Illuminance Tool

Online Light Meter & Lux Sensor

Measure light intensity (lux) instantly using your device's ambient light sensor or camera. Perfect for photography, indoor plants, and workspace ergonomics.

--lx

Very Dark

Min Lux--

Max Lux--

Hold your device flat, facing the light source. Values update in real-time based on your environment.

Hold your device facing the light source. Values update in real-time. If the ambient light sensor is blocked, the camera fallback provides an estimate.

Why Measure Light in Lux?

Lux is the standard unit of illuminance, measuring how much luminous flux is spread over a given area. Whether you are setting up a home office, nurturing indoor plants, or fine-tuning exposure for photography, understanding the exact light intensity is crucial.

Historically, measuring lux required dedicated handheld light meters. Today, almost every modern smartphone, tablet, and laptop contains an Ambient Light Sensor (ALS)—originally designed to auto-adjust your screen brightness. This tool taps directly into that hardware via the W3C Generic Sensor API, turning your device into an instant, free light meter.

Features & Capabilities

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Real-Time Lux Reading

Live, instant updates directly from your device hardware. See exact lux values as you move around.

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Camera Fallback

If your browser blocks the Ambient Light API, the tool seamlessly falls back to a camera-based brightness approximation.

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Min / Max Tracking

Automatically tracks the lowest and highest light levels during your session to help you gauge light variation.

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Perfect for Plants

Easily determine if your Monstera is getting enough indirect sunlight or if your succulents need a brighter window.

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Workspace Ergonomics

Ensure your office meets the recommended 300-500 lux for reading and computer work to reduce eye strain.

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100% Privacy-Safe

All light and camera processing happens locally on your device. We do not store or transmit any sensor data.

How to Use the Light Meter

Grant Permissions

Allow the browser to access your device's sensors. If prompted for camera access (fallback mode), grant it for accurate approximations.

Position the Device

Place your phone or laptop exactly where you want to measure the light. Ensure your hand or shadow isn't blocking the front-facing sensor.

Read the Lux

Look at the live lux value. Values below 50 indicate dim lighting, while direct sunlight can exceed 10,000 lux.

📅Laatst bijgewerkt: August 2026

Prakhar Gothi

Oprichter & Hoofdontwikkelaar, Online-Compass.com

Prakhar Gothi is een ervaren webontwikkelaar en AI-expert met meer dan 10 jaar ervaring in de techsector. Zijn diepgaande expertise in MEMS-sensorintegratie, GPS-hardware en moderne webtechnologieën leidde tot de oprichting van Online-Compass.com — een navigatietool van luchtvaartkwaliteit die door gebruikers in meer dan 190 landen wordt vertrouwd.

Volg op LinkedIn

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Hoe we testen

Elke tool op Online-Compass.com wordt grondig getest op meer dan 40 apparaatmodellen, waaronder Samsung Galaxy S21–S24, Google Pixel 6–8, iPhone 12–15, iPad en diverse budget-Android-toestellen. We verifiëren de sensornauwkeurigheid aan de hand van professionele navigatie-instrumenten en werken onze kalibratie-algoritmen continu bij op basis van praktijkgegevens.

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Waarom vertrouwen op Online-Compass.com?

Gesteund door tien jaar ervaring in webontwikkeling en vertrouwd door gebruikers in meer dan 190 landen. Alle sensorgegevens worden 100% lokaal op uw apparaat verwerkt — we slaan uw locatie nooit op en volgen deze niet. De code van onze kompaswidget is open source op GitHub voor volledige transparantie. Elke pagina wordt gecontroleerd door ons navigatieteam op wetenschappelijke nauwkeurigheid.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is this online light meter?

The accuracy depends entirely on your device's hardware. Most modern smartphones have highly sensitive ambient light sensors that provide very reliable lux readings for everyday tasks like indoor lighting assessment and plant care.

Why does the tool ask for camera permissions?

Not all browsers (especially iOS Safari) allow access to the native Ambient Light Sensor API. If the API is blocked, our tool uses your device's camera to analyze the average brightness of the video feed and mathematically estimates the lux value. This fallback is a safe approximation and runs entirely offline.

How many lux do my indoor plants need?

Low-light plants (like Snake Plants) survive in 500–2,500 lux. Medium-light plants (like Philodendrons) prefer 2,500–10,000 lux. High-light plants (like Succulents) thrive in 10,000+ lux (direct sunlight).

Try every Online-Compass tool — free, no install.

All tools run entirely inside your browser using your phone's MEMS sensors, GPS, and magnetometer. No app store. No account. No tracking.

🧭 Open Online Compass 📰 Read the Blog

Light Meter & Lux Sensor - Measure Illuminance Online - Online Compass