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LiDAR Camera

Thermal camera app for iPhone: what a filter can and can't do

Plainly: no iPhone has a thermal camera, so no app, including this one, can show real heat. What a thermal camera app does is imitate the look. LiDAR Camera's Thermal look colours the picture by brightness, or by distance on LiDAR models, and it measures zero temperature.

3 min read · Updated 2026-09-16

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Does iPhone have a thermal camera?

No. A thermal camera needs a sensor that sees long-wave infrared, the heat warm objects give off. iPhone cameras are built for visible light. No such sensor, no app reading temperature through them, full stop. To see real heat on a phone you need a separate thermal camera accessory that plugs into it, and that's a different purchase entirely.

Does iPhone have an infrared camera?

Sort of, but not one you can film with. Face ID and the LiDAR Scanner send and receive near-infrared light to measure depth, and iOS does not hand apps an infrared picture from them. The regular cameras filter most infrared out.

What LiDAR Camera can do is turn that depth data into a picture. On a LiDAR model the view works in total darkness because of that infrared light, but what it shows is distance. Not heat, however hot the colours look.

What the Thermal look actually does

Thermal look by camera mode
ModeWhat decides the colourWhat looks hot
Normal (any device)Brightness of the camera imageBright areas: lamps, screens, lit faces
LiDAR or TrueDepthDistance from the phoneThe closest objects

In LiDAR or TrueDepth mode the ramp runs from black through blue, purple, red and orange to yellow and white, nearer surfaces placed higher up it. A person standing in front of a wall looks hot because they're closer, not because they're warm. A radiator at the back of a room can look stone cold for the same reason: distance, not temperature, drives the colour.

What the Infrared look does

Infrared is a red-orange monochrome style, the kind that recalls old infrared photography. PRO look, open to everyone for the first 7 days. It runs on any device, LiDAR or not, because it works on the camera image itself rather than depth data, and it captures none of the infrared light the camera wasn't already seeing.

How to try the thermal and infrared looks

  1. Open LiDAR Camera. On a LiDAR model, choose LiDAR in the Normal / LiDAR switch to colour by distance, or Normal to colour by brightness.
  2. Scroll the row of looks above the shutter and tap Thermal.
  3. Tap Controls and adjust Night Vision Intensity to make the effect stronger or softer.
  4. For Infrared, tap it in the same row; a yellow PRO tag marks it after the 7-day preview.
  5. Tap VIDEO to film a clip in Normal mode, or PHOTO to take a picture.

Honest uses for these looks

  • Stylised clips and photos with a thermal or infrared mood.
  • In LiDAR mode, spotting which objects are nearest in a dark room at a glance.
  • Showing kids or friends how a depth sensor sees a room.

What they can't do

  • Show temperatures, heat leaks, hot pipes or overheating electrics.
  • Find people or animals by their body heat, or see through walls, smoke or fog.
  • Replace an actual thermal imager for home inspections or rescue work.

Questions and answers

Is there a free thermal camera app for iPhone?
Apps can be free, but none can show real heat without extra hardware. LiDAR Camera's Thermal look is free; it is a colour style.
Can iPhone camera see infrared light?
Very little. The regular camera filters most infrared out, and iOS does not give apps the Face ID or LiDAR infrared image.
Why does a person look hot in LiDAR mode?
Because they are closer than the wall behind them. In depth modes Thermal colours by distance, not temperature.

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