If you’re a detective looking for clues, one essential tool of the trade is a magnifying glass. It helps you spot things you might otherwise miss.If you aren’t a detective, a magnifying glass is still something great to have around. You never know when you’ll need to read tiny print on a document, minuscule instructions in a cookbook, microscopic writing on a computer part or some equally inconvenient text.Unfortunately, you might not have a magnifying glass just lying around. However, you probably do have a smartphone within arm’s reach.Turning it into a magnifying glass just takes the right app. I recommend the Magnifying Glass with Light for Apple gadgets and Magnificent Magnifier HD for Android users.

Magnifying Glass with Light

Although it hasn’t been updated for over a year, the Magnifying Glass with Light app has managed to maintain its 4+ Star rating. With this app, you can magnify items up to 5.0 times and it includes the following features: Light Level Control, Image Capture, Auto-Focus lock, pinch to zoom, and it supports a front camera.

Magnificent Magnifier HD

This magnifying app uses your smartphone’s camera to enlarge any focal point. It can also fire up your phone camera’s light, which can help if you’re trying to read in a poorly lit area.No more squinting at menus or holding labels at arm’s length. Now you can read fine print without your glasses and see things clearly in dim light.Click the blue box below that matches your operating system to check it out now.