Point. Pause. Listen.
Three simple steps to read any printed text, anywhere: letters, bills, menus, recipes, medicine labels, timetables and price tags.
Point
Aim your camera at the text. Zoom in and use the colour tools to make it clearer.
Pause
Tap pause to freeze the frame. The text is recognised instantly using on-device OCR.
Listen
Press play and follow along as each word is underlined in red. Pause, resume or start from any word.
Share
Send the image or the recognised text to any app using the iOS Share Sheet.
Everything in one simple app
🔍 15× magnification
Smooth zoom from 1× to 15× using a precision vertical slider in 0.25× steps. Your zoom level is remembered between sessions.
⚡ Instant OCR
Pause the camera and text is extracted instantly, with accurate recognition and language correction, entirely on your device.
🗣️ Read aloud
Text-to-speech with word-by-word red underline highlighting. Play, pause, resume, or start from any cursor position, using your device voice.
🎨 Colour & contrast
Invert colours, choose from 9 colour tints, boost contrast up to 3×, switch to monochrome, and use edge enhancement with line thickening.
🔦 Torch & masking
A built-in torch for reading in low light. Masking darkens the top and bottom of the screen so you can focus on one line at a time.
🔠 Customisable display
Show recognised text in 5 font sizes (20–40pt) with 8 text colours and 8 background colours. Preferences are saved automatically.
Getting the best results
- Hold the phone flat and parallel to the page, about 15–25 cm away, then zoom rather than moving closer.
- Light it well. Switch on the torch or turn towards a window, and avoid shadows from your hand.
- Rest your elbows on a table to keep the camera steady, then pause the image.
- Use masking to darken the top and bottom of the screen and focus on one line.
- Make faint print bolder with extra contrast, monochrome or edge enhancement.
Settings you can change
- Recognised text: 5 font sizes (20–40pt), 8 text colours and 8 background colours, saved automatically.
- Voice: Magnus reads with your device's default voice. To change it or download a clearer voice, open Settings › Accessibility › Spoken Content › Voices.
- Zoom: your last zoom level is remembered next time you open the app.
Everyday uses
Post, bills and appointment letters; medicine labels; food packaging and use-by dates; menus, timetables, price tags and signs; book pages, handouts and noticeboards.
Everything stays on your device
Magnus has no servers, no accounts and no analytics. Camera images, recognised text and speech are all processed locally, so what you read stays private. That matters when you are reading bank letters, prescriptions or medical appointments.
Who it's for
- People who are partially sighted or have low vision and want to read small print when out and about
- Older readers who find labels, menus and instructions hard to make out
- Dyslexic people and people with visual stress who prefer to listen, or read on a tinted background
- Students who want to hear printed handouts, notices and book pages read aloud
Magnus and the iPhone's built-in tools
iOS already includes accessibility features such as Zoom and Apple's own Magnifier app, and they are well worth exploring. Magnus is a free alternative that keeps magnification, text recognition, read-aloud and colour display in a single, simple screen, with nothing to set up. Many people use both.
Compatibility
| Device | Requirement |
|---|---|
| iPhone | iOS 18.6 or later |
| iPad | iPadOS 18.6 or later |
| Mac | macOS 15.6 or later, with Apple M1 chip or later |
| Price | Free, no in-app purchases |
| Language | English |
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my phone as a magnifying glass?
Yes. A magnifier app like Sensory Magnus uses the camera to enlarge whatever you point it at, with a torch, contrast controls and the option to freeze the image, and Magnus can also read the text aloud.
Is Sensory Magnus for iPhone free?
Yes. It is free on the App Store with no in-app purchases, no subscription and no account.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Yes. The camera, text recognition and speech all run on your device, so Magnus works anywhere, including without Wi-Fi or mobile data.
Does Magnus collect any of my data?
No. There are no servers, accounts, analytics or tracking. Your images and recognised text never leave your device, and your preferences are stored locally.
Which devices does it run on?
iPhone with iOS 18.6 or later, iPad with iPadOS 18.6 or later, and Macs with an Apple M1 chip or later running macOS 15.6 or later.
Which voice does it use to read aloud?
Magnus uses your device's default voice. You can choose and download higher-quality voices in your iPhone's accessibility settings.
Can I share the text it recognises?
Yes. You can share the captured image or the recognised text to any app, such as Notes, Messages or Mail, using the iOS Share Sheet.
How is this different from the Windows version?
Magnus for Windows is a screen magnifier for your PC. Magnus for iPhone is a camera magnifier for printed text in the real world, with OCR and read-aloud built in. Both are free.
Using Windows? See Sensory Magnus for Windows, a free screen magnifier from the Microsoft Store. Need more help? Email support@sensoryapphouse.com.