The iPhone barometer reports air pressure on supported devices. Pressure varies with altitude and weather, so a single number cannot tell you whether the sensor is healthy.
Observe a pressure change
- Open Hardware → Barometer in Device Status⁺.
- Keep the phone still and wait for readings to appear. Note the displayed unit.
- Record the starting pressure and your floor.
- Walk safely to another floor, keeping the phone with you.
- Pause and compare the reading. Return to the starting floor and compare again.
Do not blow into openings or seal the phone in a container to force a response. Normal changes of elevation are sufficient.
What should you expect?
Pressure generally decreases as you move higher and increases as you move lower. A short change of height produces a small difference; ventilation and weather can complicate the comparison.
A weather service may report pressure adjusted to sea level. That is not directly comparable with the phone’s local measurement, particularly at elevation. Check units and reference conditions before calling a difference an error.
Is pressure the same as altitude?
No. Relative height can be estimated from pressure changes, but a barometer alone does not provide a permanently accurate elevation above sea level. Use the altimeter test for a separate check of height-change behavior.
Ready to try it?
Device Status⁺ · Monitor and test your iPhone hardware
Free on the App Store