Which iPhones & iPads Have LiDAR?

Q: How do I check if my iPhone has LiDAR?

Look at the camera bump: LiDAR is the small dark circle that isn't a lens or the flash. If your model name includes 'Pro' and it's an iPhone 12 Pro or newer, it has LiDAR. Standard, Plus, mini, e and SE models don't. Apps like RoomKit also tell you — scanning is offered only when the sensor is present.

Q: Why does room scanning need LiDAR instead of just the camera?

A camera sees color but must guess depth; LiDAR measures it directly by timing laser pulses, thousands of times per second, in any lighting. Apple's RoomPlan framework — which RoomKit is built on — requires that direct depth data to reconstruct walls and furniture reliably to scale.

Q: Can I use RoomKit on a non-LiDAR iPhone?

In view-only mode: you can open, view and export plans that were scanned on a LiDAR device. Creating new scans requires the sensor — there's no camera-only fallback, because accuracy would collapse.

Apple has kept LiDAR simple, if unannounced: it ships on Pro devices only. If your iPhone says Pro (and it's a 12 Pro or newer), you can scan rooms. Here's the full picture.

iPhones with LiDAR

iPhone 12 Pro / 12 Pro Max (2020) — the first
iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max
Every subsequent Pro / Pro Max model

No LiDAR: all standard and Plus iPhones (12 through current), mini models, the e-series, and every iPhone SE. The camera bump gives it away — LiDAR is the small dark circle that's neither a lens nor the flash.

iPads with LiDAR

iPad Pro 12.9″ (4th gen, 2020) and later
iPad Pro 11″ (2nd gen, 2020) and later
iPad Pro 13″ / 11″ (M4, 2024) and later

No LiDAR: iPad, iPad mini and iPad Air — all generations to date.

What LiDAR actually does

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) fires invisible laser pulses and times their reflections — direct distance measurement, thousands of points per second, independent of lighting. That's the difference that matters for room scanning: a camera alone has to infer depth and drifts out of scale, while LiDAR measures it. Apple's RoomPlan framework, which powers RoomKit, requires LiDAR for exactly this reason — walls, doors, windows and furniture are reconstructed to scale, reliably, in seconds.

On a non-LiDAR device? RoomKit runs in view-only mode: plans scanned on a LiDAR device (yours or someone else's) can still be opened, explored in 2D/3D and exported. Scanning itself needs the sensor — no honest app offers a camera-only "scan" at real accuracy.

Is a Pro worth it just for LiDAR?

If floor plans are occasional, borrow a friend's Pro for the scan day — plans are files you can keep and share afterward. If you measure spaces regularly (agent, contractor, serial renovator), the sensor pays for itself in un-driven return trips: the plan you scanned is the plan you have, with every wall dimension in it.

Got a Pro? Put its LiDAR to work

RoomKit scans rooms into measured 2D + 3D floor plans. Free on LiDAR iPhones & iPads.

Download on the App Store

FAQ

How do I check if my iPhone has LiDAR?

Pro model, 12 Pro or newer = yes. Visually: the small dark circle on the camera bump that isn't a lens or flash.

Why does room scanning need LiDAR instead of just the camera?

LiDAR measures depth directly; cameras guess it. RoomPlan requires the real measurements.

Can I use RoomKit on a non-LiDAR iPhone?

View-only: open, view and export existing plans. New scans need the sensor.