Which iPhones Have LiDAR? A Device Guide for Restoration Crews

If your crew scans rooms with a phone, the phone matters. Room-scanning apps — riivet included — use the LiDAR Scanner, a small depth sensor next to the rear cameras on some iPhones and iPads. A phone without one still takes photos and runs the rest of your field software, but it can't capture a LiDAR room scan. Here is the full list, how to check any phone in 30 seconds, and what to buy for a restoration crew.

Every iPhone with a LiDAR Scanner

LiDAR is a Pro feature. Every iPhone Pro and Pro Max since the iPhone 12 Pro has one. According to Apple's list of models with a LiDAR Scanner, these iPhones have it:

• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

Apple updates that list when new models ship, so check it before you buy.

iPhones without LiDAR

If it doesn't say Pro, it doesn't have LiDAR. That includes:

• The standard and Plus models, such as the iPhone 17, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Plus
• The iPhone Air and the iPhone 16e
• The mini models and every iPhone SE
• Every iPhone 11 and earlier, including the iPhone 11 Pro

iPads with LiDAR

Every iPad Pro released since 2020 has a LiDAR Scanner, starting with the 11-inch (2nd generation) and 12.9-inch (4th generation) models. The iPad Air, iPad mini, and standard iPad do not. An iPad makes a scan easier to review on site, but it is harder to hold up in a crawlspace, so most crews scan with a phone.

How to check a phone in 30 seconds

• Look at the back. On an iPhone with LiDAR, there is a small black circle in the camera bump, separate from the lenses and the flash.
• Check the model name. Open Settings, then General, then About, and look at Model Name. An iPhone 12 Pro or newer Pro model has LiDAR.
• Use our checker. The riivet compatibility checker shows which scanning features work on your device.

What about Android?

A few Android phones from around 2020 included time-of-flight depth sensors, but most current Android phones don't have a LiDAR-class sensor, and LiDAR room-scanning apps generally need an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro. In riivet, LiDAR room scanning runs on supported iPhones and iPad Pros, and the rest of the app runs on modern iPhone and Android phones. If your crew is mostly on Android, one LiDAR device per crew covers scanning.

What phone LiDAR is good at, and its limits

The LiDAR Scanner measures depth by timing pulses of light, and Apple describes its range as up to about five meters (roughly 16 feet). That covers most residential rooms, and it is fast enough to scan a room in a few minutes with no extra hardware.

It has limits worth knowing:

• Very large or open spaces, like warehouses and big commercial floors, may need several scans or a different tool.
• Mirrors, glass, and very dark surfaces can throw off readings.
• Clutter hides walls, so move what you can or plan to tidy up the sketch.
• When one dimension drives a large line item, confirm it with a laser measure.

For the bigger picture, read how LiDAR scanning is changing insurance restoration.

What to buy for a crew

• Not every tech needs a Pro. One LiDAR device per crew or per estimator usually covers scanning. Everyone else can use the phone they have.
• An older Pro works. A refurbished iPhone 13 Pro or 14 Pro has a LiDAR Scanner and costs far less than a new phone. Make sure it runs a current version of iOS.
• Get enough storage. Scans, photos, and video add up quickly. 256 GB is a comfortable minimum for a field device.
• Use a rugged case with a camera cutout that leaves the LiDAR sensor uncovered.
• Keep a power bank in the truck. Scanning uses a lot of battery.

The takeaway

Every iPhone Pro and Pro Max from the 12 Pro through the 18 Pro has a LiDAR Scanner, and so does every iPad Pro since 2020. Standard, Plus, mini, SE, and Air models don't. Check the back of the phone or the model name in Settings, give each crew at least one LiDAR device, and confirm critical measurements by hand. To see what a phone scan can do on a real job, take a 24-hour test run.