone’s flashlight to add more lighting available, especially if you need to read in the dark.
It’s also easy to control, with a zoom function that reaches up to ten times. To zoom, you just need to pinch or slide your touch screen.
This app stands out because it has built-in color filters that allow you to read or view objects more easily. You may find that changing the color filter can let you see photos in better detail.
However, due to this being a free app, it does have a downside of having adverts. Aside from that, the app seems to have tiny buttons.
NowYouSee Helping Color Blind
As stated in the name, NowYouSee Helping Color Blind is a microscope and magnifying app for individuals struggling with color blindness. Available on both the Google Play store and the iPhone App Store.
There are many unique features available on this app, including standard zoom and lighting controls, but it has special color filters. These color filters can help to differentiate between colors.
Additionally, it even incorporates a built-in color detector to help you if you struggle to see specific colors. You can even use these features on photos in your phone’s gallery.
If you’re unsure whether you’re colorblind, you can use a color blind test before starting the app. However, this will bring you to a different webpage instead of remaining in the app.
However, this is only a minor inconvenience, and there aren’t many complaints about the app’s usage.
Magnifying Glass + Flashlight
Magnifying Glass + Flashlight is a simple app that can change your phone’s camera into a magnifying glass or a simple microscope.
It does this by illuminating and magnifying whatever you have in front of your camera. Along with being available on Google Play, you can also get it on the iPhone App Store.
Taking advantage of your phone’s built-in flashlight, you can adjust how much you brighten and magnify it on controls on the right side of your screen.
You must adjust by swiping up or down, left or right. When the app launches, your flashlight will immediately switch on, and you can select whether you want to dim or turn it off.
You can zoom in up to five times on the app and have the option to freeze the image on your screen to make it easier to look at.
These can be great for reading tiny prints, mainly found on medicine and other product packages.
The developers typically add regular updates to Magnifying Glass + Flashlight, and if you don’t want in-app ads, you can get the premium version if you don’t wish to view intrusive apps.
However, some users have cited some confusion regarding the modes available on the app, but overall, the app does update regularly, and RV AppStudios regularly look into any user complaints.
BigMagnify
BigMagnify is a free-to-use magnifying app that is an iPhone exclusive. It’s compatible with any iPhone which has iOS 10.3 or later.
BigMagnify is great when you want to read an overly designed text and graphics, as it includes various built-in filters.
BigMagnify’s filters include sharpening to allow text to stand out against its background and make the text bolder. It even adds a white outline and increases the contrast of the image.
However, it does have some issues. The buttons and controls are difficult to see, as they are small and appear semi-transparent.
These buttons are smaller and are thus hard to read and operate. Unlike other apps, it isn’t as user-friendly and does have a steeper learning curve.
SuperVision+ Magnifier
SuperVision+ Magnifier has been a highlighter in Technology News for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, published by the American Foundation for the Blind. It’s available on both the iPhone App Store.
SuperVision+ offers a variety of magnification levels, and they’re easy to control through a zoom bar.
The app can freeze and embed images, and you can even use it as a photo viewer, with various color filters available for your photos. Doing this makes it easier to see the image in front of you.
This app is free and easy to use, and it’s great for so many things. You can use it for reading, examining, and capturing images, all in a few clicks.
The main issue with SuperVision + is that it has several ads in the app, which can be somewhat distracting.
Microscope
LogSat Software LLC developed this microscope for your iPhone and is exclusively available on the App Store. Despite its simplicity, it’s functional, and you can use it for various purposes.
LogSat Software LLC designed this app to mimic electron microscopy principles, so it features a powerful magnification. You can even use this to zoom into your skin to observe your skin cells.
That may be an exaggeration, and it won’t zoom in that much. However, it has a smart detector that identifies what you’re trying to image and will load up magnified images of the specimen from its database.
However, it’s impressive that it can still function in such a way.
Final Thoughts
These are only a small selection of magnification and microscope applications available on the market.
These are free to use and easy to install but may have in-app purchases available. However, you should remember that you can’t use magnification apps to replace an actual, physical microscope.
However, these can be used as replacements if you need to use a microscope on the go or if you need to read the fine print that you may struggle with before.
If you want an accurate view from a microscope, your phone will not serve as a replacement, and you may want to invest in an authentic version.
These can be an excellent resource for students interested in microscopy or anyone who struggles to read.
These may also be suitable for anyone interested in photography or videography. However, much more is available on the market, and this is not a definitive list of magnification and microscope apps.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been fascinated by science. Every holiday I would ask for the newest science kit, and spend weeks learning with it.
- Guide To The Endospore Stain – Techniques, Procedures, And Importance - July 25, 2022
- What Are Hyphae? Including Production, Structure, And Variations - July 25, 2022
- The Principle, Procedure And Interpretation Of Motility Tests - July 25, 2022