Q. Is it possible to use my smartphone as a thermometer?

Answer

There are several apps available for smartphones that claim to be able to measure your body temperature. These apps usually utilize the temperature sensor on your smartphone or its fingerprint scanner to “read” your body temperature. However, there’s a big catch in using such apps — the smartphone already has an internal temperature of its own, and that directly interferes with the temperature sensor, increasing the possibility of erroneous readings. Also, for such apps to be effective, the phone must be allowed to cool down for you to get a near-accurate temperature reading. So, while technically smartphones can be used to measure body temperature, they should only be used as a last resort, and that too while following the correct procedure.