Can a Smartphone Be Used as a Thermometer?

Want to know what the exact temperature is where you are? Most of us don’t have a thermometer around all the time, but we do have our smartphones with us all the time.

So that brings up the question, can a smartphone be used as a thermometer? Let’s take a look at the answer below…

Can a Smartphone Be Used as a Thermometer?

Smartphones are incredibly advanced and intelligent in this age. But do they have a temperature sensor in them? Well, not really. Cell phone manufacturers say they cannot fit another sensor into phones yet.

Smartphones with Temperature Sensors

That being said, many smartphones already have thermometer sensors built in. Its current function is to detect and notify you when your phone becomes too hot.

These thermometer sensors are used to detect the temperature of your phone’s battery, its chips and the motherboard.

It is a preventative security sensor that prevents disasters in case your phone gets too hot.

But how about a thermometer that you can use to measure body temperature or the outside temperature?

Well, fortunately, there are a lot of mobile apps you can use for that. The quality and accuracy of each app is of course, questionable, so it’s always better to read reviews before installing an app.

Thermometer Apps for Smartphones

iThermonitor

The iThermonitor is available on both Android and iOS. It can check body temperatures, and environmental temperatures.

The cool thing about this app is that it provides charts and logs of repeated temp measurements. This allows you to create graphs of fever progression. It also has an automated setting that can collect temperature regularly. It’s also free.

Smart Thermometer

The Smart Thermometer app focuses on measuring a precise temperature using their UI interface. You can use this app to check temperatures at regular intervals. It also has charts to check temperature history. As of now, the app is only available on Android.

Finger Body Temperature

As the name suggests, the Finger Body Temperature takes your body temperature after you place your finger on your phone. This app makes it easy to collect your body temperature. It’s available for free on Android and iOS.

Smarttemp

Another cool app you can try is the Smarttemp. It has a feature where you can create a profile for each family member so you can keep track of every family member’s body temperature. This feature makes it easy to distinguish between whose readings are being tracked. It’s currently available on iOS for free.

Thermometer Apps for Smartphones: Honorable Mentions

Here are some of the other thermometers that may be worth looking into:

Most of these apps are available on both iOS and Android. So you can use them on any smartphone device.

Again, because most smartphones do not have their own thermosensors, it’s best to read the reviews on each app to determine which one provides the most accurate results. And to see which receive the best reviews and ratings.

Smartphone Temperature Readings vs. Thermometer Temperature Readings

So, can a smartphone be used as a thermometer? Yes, but it’s probably not going to be too accurate.

Ultimately, we recommend that you buy a real thermometer from drugstores or online. For the time being, they provide a more accurate reading compared to smartphone apps. The good news is that most of today’s thermometer options are digital and portable. They are also inexpensive and typically start at $12.99.