The secret science squad in your pocket

August 22, 2025

By Kim Komando

Think your phone is just for calls, texts and scrolling? Think again. You’re carrying around a secret lab in your pocket. 

The accelerometer that flips your screen when you turn it? That’s what your fitness app uses to count steps. The barometer that helps your weather app? It can tell if you’ve climbed a flight of stairs. And the gyroscope that powers AR games? Aim it at the sky, and it points out planets. 

These little guys are working harder than dating apps a week before Valentine’s Day. 

👏🏻 Meet the team inside your phone

• The accelerometer detects movement, whether you’re walking, running or sprawled on the couch.
• The gyroscope tracks rotation, so panoramic photos don’t look like a toddler took them.
• The magnetometer? Your phone’s built-in compass. Perfect when you’re lost in the mall.
• How about the barometer? It senses air pressure, so yes, it knows if you’re upstairs or downstairs.
• The ambient light sensor adjusts brightness, so you’re not blinded in bed.
• Who could forget the proximity sensor? It turns off the screen when you hold the phone to your ear. Magic.
• And the classic microphones are sensitive enough to detect distant rumbles from earthquakes.

🧑🏻‍🔬 Experiments you’ll want to try

• Turn your phone into an earthquake detector – Download Phyphox (iOS, Android) or Vibration Meter (iOS, Android), and place your phone on a table. Watch it register vibrations from passing trucks or even footsteps.

• Be your own weather station – Use Barometer & Altimeter (iOS, Android) to predict a storm before your local weather TV reporter does. I bet you win.

• North without looking – Open your compass app, spin around, close your eyes, and try to stop facing north. Or on your next flight, use it to check your altitude.

• Star hunting made easy – Use Sky Guide or Sky Tonight (iOS, Android) to point your phone to find constellations, planets and even satellites.

• See sound in action – Download Spectroid or Spectrum Analyzer, and watch your phone’s mic turn everyday noises into colorful sound waves.

Go play scientist this weekend, and tell someone this bad joke: What is a magnetic scientist’s favorite animal? A polar bear. 🐻‍❄️

🧪 Better yet, use the icons below to share this know-how with that one person in your life who appreciates nerdy stuff.