Floor Plan Scan for iPhone: How It Works and What It Produces (2026)

John Dutton

Floor Plan Scan is the feature inside the Manifold app that uses your iPhone's LiDAR sensor to automatically generate a 2D floor plan as you walk a room. No measuring tape, no specialist, no CAD software.

Walk a room for 30–60 seconds. The floor plan generates in real time. Export as PDF or share via link. Done.

What Floor Plan Scan produces

A structured 2D floor plan with:

Room dimensions and wall lengths, accurate to within an inch
Door and window positions
Room labels (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc.) auto-detected
Exportable as PDF, shareable via browser link

The output is a clean architectural-style floor plan — not a 3D model, not a sketch. Something you can send to an engineer, a client, or a trade contractor without explanation.

What device do you need?

Floor Plan Scan requires iPhone 12 Pro or newer. This is because it uses the LiDAR sensor, which is only available on iPhone Pro models.

If you're on an older iPhone or an Android phone, Manifold's Orbit Measure feature produces a measurable 3D model that works on any phone — including Android. It doesn't produce a 2D floor plan, but you can take accurate measurements from it remotely. For most field contractors, Orbit Measure covers 90% of the same use cases.

Floor Plan Scan vs Orbit Measure: which one to use

Use case	Floor Plan Scan	Orbit Measure
Generate a clean 2D floor plan	✓ Yes	✗ No
Take remote measurements from a model	Limited	✓ Yes
Works on Android	✗ No	✓ Yes
Works on iPhone (non-Pro)	✗ No	✓ Yes
Document existing conditions in 3D	Limited	✓ Yes
Share a 3D walkthrough with a client	✗ No	✓ Yes

What contractors use Floor Plan Scan for

Renovation scoping — scan a space before quoting. Walk every room in 5 minutes. Send the floor plan to your estimator the same day. No return visit, no measuring tape, no hand sketching.

As-built documentation — after a renovation, scan the completed space and deliver a floor plan to the owner. This becomes the permanent record of what was built where.

Client communication — share a dimensioned floor plan with a client who can't visualise from a verbal description. The floor plan closes the conversation in seconds.

Handover to engineers — structural or MEP engineers often need a floor plan to do their work. Floor Plan Scan produces something usable in under 5 minutes.

Which plan includes Floor Plan Scan?

Floor Plan Scan is included in the Photo+Scan plan at $24/user/month. No seat minimums. Free trial, no credit card.

Start your free trial or learn more about Manifold's scanning features.