3D Scanning on Android for Contractors: Why Your Whole Crew Can Use Manifold

Mar 24, 2026

If your crew runs Android phones — or a mix of Android and iPhone — you've probably already hit the wall with CompanyCam's 3D features. They require a LiDAR-equipped iPhone Pro. Every Android user on your team is locked out. That's a real problem for mixed crews, and it's why a lot of contractors are looking for something that actually works on the phones their people already carry.

Here's what you need to know about 3D scanning on Android for contractors in 2026, and where Manifold fits in.

Why most 3D scanning apps don't work for construction crews

There are plenty of 3D scanning apps on Android. KIRI Engine, Polycam, Scaniverse — they all work to some degree. But they're built for hobbyists, 3D printing enthusiasts, and designers. They produce 3D models you can export in formats like OBJ, STL, and GLTF. Great if you're building game assets. Not useful if you're a renovation contractor who needs a measurable room walkthrough that lives next to your job photos, checklists, and punch list items.

The gap isn't the technology. The gap is that none of those apps are field documentation platforms. When you scan a space in KIRI Engine, you get a mesh file. It doesn't connect to your project. It doesn't attach to your job timeline. It doesn't help your crew pull a measurement from the office three weeks later. It just sits there.

What Orbit Measure actually does — and why it works on Android

Manifold's Orbit Measure feature works differently from LiDAR-based scanning. Instead of relying on a depth sensor built into an iPhone Pro, it uses your phone's camera to capture a short video walkthrough of the space — typically 10 to 60 seconds. That video is uploaded to Manifold's servers, which process it and return a measurable 3D model.

Because the computation happens server-side, it doesn't depend on what hardware your phone has. Any Android phone with a decent camera works. Any iPhone works. You don't need a LiDAR sensor. You don't need the latest hardware. You need the app and a steady hand.

The result is a measurable 3D walkthrough of the space — not a floor plan, but a spatial model you can pull dimensions from remotely. If a colleague in the office needs to check a wall length or ceiling height two weeks after you've left the job, they can do it without going back to site.

How this compares to CompanyCam

CompanyCam's 3D measurement feature is available on their Elite plan at $249/month (3-user minimum). It requires a LiDAR-equipped iPhone — iPhone 12 Pro or newer. Android users on your crew have no access to the 3D features at all, regardless of which plan you're on.

Manifold's Photo+Scan plan is $24/user/month. Orbit Measure is included. It works on any iOS or Android phone. There's no seat minimum, so if you have two Android users and one iPhone user, you pay for three users — not a forced seat bundle.

For a 3-person crew on the Manifold Photo+Scan plan: $72/month, with 3D scanning available on every phone.
For the same crew on CompanyCam Elite (the only plan with 3D): $249/month minimum, with 3D scanning locked to iPhone Pro only.

What about Floor Plan Scan?

Manifold also includes Floor Plan Scan, which uses Apple's RoomPlan API to generate a structured 2D floor plan with labeled walls and dimensions. This one does require iPhone 12 Pro or newer — it's LiDAR-based. But it's a separate capability from Orbit Measure, and it's included in the same $24/user plan.

So if you have a mixed crew, your Android users get Orbit Measure (measurable 3D model from any phone), and your iPhone Pro users get both Orbit Measure and Floor Plan Scan. Everyone can document. No one is locked out.

Bottom line

If you're running a mixed Android/iPhone crew, or your team isn't on the latest iPhone Pro hardware, CompanyCam's 3D features simply don't apply to you. Manifold was designed so the whole crew can use 3D scanning — not just the person with the right phone.