# Sonar LiDAR > LiDAR-enabled iPhone app translates distance into sound and vibration for environmental awareness. (iPhone/iPad app by Federico Di Francesco.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonar-lidar/id6756738319 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Federico Di Francesco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1610170288) - Category: Navigation, Utilities - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16 · 3 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2025-12-23 - Data updated: 2026-07-17 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonar-lidar/id6756738319/reviews.md ## What is Sonar LiDAR? IMPORTANT: This app works EXCLUSIVELY on iPhone Pro (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) with a LiDAR sensor. Standard models without LiDAR are not supported. Sonar Lidar — feel your surroundings. Sonar Lidar turns the LiDAR sensor on your iPhone Pro (or iPad Pro) into a real-time sonar. As you point your phone ahead, it translates distance into sound and vibration, giving you instant feedback about what's around you. What it detects • Walls and obstacles in front of you • Low furniture — sofas, benches, tables • Steps and drop-offs ("cliffs") • Narrow passages and doorways How it works • Audio sonar: beeps get faster as you get closer, panning left/right toward the obstacle • Haptic feedback: feel the proximity through vibration • Posture guide: a gentle tone helps you hold the phone at the right angle • Night vision: an optional on-screen depth view • The screen stays awake while scanning Made to fit you Simple, essential controls up front — distances, sonar spread, low-obstacle and drop sensitivity — with an "Advanced Settings" section for fine-tuning. Full VoiceOver support. Important: Sonar Lidar is an experimental support tool. It does NOT replace the white cane, a guide dog, medical aids, or your own attention. Use it only in known environments and always stay alert. Requires a device with a LiDAR sensor. We strongly recommend testing the app in a safe, known environment to find the best tilt angle and sensitivity setting (adjustable in Settings) for your height and walking style. ## Key features - Real-time sonar feedback - Audio and haptic alerts - Obstacle detection (walls, furniture, steps) - Posture guidance - Optional night vision depth view - VoiceOver support ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Offer me a coffee | $0.99 | one-time | | Offer me a beer. | $3.99 | one-time | ## Frequently asked questions about Sonar LiDAR ### What devices is Sonar LiDAR compatible with? Sonar LiDAR is exclusively compatible with iPhone Pro models (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) and iPad Pro models that feature a LiDAR sensor. Standard iPhone models without LiDAR are not supported. ### Does Sonar LiDAR have ads? No, Sonar LiDAR does not contain advertisements. It is designed to provide an uninterrupted user experience. ### How does Sonar LiDAR help with navigation? Sonar LiDAR uses the device's LiDAR sensor to translate distance into audio beeps and haptic vibrations, alerting you to walls, furniture, steps, and doorways in your path. ### Is Sonar LiDAR a replacement for traditional navigation aids? No, Sonar LiDAR is an experimental support tool and does not replace essential aids like a white cane, guide dog, or medical devices. Users should always remain attentive and use it in known environments. ### Can I adjust the sensitivity of Sonar LiDAR? Yes, the app offers adjustable sensitivity settings for low obstacles and drops, as well as sonar spread. These can be fine-tuned in the 'Advanced Settings' section. ### What is the update frequency for Sonar LiDAR? The app was last updated on July 6, 2026, indicating active development. Users can expect ongoing improvements and feature additions. ### Is Sonar LiDAR suitable for visually impaired users? Sonar LiDAR offers full VoiceOver support and provides audio and haptic feedback, making it a potentially useful tool for visually impaired users to enhance environmental awareness. ### What is the age rating for Sonar LiDAR? Sonar LiDAR has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.9 — 2026-07-06 New: gradual proximity haptic. • In the warning zone you now feel a vibration that grows stronger and faster as you get closer to an obstacle: light when it's far, firm when you're near the stop distance. Especially useful in crowded places. • New "Proximity Haptic" toggle to turn it on or off as you like, without affecting the stop, frontal-obstacle, and drop-off alerts. Thanks to everyone sending in suggestions — keep them coming! ### 1.8 — 2026-06-28 Thanks to your feedback, this update makes Sonar safer and easier to use: • The screen no longer auto-locks while scanning — navigate without the phone going to sleep. • Much better detection of low obstacles (sofas, benches, low furniture), with new dedicated controls. • Greatly improved detection of steps and drop-offs. • Wider vertical field of view. • Redesigned Settings: only the essentials up front, everything else tucked into "Advanced Settings." • Clearer labels and an updated in-app guide. Tip: open Settings and tap "Reset" to load the new recommended defaults. ### 1.7 — 2026-01-06 • Cliff Detection: The app now actively protects you by detecting sudden drops (stairs, edges, uneven ground) with a dedicated alarm sound. • New Posture Guide: A smart audio assistant helps you hold the phone at the optimal tilt (35°-82°) for perfect LiDAR scanning. A high-pitched sound confirms the correct position, while a low tone warns you if you are aiming too high or low. • Integrated User Manual: We added a complete guide accessible directly from Home, with instructions on how to hold the device and understand the sounds. • Night Vision: Reintroduced and optimized visual mode that displays the real-time depth map, allowing you to "see" in total darkness. • Advanced Settings: The menu has been redesigned. You can now calibrate Scenarios (Indoor/Nature), Low Obstacle sensitivity, and customize the audio rhythm. • Enhanced Safety & Audio: New seamless audio mixing system. We also increased the default STOP distance to 0.8m and made the "smoothing" filter more responsive to sudden obstacles. ### 1.2 — 2025-12-30 What’s new: • Significantly improved LiDAR accuracy • More robust spatial sampling (windowed median) to reduce noise and outliers. • Temporal smoothing for distances and direction to minimize jitter and stabilize state changes. • Hysteresis and persistence for “STOP”, “Narrow Passage”, and “VOID!” to avoid false positives. • Better low-obstacle detection • New adjustable threshold to detect low objects like sofas and coffee tables. • More reliable “Narrow Passage” and “VOID!” detection • Multi-sample analysis and multi-frame persistence to reduce false alerts. • More informative audio • New non-linear curve for beep cadence: faster when close, slower when far. • Smoother and more accurate audio panning to indicate obstacle direction. • Advanced settings • New sliders to tune: smoothing, sampling window size, STOP hysteresis, “Narrow Passage” thresholds, detection persistence, and beep curve parameters. • Various optimizations and fixes • Improved overall stability and reduced reading oscillations. Tip: if the app detects too many or too few low obstacles, adjust the “Low Obstacles Threshold” in Settings to match your environment. ### 1.1 — 2025-12-23 In this update we introduced: • Cliff Detection: The app now alerts you with a distinct high-pitched alarm if it detects a sudden drop ahead (like stairs or edges), helping you avoid falls. • Adjustable Sensitivity: New option in Settings to calibrate the drop detection distance. • Improvements: Cliff Detection is now enabled by default to ensure maximum protection from the very first launch. • Minor optimizations to the scanning algorithm. ## More apps by Federico Di Francesco - [ReadMyVoice: Trascrivi Audio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readmyvoice-trascrivi-audio/id6464125365) All apps by Federico Di Francesco: https://appshunter.io/developer/1610170288 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-17.*