How to use Apex: your first vert measurement in under a minute

Apex was designed so the first time you open it, you measure your vert before the lock screen times out. No accounts, no tutorials, no slow-motion video review. Point, jump, see your number. This is the quick walkthrough of doing exactly that — plus the small details that make every reading more accurate.

What you need

• An iPhone running iOS 18 or newer.
• About a meter and a half of clearance around you so you can jump safely without hitting anything.
• A reasonably well-lit room. Apex uses your camera for spatial tracking — bright daylight or normal indoor lighting both work well.
• A flat surface to place your phone, or a tripod / stand if you have one.

1. Add your profile

The first time you open Apex, it asks for your name and your standing height. Height isn't used to estimate your jump — it powers the dunk progress feature, which measures the gap between your peak reach and a regulation 10-foot rim. If you want to share the phone with a friend or your kid, add multiple profiles. Apex doesn't use accounts, so each profile lives only on your device.

2. Set your standing reach

Reach is the single most important number for accurate vert and dunk tracking. Stand flat-footed against a wall or under a doorway, stretch one arm straight up, and reach as high as you can. Apex captures the highest point your fingertips touch. Two tips:

• Don't go up on your toes. Reach with feet completely flat — that's the baseline your jump is measured from.
• Re-measure your reach if you change shoes. A thicker sole shifts your reach upward by half an inch or more.

3. Calibrate your space and jump

Prop your phone on a stable surface so the rear camera can see you from head to toe. Slowly tilt the phone left and right for a couple of seconds — Apex uses this to lock onto the space around you. When the screen says Ready, step back to your launch spot and jump.

4. Reading your number

The instant you land, Apex shows your jump height with the confidence band, plus your peak reach and how far you were from a dunk. The vertical jump number is the distance between your flat reach and the highest point your fingertips traveled at the top of the jump.

• Vertical jump: peak reach minus standing reach.
• Peak reach: the absolute highest point your fingertips hit.
• Dunk gap: how far you still need to gain to touch a 10-foot rim.

Tips for accurate, repeatable readings

1. Warm up first. A cold first jump is almost always your worst. Do a couple of submax efforts before recording your best.
2. Same phone position every time. Mark the spot on your floor with tape so you can repeat the exact setup later in the week.
3. Reach with the same hand every time. Your dominant arm tends to reach a touch higher; keep it consistent.
4. Jump from a standing position, not a run-up. Apex measures standing vertical by default. If you want max vert with an approach, use the dedicated Approach jump mode.

Tracking progress over time

Every jump you save is added to your history. The trend line on your profile shows you weekly averages, your personal best, and the running gap to a dunk. Most people see their first inch of vert improvement within a few weeks of focused training. The next post in this series — Eight exercises that actually increase your vertical jump — has a four-week plan you can run with two short sessions a week.

That's the whole loop: set your reach, jump, save the result, and watch the trend. The fewer reasons to fiddle with the app, the more you'll actually train. That's the point of Apex.